Are you breaking the law when it comes to fire doors?

Did you know that propping open fire doors with bins, extinguishers or wedges is illegal and dangerous?

Fire doors are put in place to stop fires spreading through the building. Unfortunately, 1000’s of fire doors are held permanently open all over the UK. In the event of a fire this allows the fire to spread quickly, causing more damage and putting peoples lives in greater danger. Propping fire doors open is against insurance policy so if a fire was to break out, the insurance might not cover the damage caused by the fire.

The necessity to hold fire doors open is recognised by fire companies around the country, who provide legal and safe ways of retaining fire doors open. The solution is fire door retainers, which allow fire doors to be kept open for ventilation in busy areas or in areas where people are frequently passing through.

Some of the recognised and approved fire door retainers are;

Magnetic Fire Door Retainers

This type of system is small and effective for buildings with a panelled alarm system. The system works with an electro-magnetic plate that is mounted on the wall. The plate holds on to a metal disk, which is fitted to the back of the door. This will hold the door open until the alarm activates and sends a signal to the door retainer to release. This door retainer can also be released manually via a release button.

Overhead Door Retainers

This type of system is common in schools and hospitals. The Overhead Door Retainer is activated by a panelled alarm system and is an effective way of keeping fire doors open during the day. It is usually installed when the building is erected and is the most costly of the door retainers.

Dorgard Fire Door Retainers

The Dorgard is a battery-operated fire door retainer. It is activated by the sound of a smoke alarm rather than through a hard-wired alarm system. The Dorgard operates by pressing the rubber plunger down, which holds the door open. Unlike magnetic or overhead door retainers it can hold the door open in any position. When the fire alarm sounds, Dorgards integral audio device signals the plunger to retract to release the door and close.