This guidance is issued by the Secretary of State in accordance with Article 50 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the FSO).
Fire Doors are crucial in preventing the spread fire and smoke in buildings.
The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that flat entrance doors must be considered in the Fire Risk Assessment mandated by the Fire Safety Order. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require regular checks to ensure that self-closing devices are working and the fire doors including flat entrance doors are in efficient working order and in good repair. These checks are to ensure that the existing door standard is maintained.
During the fire risk assessment, the assessor may recommend improvements to be made to the door and it will be for the Responsible Persons to determine how these are implemented. If faults are found with the doors, then it may be necessary to undertake appropriate maintenance to ensure they remain fit for purpose or, where needed, to replace them. However, there is no requirement to replace a fire door simply because it does not meet the current standard under Building Regulations if the door remains in full working order from a fire safety point of view.