Fire doors save lives and protect homes: supporting Fire Door Safety Week
23/09/2024
It’s Fire Door Safety Week and we’re spreading the word that fire doors save lives and protect homes. We’re also taking the opportunity to highlight our ongoing investment to maintain and improve the fire safety performance in blocks of flats and ensure we meet the requirements of the Building Safety Act.
Fire doors are crucial for preventing the spread of fire and smoke around a building and all our homes have fire doors fitted where required. To perform as they should, i.e., to resist smoke and fire for a specified time, they must be fitted to the correct standard and be properly installed and maintained.
Our specialist team inspects fire doors as part of our regular checks to keep you safe in your home. If you’re contacted by us to arrange an inspection, please allow us access to your home – it will help us identify any issues that we need to address, and it will help to protect you and your neighbours from fire risk.
Spotted a problem with a fire door in your building?
Please report it to us – you could save a life. Get in touch with our Contact Centre on 0161 393 7117 or email servicecentre@fcho.co.uk.
Fire safety investment in your home
Since 2021, as part of our comprehensive fire safety investment programme, we have invested £1.8m in 1,274 new communal fire doors in our blocks with three or more storeys.
That is in addition to £10m we have spent on a range of further fire safety measures in blocks as required, such as fire-stopping work to contain any fire should it occur and stop it spreading, increased fire and carbon monoxide detection, new sprinkler systems and emergency evacuation systems, bin chute and bin store refurbishment, increased ventilation and more.
Our investment continues with further fire stopping work, upgrades to fire detection, new bin stores and replacement flat entrance fire doors all underway, where needed.
Scott Maddocks, our Head of Health, Safety and Compliance said:
“Keeping customers safe in their homes is our number one priority and we are backing this up with significant investment in new fire doors and other measures that not only comply with new building safety legislation, but in many cases exceed the requirements.
“Our customers play a key role in helping us achieve this. Big thanks for your support while investment work takes place and for following our fire safety advice, all of which will help keep your building safe now and into the future.”
Read more about our Fire Safety Investment Programme 2024-2026.
Supporting Fire Door Safety Week
All week we’ll be sharing advice, tips and information about fire doors for our customers here on our website and on Facebook and Instagram – join in the conversation.
Fire doors Frequently Asked Questions
What does a fire door do?
A fire door ensures that should a fire break out, it can be contained in a “compartment”. This keeps the fire and smoke trapped for a defined period, allowing time for people to follow the correct fire procedures for their building, which could be to evacuate or to stay put, and can help make the fire easier to tackle.
A fire door will be not work effectively if it’s damaged or propped open.
Where are fire doors installed?
In a block of flats fire doors are installed on stairwells and in corridors, and all flat front doors. You will also find fire doors in places where there is a risk of fire, such as bin storage or mains electricity service cupboard. You may also find fire doors inside some flats.
How to identify a fire door
Fire doors in communal and public areas will have a sign on to say it’s a fire door. Flat-front doors and doors inside the flat do not have to have fire door signs on them but you should be informed if they are.
What are the QR codes on fire doors in my building?
The QR codes are unique to each fire door, and they allow our specialist teams to record information about the condition of the fire door. You can scan the QR code to see when the fire door was last inspected and also get the door number. If you spot an issue with the door, it’s helpful to share the door number with our team when you report the problem and so we can fix it quickly.
Spot an issue with a fire safety door in your building?
Please report it to us – you could save a life. Get in touch with our Contact Centre on 0161 393 7117 or email servicecentre@fcho.co.uk.
Who inspects and maintains fire doors in your building?
We are legally responsible for inspecting and maintaining fire doors in all our blocks of flats.
