FIRE DOOR AND ADDITIONAL SAFETY FEATURES

Information on Fire Door and Additional Safety Features

KC Estate Management Ltd 552 Kings Road London SW100RR

FIRE DOOR SAFETY

Your front door

Your entrance door is a self-closing fire door that should prevent smoke and fire entering and leaving your property in an emergency. It is important that you DO NOT make any alterations to the door, such as removing the self-closing devise, as this will compromise the fire safety of your development.
If you wish to replace the door, you must instruct a competent contractor to replace the door with one of an equivalent fire rating, and you must keep hold of the certificate to verify this. 
You will need consent/licence from the freeholder and local building control approval. Contact K.C Management Office for further information. 
The new regulations require us to check your flat front door annually. K.C. Estate Management Ltd. will make respective arrangements with residents to gain access to your property for the door check. Where we don’t gain access, we will leave a calling card to advise we have called. 
We will advise the date of the next visit by email.
During the first visit, a QR code (sticker) will be placed on the top of your door on the hinge side. This sticker is unique to your flat front door and will be used to record inspection history. The QR code must not be removed.
Flat front door–Five-point safety checks:
For your safety, we ask that you take time to check your fire doors using the five steps below
  • Door and frame – The door and frame should be checked to ensure that both are undamaged e.g., no open holes or breaks exist in the surfaces of either the door or frame. 
  • Door seals– Are there smoke and/or intumescent seals in place around the door or frame? Are these intact with no sign of damage? 
  • Hinges, handles and latches – Are hinges, handles and latches fixed firmly to the door and frame? Are these operating correctly, not lose or broken? Are there minimum of 3 hinges on each door and no missing screws? 
  • Door closing correctly in frame – Check the door closer for obvious signs of damage or missing parts. Check the door closes properly into the frame by opening the door halfway and letting it close. Does it close flush into the frame without sticking on the floor, frame or latch? 
  • Gaps – When the door is closed in the frame, are the gaps less than 4mm between the door and frame on the top and sides of the door? (A £1 coin is about 3mm thick so use that as a gauge.) Are the gaps on the bottom of the door (threshold) less than 10mm between the bottom of the door and the floor? As a rule of thumb, if you can see light under the door, the gap is likely to be too big.  

 If during these checks you identify issues with the door, it is your responsibility to seek advice from a competent contractor to provide advice or undertake a repair.
Communal fire door
There are communal fire doors throughout your development, and we inspect them to make sure they’re in working order on a quarterly basis. Fire doors are designed to stop the passage of smoke and fire when closed. They are often in place to protect escape routes so people can safely evacuate. You may find them across corridors, on stairwells, and on electrical cupboards. 
It’s important that fire doors, which are labelled with a blue sign, are NEVER wedged or propped open. 
 Additional fire safety features 
To protect you and your neighbours and enable the Fire and Rescue Services to tackle a fire safely, additional fire safety features may be installed in and around your property. These could include: 
Fire Signage 
Fire signage will be located throughout the building. This may include: 
• Fire exit signs indicate where the door to the final exit is. 
Directional fire signage is there for you to follow to reach your emergency exit.  • Fire action notices advise you what to do in the event of a fire. • Wayfinding signage advises the Fire and Rescue Service which floor they are on.
 Dry/Wet risers 
A dry/wet riser is used by the Fire and Rescue Service to get water to all floors of the building. There will be a fire service connection point on the ground floor and outlets on all the floors above. Access to the dry/wet riser outlet must not be blocked.  Emergency lighting 
These lights are provided on the escape route so in the event of an electrical failure, they will remain lit up and guide you to the staircase or exit
Smoke ventilation 
Smoke ventilation may be installed. This is commonly known as Automatic Opening Vents (AOVs). These vents open when smoke is detected nearby. The AOV is designed to open and clear smoke to allow you to escape and for firefighters to safely fight a fire. 
(Please note not all premises have additional safety features installed. Our competent Fire Risk Assessor reviews the safety features required in line with each building type and legislation.)