Fire safety

Fire safety is a critical issue that's close to our hearts. Our fire door hardware will provide the right protection in the event of a fire

Fire doors act as an essential barrier against flames and smoke, reducing the risk of the spread of fire. While three million fire doors are installed in the UK every year, incorrect specification, poor installation and a lack of maintenance is still common. And a fire door is only as strong as the sum of its parts. With nothing more important than safety, it’s important to make sure the fire door ironmongery being fitted to doors meets all the necessary fire safety standards. From intumescent fire and smoke seals to door closers and hold-open devices for fire doors, fire safety has to be assured. You’ve got enough to think about, without having to worry about whether fire door hardware will provide the right protection in the event of a fire.

One kit for all your fire door needs

There’s no question that fire safety is a critical issue. So, to help take the stress and worry out of making sure you’ve ticked every fire safety box, we’ve developed a range of fire door kits to give you everything you need to hang and secure a complete, compliant and working fire door. Tested to the appropriate British and European standards, every box contains hinges, a door closer, a lock case, cylinder, intumescent seals, signage, handles and escutcheons – all the hardware you need to install a complaint fire door fast. Designed to cover the most popular fire door requirements, UNION’s fire door kits give you the confidence to easily install a fire door that’s safe and secure, so you can enjoy total peace of mind.

Simple hardware checks

Common fire door faults include missing fire or smoke seals, unsuitable hinges, and damage to the door itself. All of these can seriously affect the door’s capability of protecting people in a fire. Here are some simple fire door checks that can be taken, to make sure a fire door will operate as expected in the event of a fire.

Door closers

A door closer makes sure a fire door always returns to its fully closed position, and that the door closes fully into the doorframe when not in use. There are a number of steps that can be taken to make sure a door closer is operating as it should. First of all, open the door fully and check that it closes without dragging across the floor. Secondly, open the door to approximately 5-10 degrees and again check that it fully closes, engaging any latch or seal. Finally, check the door closing speed is approximately five seconds from a 90-degree angle, ensuring the door does not slam shut.

Hinges

Hinges must be strong enough to carry the door mass, there should be no signs of the door dropping, plus they must be robust enough to work efficiently for the level of traffic using that door. There should also be no visible wear; dark marks or stains around the hinge knuckle could potentially indicate wear and impending failure.

Intumescent seals

Always check seals are in good condition and fit the full length of a door, while being secure in the groove too. If seals are badly fitted, damaged or painted, then they must be replaced with exactly the same size and intumescent material that was originally specified. If smoke seals have to be replaced, then these should be fitted in one continuous length, if possible.

Door leaf

Periodic checks should be carried out on fire doors at least every six months, and even more regularly on a high traffic door. A record of inspection and maintenance should be kept, and those responsible for a site should encourage other staff to report any issues. Any problems with the correct operation of the door or its hardware should be fixed straight away. The door leaf should not be damaged, warped or twisted, and it is vital to ensure the fire door closes correctly around all parts of the frame. The gap around the door frame should be consistent too – approximately 3-4mm all the way round. A pound coin is ideal to check the gap around the door.

A commitment to fire door safety

By choosing our fire safety solutions, you can have every confidence that our products comply with the relevant standards and have been tested to meet these demands. From door closers featuring hold-open functionality, which keep doors open at all times but automatically close if a fire alarm sounds, to panic and emergency hardware to help people get out of a building as safely as possible, we offer a range of solutions that help keep everyone safe.

Fire door safety is always close to our hearts and we are proud of our on-going support of Fire Door Safety Week too.

Fire door kits
All the fire door hardware you need in a single kit
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Hold-open door closers
Improving flow through a building
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Fire door signs
Clearly signpost what people need to do in the event of a fire
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DoorSense
A quick, safe and legal way of holding fire doors open
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Panic hardware
Reliable emergency exit solutions
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