The UK Government has released fire door guidance for England providing information on how to conduct routine checks on fire doors and provide information to residents as new regulations come into effect.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 were placed on the statute book on 18 May 2022, and came into force on 23 January 2023. The regulations implement the majority of those recommendations made to government in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report which require a change in the law.

The short guide is intended to assist those with duties under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations to comply with regulation 10, which makes requirements about fire doors in all buildings that contain two or more domestic premises and that contain common parts, through which residents would need to evacuate in a fire.

It is aimed at carrying out simple checks upon a fire door, and is based on the assumption that the fire risk assessment has already assessed the suitability of the fire doors. It is also to ensure that the fire doors remain suitable and match those that were taken into account in the fire risk assessment.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that, in a block of flats, there are suitable fire precautions in place to make sure that the common parts are safe to use as a means of escape in the event of fire.  As with all fire safety measures, fire doors need to be kept in good working order and in good repair as wear and tear can result in defects. 

The guide can be found in full here.