ToThePOINT
Best Practices
LOSS CONTROL SERVICES
FIRE PROTECTION
FIRE DOOR INTEGRITY
Contain fire spread by properly
maintaining and inspecting fire doors
Fire doors are designed to protect openings in a fire
partition or fire wall while allowing people and materials to
move through the partitions or wall. Fire partitions or walls
are a passive tool that aid in limiting fire spread and assisting
in life safety within a facility.
Fire doors come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from man
doors to openings large enough for industrial trucks and
equipment to pass through. They can include drop-down
rolling steel doors, horizontal and vertical rolling doors, and
hinged swinging doors. Fire doors must pass rigorous fire
testing requirements and be listed by a certified testing
laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories that assigns
fire resistance ratings from 20 minutes to 4 hours. A listed
fire door is tested as a complete assembly that includes the
door slab, frame, and all applicable hardware. Listed fire
doors and frames have placards attached to the door frame
and door edge that shows the listing for the unit and the
hour rating of the door.
barrier should be provided to prevent piling of material
against sliding doors. A fire door is designed to contain
a fire, but may still get extremely hot and the heat could
ignite any combustibles stored against or near the door.
•
Never block open a fire door. Do not use a wedge or
other nonlisted hold open device for self-closing hinged
doors or store items under a drop-down fire door. If
doors are left open during normal operations, use a
listed hold open device such as a magnetic device or
fusible link assembly.
•
Make sure both sides of the door are protected. If the
door is equipped with a hold open device, make sure
there are release devices on both sides of the door.
Examples include fusible links and smoke detectors.
Fusible links should be within 6 to 12 inches of the
ceiling to activate quickly during a fire.
Best Practices
Fire doors are an essential component in protecting against
the spread of fire and smoke within a building. Without
proper design specifications, inspections, testing, and
maintenance, fire doors can jeopardize the integrity of
the fire partition by permitting fire and smoke to spread
throughout the facility. Studies have shown that fire doors
have a failure rate of 20% or higher if not tested and
inspected regularly. To maintain the integrity of a fire door,
follow these best practices:
•
•
Do not modify the door. If fire doors are modified, the
original listing on the door is violated. This includes
adding hardware or drilling into the door or frame.
Do not store items against a fire door. Unlike fire walls,
fire doors are not designed to have combustibles stored
against them. Even if these doors are kept closed, no
storage should directly abut them. Where necessary, a
For more details, consult NFPA 80 Standard for Fire Doors
and Other Opening Protectives.
Inspection & Testing
Fire doors can be an effective method of protecting
openings in fire partitions. However, like any mechanical
device, they require proper testing and maintenance to
ensure their effectiveness. NFPA claims “failure to close”
as being the most common failure mode of fire doors in
actual fires. Factors that contribute to the failure of fire doors
to close include:
•
Lack of maintenance
•
Physical damage to the door and hardware
•
Doorway blockages
A preventative maintenance program that addresses and
enforces a fire door inspection program should identify
the factors that contribute to the failure of fire doors. Fire
doors should be inspected at least quarterly to ensure they
are undamaged, not blocked, and in good condition. High
values at risk or severe hazards warrant monthly inspections.
NFPA 80 provides the specifications for comprehensive
inspection and maintenance of fire doors, closing devices,
latches, and hardware. Most facilities from warehouses to
high-rise buildings have fire doors. If a fire occurs, the safety
of the occupants and the protection of the building depend
on a comprehensive fire door preventative maintenance and
inspection program.
Annual Inspections
Please note that testing and resetting of drop-down
fire doors is dangerous and should be conducted by
experienced professionals. The following tasks should be
performed at least annually and documented.
•
Test self-closing devices by melting (with a heat gun,
never with a torch) or cutting fusible link elements on
rolling or drop-down fire doors.
•
Test the latch on swinging doors.
•
Lubricate hinges on swinging doors and rollers on
sliding doors.
Routine Fire Door Inspection Checklist
Yes
No
Is the door free of any physical damage?
Is the vision panel (if provided) secure?
Does the closer operate properly?
Does the latch operate properly?
Does the coordinator (if provided) operate properly?
Are the hinges secure?
Do sliding doors close freely and completely?
Are cables and/or chains on sliding doors in good condition and operating properly?
Are tinclad or Kalamein doors free of dry rot?
Are fusible links free of paint?
Are rollers free of paint or other obstructions?
Is the fire wall free of holes or unsealed pipe penetrations?
Are tracks and housing of drop-down fire doors free of damage from forklift trucks?
If your answer to any of these questions is “no,” correct the condition immediately.
Chubb Group of Insurance Companies | www.chubb.com
This document is advisory in nature. It is offered as a resource to be used together with your professional insurance advisors in maintaining a loss
prevention program. Our evaluations, reports, and recommendations are made solely to assist the insurer in underwriting and loss control. Evaluation for
any hazard or condition does not imply that it is covered under any policy. No liability is assumed by the information contained in this document. Chubb
refers to the insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies.
Form 09-10-0511 (Rev. 8/12)