Which Way Should a Fire Door Open?
TL;DR
A fire door on an escape route should open in the direction of escape wherever reasonably practicable.
Where more than 60 people could use the door in a fire, it must open in the direction of escape (Approved Document B).
Doors that open towards a corridor or stair should be recessed so the open leaf does not narrow the route.
Doors that swing both ways, and doors that divide a corridor, should have vision panels.
Changing the swing of a fire door is a fire door installation job, because the frame, hinges, closer and seals all have to work as a certified set the new way round.
Most facilities managers have at least one door that opens the "wrong" way. It might be a cross-corridor door replaced during a refurbishment and hung to suit the new layout, a store room door that swings out across the escape route, or a final exit that opens inwards because that is how the building was first fitted out. None of these look dramatic day to day, but the direction a door opens decides how quickly people get out when a corridor is full and smoky.
Which way should a fire door open?
A fire door on an escape route should open in the direction people travel to get out of the building, wherever that is reasonably practicable. Where more than 60 people could be expected to use the door at the time of a fire, it must open in the direction of escape. That is the guidance in Approved Document B, which supports the Building Regulations, and fire risk assessors apply the same thinking to existing buildings.
Do fire doors have to open outwards?
Some of them do, depending on where they sit on the escape route. Final exits and doors on main routes used by more than 60 people should open outwards, in the direction of travel. A small office, store or plant room used by a handful of people who know the building can have a door that opens inwards. Doors protecting rooms, cupboards and risers are there to hold back fire and smoke, so their swing usually follows the room layout.
Why does the opening direction matter in an escape route?
In an evacuation people move quickly and press forward. A door that opens towards them has to be pulled back against the crowd, which slows everyone down and can stop it opening at all if people are pushed against it. A door that opens in the direction of escape is pushed open by the people using it. The larger the number of people, the more this matters, which is why the 60-person threshold applies.
What about fire doors that open into a corridor or stairway?
A door that opens towards a corridor or a stair should be recessed, so that when it is open the leaf does not reduce the usable width of the route. The everyday version of this problem is a store room, kitchen or office door that swings out across a narrow corridor and blocks half of it. If that corridor is an escape route, the door should be rehung, recessed or replaced so it no longer gets in the way.
Do double swing doors and cross-corridor doors need vision panels?
Yes. Doors hung to swing both ways, and doors that divide a corridor on an escape route, should have vision panels so people can see someone on the other side before pushing through. A common defect is a vision panel covered with posters or film, or a solid replacement leaf fitted where a glazed one used to be. Our blog post on a cracked fire door vision panel covers what to do when the glazing itself is damaged.
What hardware should a fire exit door have?
A door on an escape route should open easily without a key. Where more than 60 people could use it, or where the public uses it, the usual answer is panic hardware to BS EN 1125, a push bar across the door. In areas used by staff who know the building, emergency exit hardware to BS EN 179, such as a push pad or lever, is generally acceptable. Our article on blocked fire exits explains why the route beyond the door matters just as much.
Can you change the direction a fire door opens?
Yes, as long as the whole door is rehung properly, because a fire door is tested and certified as a complete assembly: leaf, frame, hinges, closer, latch, intumescent strips and smoke seals. Changing the swing means reversing or replacing the frame stops, rehanging on suitable hinges, refitting the closer and latch on the correct face, and making sure the gaps and seals still meet the door's evidence. In many cases the more reliable answer is a new doorset hung the correct way round. That is fire door installation work, and it should be recorded like any other change to a fire door. Our article on fitting a fire door in an existing frame explains why the frame matters.
How do you spot doors that open the wrong way?
Walk each escape route from the furthest point to the final exit and note every door you pass through. For each one, check:
Does it open in the direction you are walking? If not, how many people could use it?
Does the open leaf narrow the corridor or stair?
Can you see through it if it swings both ways or divides a corridor?
Does it open without a key, with hardware suited to the people using it?
Does it still close and latch on its own after you let go?
Doors flagged on a fire door inspection or in a fire risk assessment for opening the wrong way should go on the action list with a date to close them out.
What to do next: how Protest ES Ltd helps
Protest ES Ltd works with facilities managers, managing agents and FM providers across commercial, education, healthcare and public sector estates. We don't simply identify compliance issues. We help clients close them:
Fire door inspections that record each door's opening direction, hardware and vision panels along every escape route
Fire door installation of new doorsets hung the correct way round, with frames, hinges, closers and seals fitted to the door's evidence
Fire door remedials to put right closers, latches, seals and gaps once a door has been rehung
BM TRADA Q-Mark certification for fire door installation, maintenance and inspection
One visit, more disciplines. Most FMs use separate contractors for fire doors, fire stopping and electrical testing, each with its own access, programme and paperwork. Protest ES Ltd delivers fire door work, passive fire protection, including fire stopping and fire compartmentation, and electrical compliance on the same visit: one contractor, one programme, one set of records across every site.
If your fire risk assessment has flagged doors that open against the direction of escape and you want them put right, get in touch with our team or visit Protest ES Ltd.
Further reading from Protest ES Ltd
Frequently asked questions
Do fire doors open inward or outward?
It depends on where the door is. Doors on escape routes should open outwards, in the direction of escape, where reasonably practicable, and must do so where more than 60 people could use them. Doors to small rooms, stores and cupboards used by a few people can open inwards.
What is the rule for door opening direction?
Approved Document B says doors on escape routes should open in the direction of escape wherever reasonably practicable, and always where more than 60 people might use them in a fire. Doors opening towards a corridor or stair should be recessed so they do not narrow the route.
Do fire exit doors have to open outwards?
Final fire exits should open outwards, in the direction people are escaping, and this is required where more than 60 people could use them. They should also open easily without a key, using hardware suited to the people in the building.
Can a fire exit door open inwards?
A small exit used by a few people who know the building can sometimes open inwards, where opening outwards is not reasonably practicable. Your fire risk assessment should confirm whether that is acceptable for your building and occupancy.
Can you reverse the swing of an existing fire door?
Sometimes, but only as part of a proper rehang that keeps the frame, hinges, closer, latch and seals within the door's certification. Often a new doorset hung the correct way round is the more reliable answer. Either way, record what was done.
Can a sliding door be a fire exit?
Sliding and revolving doors should not be relied on as fire exits, because they may not open quickly and fully under pressure. Where one is the main entrance, a conventional door that opens in the direction of escape should be provided next to it.
Who is responsible for checking fire door opening direction?
The responsible person for the premises under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which in practice usually means the facilities team working with their fire risk assessor. Opening direction should be checked whenever doors are replaced or layouts change.
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