Fire door compliance, made clearer.

In England, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places duties on the Responsible Person for premises within its scope. The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified its application to flat entrance doors opening onto common parts in relevant multi-occupied residential buildings.

Who is responsible depends on control of the premises. Fire doors must be considered within the building's fire safety arrangements and kept in working order.

Read official guidance for duty holders ↗

Approved Document B gives guidance on meeting the fire safety requirements of the Building Regulations in England. Volume 1 covers dwellings and Volume 2 covers buildings other than dwellings; check the current edition and relevant amendments for your project.

The required door location, fire resistance and smoke control should come from the applicable design and approvals. Do not choose FD30 or FD60 solely by appearance or thickness.

View Approved Document B on GOV.UK ↗

FD30 and FD60 are common designations for 30 and 60 minutes of fire resistance under specified test conditions. They describe tested performance; they are not a guarantee of how long a door will resist every real fire.

Where smoke control is specified, FD30S or FD60S may be used. Smoke leakage performance needs its own appropriate evidence. The rating required for a particular opening depends on the building and its fire strategy.

A fire door is more than a leaf. The frame, hinges, intumescent and smoke seals where specified, glazing, closer, latch, lock and other ironmongery may all affect the performance of the door assembly.

Components and any alterations must be compatible with the particular door construction and supported by the relevant test or assessment evidence and fitting instructions. A fire-rated label on one component does not confirm that every combination is suitable.

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Fire doors should close fully where self-closing is required and remain in good working order. Checks can identify damage to the door or frame, damaged seals, unsuitable alterations and closers or latches that do not work properly.

Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, Responsible Persons in multi-occupied residential buildings over 11 metres must undertake quarterly checks of communal fire doors and use best endeavours for annual checks of flat entrance doors. These specific intervals do not apply to every fire door in every building.

Read government fire door check guidance ↗

Ask for documentation relevant to the exact product and intended assembly, including test, assessment or classification information where applicable. The evidence should cover the door leaf and the proposed configuration, including size, frame, glazing and hardware where relevant.

BS EN 1634-1 is a fire resistance test method for door and shutter assemblies; BS EN 1634-3 addresses smoke control testing. A component certificate or marking on its own does not show that a proposed complete door assembly is suitable.