Why Your House Needs Fire Doors

1. Safety

Fire rated doorsare an intrinsic part of every Fire Protection model and serve to keep people safe if a fire occurs. Fire doors work to stop fire and smoke from spreading quickly and entering isolated areas, such as fire exits and corridors, where people could become trapped. In this way, fire doors are vital in saving lives.

2. Building Preservation

Fire rated doors are also vital in protecting a building, preventing fire (and smoke) from spreading throughout the structure and causing extensive and costly building damage.

Hinged fire doors andsliding fire doors also stop fire from transferring to adjacent buildings, properties or environments; if this were to occur, the effects could be devastating, causing further damage to other buildings and also harming lives, animals and vegetation.

3. Fire Management for Multi-Storey Buildings

In the incidence of a fire, specialised temperature-rise fire rated doors will also limit the transfer of heat from the fire, meaning the other side of the fire door won’t be affected.

These types of doors can be common in multi-storey buildings or buildings with ‘horizontal’ exits. This is important in upholding the safety of occupants and means they can reach fire exits safely, even when fire is located on the floor above them.

5. Australian Compliance

Australia has strict and specific legislation in regards to fire doors in all states.

As a designer, architect, builder, installer or owner, it is very important to ensure that all fire rated doors and frames comply with Australian (and state) regulations in relation to thickness, material, framing, configuration, entry/exit requirements and signage.

To do so means gaining the right certificates, avoiding serious penalties and generally providing a safe and reliable environment for your clients/occupants.

6. Easy Exits

Fire doors also make it easy for people to escape a building if a fire occurs. All doors should be clearly marked with the correct signage, making it simple for people to identify where to go in the event of a fire.

7. Comprehensive Fire Protection

Fire rated doors are just one component of a comprehensive fire protection plan that you should adopt for all of your buildings. Fire exits are extremely important in protecting both people and the building and it is crucial that the right fire rated doors contribute significantly to your protection system.

The other elements of your fire protection plan can include smoke and fire alarms (automatic/manual), fire extinguishers, fire hoses, fire exit/evacuation maps and the correct fire door signage. Owners should also conduct fire/First-Aid training and drills and regular internal audits to ensure fire exits remain clear at all times.