It’s no secret that fire prevention is essential for ensuring community safety. But what might not be as well-known is how to ensure that fire prevention is kept up to standard.
There are several items to check regularly, but one of the most vital is fire door inspection.
Fire-rated doors usually have a lifespan associated with them in hours — for example, they could withstand two hours in a fire, or three and a half. But if they are not kept regularly maintained, that fire rating might not be accurate any more.
Proper fire door maintenance and inspection includes:
- Checking the labelling.
- Visually inspecting the door for any deficiencies
- Identifying and reviewing the hardware associated to the door.
- Functionally testing the door (this might include pressure testing).
- Measuring the clearance/gaps.
- And, of course, writing a comprehensive, fully documented report.
This inspection must be done at least annually — BUT perhaps even more frequently depending on the door. Certain doors, like swinging fire doors for example, take more wear and tear than non-swinging ones.
Regardless of the fire door type, regular inspection is a must. We recently saw a sobering reminder of how important this is coming from the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation in Northern Ontario.
The Globe and Mail reported that in early 2019, a fire broke out on the First Nations reserve and killed five members of a family in their home. According to The Globe, “the fire-safety infrastructure … fell tragically short.”
This infrastructure included a fire truck not equipped for wintry roads, a water delivery truck that was empty overnight to avoid freezing, and a fire hall under construction.
While in this case, fire-rated doors may not have been a factor as the blaze was in a residential home, we can still see the importance of making sure that all fire equipment is up-to-date. Even in other parts of Canada, where we don’t regularly experience these types of issues, things can go tragically wrong — and an up-to-date fire door could be the difference between life and death.
Whether you inspect fire-rated doors or have a fire-rated door that needs inspecting, we have an app that can help. Mpengo’s Fire Door Safety Inspection App provides a checklist for inspectors to review all safety features – from labelling to reporting – right in the palm of your hand.
You’ll be able to see at a glance the last time a door was inspected and review the pertinent details — all stored together in your hand, so you can access the data anytime.
Download a free trial of the Mpengo Fire Door Safety Inspection today. Find details about the app here: https://mpengo.com/fire-door-inspection-app/
