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CHANGES TO THE RRO CONFIRM REQUIREMENTS FOR FIRE DOOR INSPECTION

12/5/2022 fire door door closer fire door inspection RRO changes

Changes under Article 24 of the RRO come into effect on 23 January 2023 that will confirm the legal requirements for Responsible Persons to carry out regular inspections and maintenance of fire doors. It applies to all multi-occupancy residential buildings in England over 11 metres.

Changes under Article 24 of the RRO come into effect on 23 January 2023 that will confirm the legal requirements for Responsible Persons to carry out regular inspections and maintenance of fire doors. It applies to all multi-occupancy residential buildings in England over 11 metres.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 - or RRO – outlines how passive and active fire protection elements of buildings should be designed, installed, and maintained. When it was published in 2006 it placed the legal responsibility on building owners and operators  - the Responsible Person - to conduct risk assessments on the buildings they look after in order to prevent fires and reduce fire risk. Now it is being brought into line with the Fire Safety Act 2021 thus removing any ambiguity about whether apartment entrance doors fall into the scope of the regulations: from 23 January flat entrance doors that open into common parts should most certainly be routinely considered as part of the fire risk assessment process under the RRO.

Article 24 of the RRO will now require, in law, that the Responsible Person should provide information to Fire and Rescue Services to help them plan for the event of fire and, if needed, to provide an effective operational response. This will now include a requirement for them to:

  • undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors (including self-closing devices) in the common parts
  • undertake - on a best endeavour basis - annual checks of all flat entrance doors (including self-closing devices) that lead onto a building’s common parts.

While the changes to the RRO might only refer to buildings over 11m, the Responsible Persons for residential buildings below that height still have a duty to install and maintain general fire precautions including making sure that all fire doors – including flat entrance doors – provide adequate protection. The changes to the RRO don’t remove or replace these legal obligations.

The easiest and most direct way for a Responsible Person to demonstrate that the fire doors are compliant and properly maintained is to hold a proper written fire door register that documents inspection and maintenance records. This will allow them to demonstrate that the Golden Thread has been maintained with an audit trail for every single door from cradle to grave. These inspections need to be carried out by a third-party accredited specialist companies for assured compliance.

An essential element of any compliant fire door is a door closer. That is defined by Approved Document B of the Building Regulations (ADB) “a device that closes a door, when open at any angle, against a door frame.” This means that it needs to overcome resistance from any fitted latch or seals to fully close, while at the same time be easy to operate for people of all abilities. Properly installed closers like Astra 4000 Series jamb-mounted concealed door closers should be fitted to the front door of each flat in an apartment building, separating the flat entrance from the communal areas, protecting the residents against smoke, flames and heat in the event of fire.

The Government has published a Fact Sheet to help guide Responsible Persons through the new regulations. But if you need help with inspecting, repairing, maintaining or replacing fire doors, why not speak to the experts at Astra?