A new quick and easy-to-use fire door checker been launched in Fire Door Safety Week to help boost the knowledge and confidence of [social housing / local authority / private rented sector] tenants concerned about fire safety.
It follows the publication of new research [insert link] which reveals a shocking lack of action by landlords to reassure or communicate fire safety advice to their tenants, more than 20% of whom have noticed damage to their building’s fire doors.
The interactive fire door checker has been developed by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) and provides simple tips on what to look for to make sure fire doors are in working order.
This includes checking the door itself, gaps around the door and how it sits in the frame, its certification, the state of fire and smoke seals and the condition of hinges, handles, closers and other door hardware. Tenants will be able to click on different areas of the door to see what a correct fire door should look like.
Hannah Mansell, BWF technical manager and spokesperson for Fire Door Safety Week, says:
“This tool gives power to the people who are most likely to be affected by defective fire doors and whose lives and property are most at risk. It means that anyone can now carry out a basic set of fire door checks and can see what a good fire door should look like, compared to the sorry state it may well be in. It will also arm residents with the information they need to tackle the problem with their landlord.
“I’m sure responsible landlords and building owners will use this fire door checker too. But to comply with their legal duties under the Fire Safety Order, it is important that proper fire door inspections are carried out regularly by a competent person, such as a registered Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) inspector.”
This year’s Fire Door Safety Week campaign is raising awareness of the critical role of third-party certificated fire doors in high-rise buildings, houses of multiple occupancy and other types of shared accommodation.
View the interactive 5 Step Check at: //firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk/
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