Keep the Fire Out: Check the Door

Fire separation means a construction assembly that acts as a barrier against the spread of fire and may or may not have a fire-resistance rating or a fire-protection rating. Commonly referred to as 'fire door' or 'fire-rated door'.

Fire door assemblies are an important feature of a building's passive fire protection system since they are designed to compartmentalize the structure and prevent smoke, flames, and hazardous gases from spreading. Components of the assembly need to be maintained, adjusted, repaired, and replaced over time — this is why routine inspections of fire doors are critically important to verify that they will perform as intended when needed.

Fire doors should be inspected at minimum, monthly, in addition to an annual inspection performed by a qualified professional, to ensure they remain operable at all times.

Two of the most common things to look for are obstructions to the door, and that the door is able to close fully and is kept closed when not in use.

Additionally, inspections should include the following checks for both sides of the doors:

• Signage and labels are securely affixed and are legible
• There is no physical damage to the door, door frame, hinges and hardware. They are in good working condition and secure
• The doors are self-closing
• Latching hardware operates and secures the door when in the closed position

In large facilities, there can be a lot of fire doors; and they can sometimes be hard to find.

Digital inspection tools can help keep the fire out by streamlining fire door inspections.

For example, they can help inspectors locate their fire doors using maps and pins, especially for those hard-to-find places; they can notify of remaining inspections to ensure that no doors are missed and they can provide a real-time overview of inspection statuses, keeping the team up-to-date on inspections that are coming up, need to be done now, or are late.

If any deficiencies are discovered, the inspector may take photos, make notes, and the right personnel are alerted right away for remedy.

Fire doors are essential for passive fire defence systems to work. They safeguard people and properties by restricting the spread of fire as well as smoke and hazardous gasses.

For more information on how digital inspection tools can enhance your fire door inspections, contact us at customerservice@tapreport.io.

Resources

• O. Reg. 213/07: FIRE CODE - Ontario Fire Code

About Tap Report

Tap Report is a Canadian software company that provides a digital solution for managing workplace inspections, safety compliance, and operational reporting. It replaces manual processes, such as paper checklists and spreadsheets, with a mobile and web-based system that allows teams to complete inspections, capture data, and generate compliant reports.

Through an easy-to-use interface and automated workflows, Tap Report helps ensure that inspections are completed, deficiencies are categorized and tracked, and issues are escalated efficiently to the right people. It also offers analytics, customizable reporting, and integrations that helps organizations improve safety, compliance, and operational performance.

For more information, visit www.tapreport.io or contact us at customerservice@tapreport.io.