Fire Doors – Recognise the Risk, Report the Reality by Anthony Walker FRICS FCIOB MIFireE, Director at Sircle
This year’s Fire Door Safety Week (22–26 September 2025) moves the focus from simply “checking your door” to building a culture of proactive fire safety. It reinforces the essential point that fire doors must be correctly specified, properly installed, regularly inspected, and well-maintained throughout their entire lifespan.
Why Fire Doors Matter
A fire door is far more than just wood or metal; it is a precisely engineered, life-saving system. Its main function is to compartmentalise a building – containing fire and smoke in the room of origin for a set time, usually 30 or 60 minutes.
This containment creates a crucial window for safe evacuation and allows firefighters to bring the fire under control before it spreads.
Sadly, effectiveness is often compromised by poor installation, missing or damaged intumescent seals, excessive gaps, faulty hinges or closers, and general neglect.
Lessons from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry highlighted serious failings in fire door management, maintenance, and regulatory oversight — many of which were described as known but inadequately addressed.
Sir Martin Moore-Bick, Chairman of the Inquiry, stated:
“It is apparent that ineffective fire doors allowed smoke and toxic gases to spread through the building more quickly than should have been possible.”
“Missing self-closers played an important role in the spread of smoke and the failure of compartmentation.”
“The simple truth is that the deaths that occurred were all avoidable,”
The report called for:
- Quarterly inspections for fire doors to confirm self-closing devices work correctly.
- Strict legal standards for fire doors in high-rise residential buildings.
- Urgent action to inspect and upgrade existing doors to prevent future tragedies.
The Wider Problem
Data from the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS), over 100,000 inspections in 2021, showed that 75% of UK fire doors failed to meet standards.
Sircle’s own surveys have sometimes recorded even higher rates in certain buildings.
The sectors with the highest failure rates were:
- Healthcare and hospitals
- Local authority housing
- Private housing
A 2024 Care Quality Commission report cited a large NHS Trust for “failures to maintain and repair fire‑resisting doors in patient areas,” with multiple leaf and frame distortions, missing intumescent strips, and wedged‑open doors noted. Such breaches undermine compartmentation strategy and compromise progressive horizontal evacuation plans
Common Failings We See
From thousands of inspections, Sircle’s most frequent findings include:
- Damaged or Missing Seals: Intumescent seals expand under heat to block fire; smoke seals limit toxic smoke spread. Missing or damaged seals compromise both.
- Excessive Gaps: Even 3mm can be critical. Caused by poor fitting, wear or damage.
- Poor Installation: Incorrect frames, unsuitable hardware, or excessive tolerances.
- Unapproved Alterations: Adding letterboxes or uncertified panels invalidates certification.
- Wedged-Open Doors: Eliminates all fire resistance instantly.
- No Maintenance Records: Without logs, demonstrating legal compliance is impossible.
Legal and Financial Risks of Non-Compliance
Failure to maintain fire doors risks lives and exposes Responsible Persons to significant penalties under UK fire safety laws.
Possible consequences include:
- Enforcement Notices: Immediate action required, with strict deadlines.
- Fines and Prosecution: Unlimited fines or imprisonment for serious breaches.
- Insurance Issues: Claims may be denied if door neglect worsened fire damage.
- Civil Liability: Legal claims for injury or death caused by fire safety failures.
- Reputational Damage: Loss of tenant, investor, and public trust.
Courts are increasingly strict, reflecting the potential lethality of fire safety breaches.
Action Plan – Steps You Can Take Now
If you are responsible for managing or maintaining buildings:
1. Inspect Regularly
– Residential buildings over 11m: check communal fire doors quarterly.
– Flat entrance doors: check annually.
-Other buildings: check at least six monthly or more frequently based on the criticality of the door.
2. Create and Follow an Action Plan
Use survey results to prioritise and schedule repairs.
3 Use Competent Contractors for installation, maintenance, and repair.
Preferably UKAS-accredited specialists.
4. Audit All Work
Only use certified components; validate that repairs meet required standards.
5. Maintain Records
Keep detailed inspection and maintenance logs.
6. Educate Occupants
Reinforce that fire doors must never be wedged open.
7. Seek Qualified Advice
Engage competent and qualified Fire Safety Surveyors with adequate Professional Indemnity insurance.
Why Sircle
Clients choose Sircle for our:
- Competence: Experienced, competent and qualified Fire Safety Surveyors who guide clients through each stage.
- Regulatory Knowledge: Clear interpretation of fire and building regulations, plus fire compartmentation assessments to determine where doors are required – often identifying unnecessary replacements to save cost.
- Independence: We only recommend replacements if repair is uneconomical or performance is compromised.
- Comprehensive Surveys: Structured, technology-driven inspections that produce clear, actionable reports.
- Peace of Mind: Clarity on essential actions, prioritising safety and investment protection.
- End-to-End Support: Following agreement of the next steps, we can provide support procuring repairs and replacements and project management to ensure the successful completion of works and signed off. We recommend that UKAS-accredited contractors are used to undertake fire safety work, and this is followed up with an audit to sign off the works.
Contact us to discuss how we can tailor our services to meet your specific needs and safeguard your property. Whatever the size or type of building, Sircle’s knowledge and experience in fire door safety can help ensure compliance, protect lives, and safeguard property.
Sircle has a range of Fire Safety surveys to ensure you remain compliant, click here to find out more, or speak to us and we would be happy to provide some advice.
By Anthony Walker FRICS FCIOB MIFireE
Director at Sircle
