Fire Door Safety Week 2026: A Facilities Manager's Guide to What to Check and What to Do Next

TL;DR

• Fire Door Safety Week is a good prompt to check every fire door you are responsible for, not just the ones near reception.

• A fire door is an assembly. The leaf, frame, seals, hinges, closer, signage and gaps all have to work together.

• A quick visual check is useful, but it does not replace an inspection by a competent person.

• Records matter as much as repairs. If you cannot show what you found and fixed, you cannot prove it.

• Finding a defect is only step one. Repair, re-check and record are what close it out.

It is easy to walk past a fire door every day and never really look at it. That is the problem. Fire doors spend most of their working life doing something else, so damage builds up quietly.

Fire Door Safety Week 2026 starts on 21 September. It is a useful moment to stop and ask a simple question: do we know the condition of the fire doors we are responsible for?

This guide is for facilities managers, estates teams and building owners. It explains what to look for, what a proper inspection adds, and what to do when you find a problem.

Why fire doors get overlooked in busy buildings

A fire door is meant to hold back fire and smoke for a set time, so people can leave and the fire stays contained. But in a working building, it is also just a door.

It is opened hundreds of times a day. It gets hit by trolleys, repainted, drilled for keypads and held open with whatever is nearby. Because it still opens and closes, it looks fine.

Everyday damage that goes unnoticed

These are the kinds of problems facilities teams see again and again:

• Intumescent seals painted over, worn away or missing

• Door closers that no longer pull the door fully shut

• Loose hinges or missing screws

• Gaps that have grown as the door has dropped or the frame has moved

• Holes and cut-outs added for cables, keypads or locks

• Glazing that has been replaced with the wrong type

None of these looks dramatic from the corridor. Each one can stop the door doing its job.

Doors held open

A door that cannot close cannot protect the escape route. Wedges, fire extinguishers and boxes are all regularly used to prop doors open. If a door needs to stay open for practical reasons, it needs a hold-open device made for the job. Our guide on why fire doors must not be wedged open covers this in more detail.

What the law and guidance say about fire doors

In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to most non-domestic premises. It places duties on the responsible person, usually the employer, owner or the person in control of the building.

One of those duties is to make sure fire safety measures are kept in efficient working order and in good repair. Fire doors are part of those measures. If you want a plain-English overview, read our summary of what facilities managers need to know about the Fire Safety Order.

Legal requirement or guidance?

It helps to separate the two.

• Legal requirement: the responsible person must keep fire safety measures maintained. The Order does not say exactly how often to inspect every fire door in every building.

• Guidance: BS 8214 is a code of practice for timber-based fire door assemblies. It is guidance, not law, but it is widely used as a benchmark for good practice. Our BS 8214 inspection guide explains how it is applied.

• Your fire risk assessment: this is where the right frequency for your building should be set, based on how the building is used and how much wear the doors get.

Some multi-occupied residential buildings in England have specific check frequencies set out in separate regulations. That is not the case for most commercial premises, so do not assume one interval fits every building.

A 30-second fire door check for your next walkaround

You do not need to be an inspector to spot warning signs. On your next walk through the building, look at each fire door and ask:

• Does it close fully by itself from any open position?

• Are the gaps around the edges even and consistent?

• Are the seals in place, undamaged and not painted over?

• Are the hinges secure, with all screws in place?

• Is anything holding it open?

If the answer to any of these is no, or you are not sure, flag that door. For a fuller checklist, see our five-step fire door check.

A quick look is a good habit. It is not an inspection.

What a competent fire door inspection adds

A proper fire door inspection goes further than a walkaround. A trained inspector checks each part of the door assembly against what the door is meant to do.

That usually includes:

• Checking the door and frame for damage, alterations and correct hardware

• Measuring gaps and checking seals and glazing

• Looking for labels or other evidence of what the door is rated to do

• Testing that the closer works properly

• Identifying each door, recording what was found and photographing defects

Why competence matters

A fire door can look fine and still have a hidden problem. A wrong hinge, a swapped lock or a poorly fitted repair can all weaken the assembly. That is why it pays to ask any inspector about their training and independent certification, and to expect a clear written report.

What to do when you find a defect

Finding a defect is only step one. What happens next is what makes the door safe again.

• Log it. Record the door, the defect and the date.

• Prioritise it. Some defects need urgent attention. Others can be planned.

• Decide on repair or replacement. This depends on the damage and on the evidence available for the door.

• Use a competent contractor. A poor repair can cause new problems.

• Re-check and record. Confirm the fix worked and close the action.

If you need help with the repair stage, our team carries out fire door remedial works after inspections, so the report can lead straight to a fix.

Keeping records that stand up to scrutiny

If someone asks what you have done to maintain your fire doors, you need a clear answer. Good records usually show:

• Which doors were checked and where they are

• When they were checked and by whom

• What defects were found

• What was done to fix them, and when

• Evidence that the fix was checked

This matters even more if you manage several sites. A single, consistent record across a portfolio makes it much easier to see where the gaps are.

How Protest ES Ltd can help

Protest ES Ltd is a UK passive fire protection and compliance specialist. We inspect fire doors, complete remedial works and install new doors where replacement is the right answer.

Fire doors are one part of a wider passive fire protection picture that also includes fire stopping, fire dampers and compartmentation. Inspecting doors alone does not make a whole building compliant, but it is a strong place to start.

Fire door safety FAQs

When is Fire Door Safety Week 2026?

Fire Door Safety Week 2026 starts on 21 September. It is a UK awareness campaign that encourages building owners, managers and occupiers to check their fire doors. Check the official campaign site for the full programme of events and resources.

Who is responsible for fire doors in a commercial building?

In most non-domestic premises in England and Wales, the responsible person is accountable for fire safety measures, including fire doors. This is usually the employer, the owner or the person in control of the building. They can appoint competent people to help, but the responsibility stays with them.

How often should fire doors be inspected?

There is no single frequency that suits every commercial building. The right interval depends on how the building is used, how much wear the doors get and what your fire risk assessment says. Many organisations combine regular routine checks with periodic detailed inspections. Some multi-occupied residential buildings have specific frequencies set by regulation.

What are the most common fire door defects?

Common defects include damaged or missing seals, gaps that are too large or uneven, closers that do not shut the door, loose hinges, damaged glazing, unauthorised holes or alterations, missing signage and doors that are wedged open. Often several of these appear on the same door.

Can I check fire doors myself?

Yes. Trained staff can carry out regular visual checks and report problems early. This is good practice. However, a visual check is not the same as an inspection by a competent person, who can assess the door assembly in detail and identify hidden problems.

What happens if a fire door fails an inspection?

The defects should be recorded, prioritised and fixed. Depending on the damage, the door may need repairs or replacement. After the work, the door should be checked again and the record updated so you can show the action was completed.

Do I need records of fire door inspections?

Keeping records is good practice and makes it much easier to show how you manage fire safety. Good records list which doors were checked, what was found, what was done and when. They also help you spot repeat problems across a building or portfolio.