Fire Door Inspections: What the Law Requires

Fire doors are a critical component of a building's fire safety strategy. Recent legislation has strengthened the requirements for regular inspections. Here is what building owners and managers need to know.

The Legal Framework

Fire door obligations arise from several pieces of legislation. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a duty on the Responsible Person (usually the building owner or manager) to carry out a fire risk assessment and ensure adequate fire safety measures are in place. The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that this duty extends to the structure, external walls, and flat entrance doors of residential buildings. The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced additional requirements for higher-risk buildings.

What the Fire Safety Act 2021 Changed

The Fire Safety Act 2021 explicitly confirmed that fire risk assessments in multi-occupied residential buildings must include the building's structure and external walls (including cladding and balconies), all communal areas, and flat entrance doors that open onto common parts. This clarification, which came after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, means that fire doors in residential buildings are now firmly within scope of regulatory inspection requirements.

Who Is the Responsible Person?

The Responsible Person is whoever has control of the premises or the fire safety arrangements. In most cases, this is the building owner, the managing agent or management company, or the landlord. The Responsible Person is legally responsible for ensuring fire doors are properly maintained and inspected.

Inspection Requirements

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require that in buildings over 11 metres in height, flat entrance doors must be inspected at least every 12 months, and all fire doors in common parts must be inspected at least every 3 months. For other multi-occupied residential buildings, fire doors should be inspected as part of the regular fire risk assessment.

Penalties

Failure to comply with fire safety obligations can result in enforcement notices, prohibition notices (closing the building), unlimited fines, and in the most serious cases, imprisonment for up to two years.