Ensuring Fire Safety with Fire-Resistant Industrial Doors

In environments such as warehouses, factories and other industrial premises, fire safety is absolutely paramount. Every precaution taken becomes a potential lifesaver. 

As a facilities manager or business owner, it is your responsibility under the Fire Safety Order to implement precautions to help protect your premises and employees from the devastating consequences of a fire outbreak. 

One highly effective measure is Fire Roller Shutter Doors. Keep reading to find out how fire doors work and serve as an invaluable line of defence against the destructive forces of fire. 

What are Fire-Resistant Doors?

Fire-resistant doors, often simply referred to as fire doors, are specially designed and constructed barriers made to prevent or slow down the spread of fire and smoke within a building.

Unlike standard roller doors, these are constructed with a combination of materials that offer heightened resistance against flames, such as steel. Their primary function is to compartmentalise a building, ensuring that if a fire breaks out, it remains confined to a particular area for a specified period.

At BID Group Ltd, we supply steel fire doors designed to provide up to a four-hour delay on the spread of fire.

How Do Fire Roller Doors Work?

In the event of the in-house fire or smoke detector being triggered, the fire door automatically closes under controlled descent, cutting off the fire’s oxygen supply and preventing its spread.

In normal conditions the roller shutter can be opened and closed manually by using the push buttons.

Importance of Integrating Fire Doors in Building Design

Incorporating fire-resistant roller doors into a building’s design is a crucial safety precaution. Here’s why they are indispensable:

Safety

The primary and most obvious benefit is the protection of human lives. By slowing down the spread of fire, these doors provide occupants with precious extra minutes to evacuate safely.

Asset Protection

While the safety of individuals is paramount, fire doors also play a significant role in protecting valuable assets. By compartmentalising a fire, these doors can save a substantial portion of a building and its contents from fire damage.

Reduced Repair Costs

In the unfortunate event of a fire, the damage to a building with fire doors will often be significantly less than to one without. This translates to reduced repair and restoration costs, meaning a lower insurance claim.

Compliance with Fire Safety Order

As a building manager or business owner, it is your responsibility under the Fire Safety Order to put in place, and maintain, appropriate fire safety measures.

Neglecting to follow these regulations can lead to hefty fines or even prison time. Following the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower disaster, it’s been made clear how crucial adequate fire safety measures are for both domestic and non-domestic buildings.

As part of the inquiry into the disaster, it was found that doors in the building failed the basic 30-minute fire resistance test by 15 minutes.

Fortunately, the doors we supply at BID Group Ltd are up to 4 hours fire-rated and tested to BS 476-22, allowing for that piece of mind on installation. 

Key Features of Fire-Resistant Roller Doors

Fire roller doors combine a variety of robust and fire-retardant materials to ensure maximum protection. 

The fire doors we install at BID Group Ltd are built from continuously interlocked galvanised rolled steel lath, with a minimum thickness of 20swg, determined by shutter size and exposure of intended location. They are fitted with steel end locks at each side to prevent lateral movement.

The barrel is constructed from a mild steel tube of a sufficient diameter to withstand deflection across the width of the opening. This is then mounted on galvanised mild steel end plates that are secured to continuous full height rolled galvanised steel angles.

These materials are highly effective and robust, ensuring the doors remain effective for many years, making them a cost-friendly safety solution.

Duration of Fire Resistance

The fire-resistance duration of a roller door indicates the amount of time the door can effectively withstand and resist fire exposure, maintaining its integrity and insulating properties. 

Rating System

Fire doors are usually categorised by their resistance time, commonly ranging from 30 minutes (denoted as FD30) to 240 minutes (FD240). This rating indicates the time a door has been tested and certified to resist fire under standardised conditions.

Factors Affecting Duration

The resistance time of a fire door can be influenced by its material composition, thickness, installation quality, and the presence of any additional protective treatments or sealants. That’s why at BID Group Ltd, we only supply the highest standard fire doors which offer up to 4 hours of resistance time.

Benefits of Fire Roller Doors Installed by BID Group Ltd

At BID Group Ltd, we specialise in the supply and installation of a wide range of industrial doors and provide service, maintenance, and repair solutions, delivering the whole package.

The fire doors we supply are designed for industrial and commercial usage, allowing maximum accessibility and a high level of security whilst providing protection against the spread of fire.

Offering up to a four-hour delay on the spread of fire, your premises and staff are protected should an incident ever occur. Activated by your premises’ fire/smoke alarm system, the door motor will disengage, allowing it to close under controlled descent to maintain fire compartmentation.

Fire Roller Shutter Doors FAQs

Who is responsible for fire safely?

Under the Fire Safety Order, you are responsible for fire safety in business or other non-domestic premises if you are:

• An employer
• The owner
• The landlord
• An occupier
• Anyone else with control of the premises, for example a facilities manager, building manager, managing agent or risk assessor.

The Fire Safety Order also applies if you have paying guests, for example if you run a bed and breakfast, guesthouse or let a self-catering property.

What are my responsibilities when it comes to fire safety?

If you are the ‘responsible person’, you are legally required to do the following to ensure fire safety:

• Carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises and review it regularly.
• Tell staff or their representatives about the risks you’ve identified.
• Put in place, and maintain, appropriate fire safety measures.
• Plan for an emergency.
• Provide staff information, fire safety instruction and training.

IMPORTANT: Failure to follow the Fire Safety Regulations could result in a fine or prison time. 

Fire Roller Door Installation at BID Group Ltd

In a world where safety and compliance are paramount, fire-resistant roller doors prove to be invaluable, offering a wide range of benefits to property owners and occupants alike.

Trust our team of qualified engineers to safely install our high quality fire roller doors in your business premises and keep operations rolling smoothly.

Reach out to our team today to discuss our services.