Summary – Regular fire door inspections are necessary to check their fire resistance capabilities. Any problems with the door need to be fixed right away to ensure the best fire protection in case of an emergency.
Smoke inhalation can prove to be fatal. In most fire disaster cases, most casualties happen due to smoke inhalation. Therefore, fire safety is not just about escaping the fire; one has to also focus on minimizing smoke inhalation. Smoke incapacitates people and restricts their orderly and timely escape.
How to stop the smoke flow?
When a fire breaks out in the premises, the responsible person must shut the fire retardant door to help the occupants quickly evacuate the premises. A fire door can prove to be a lifesaver in a fire disaster. Therefore, it must be routinely checked to ensure it is in optimum condition. Let's look at some simple fire door inspections to prevent smoke from spreading.
1. Check the door gaps
A 4 mm door gap is considered too thick, whereas a 2 mm one is too thin. Therefore, for proper activation of the smoke stirps installed on the premises and to make the fire door operate efficiently, the door has to be maintained at 3 mm. Any gap measuring higher or lower than 3 mm will make the fire door efficient and effective. Also, to activate the intumescent smoke strip, the 3 mm gap is perfect for seamless operations in case of a fire.
2. Use smoke strips
Top-quality fire retardant doors are equipped with fire-rated smoke seal strips. These smoke strips are handy in case of a fire breakout, and they seal the door to close all the gaps in the frame of the fire door. Therefore, you need to conduct routine checks on the smoke strips to make sure they are correctly fitted and can seal the door frame immediately in the event of a fire breakout. It's important to close the right gaps in the fire door since smoke tends to get through any gaps in the door that aren't closed.
3. Check the door coating regularly
The presence of unprotected areas in the door is the top reason the fire door could prove ineffective. Therefore, the fire door should have a minimal unprotected area. Any kind of break through the smoke seals can prove to be life-threatening, as smoke could slither through these breaks and enter the adjacent rooms. It could even lead to smoke inhalation and result in the loss of human lives, which could have been saved either way.
The intumescent seals or coatings could get damaged through friction or wear and tear and may prove ineffective in a fire emergency, resulting in massive loss of life and property. Therefore, the fire door and coatings must be routinely checked, and additional intumescent sheet smoke strips need to be installed at the back of the first sheet in case there are holes in the first strip to avoid total failure of the smoke strip and the fire door, during an emergency.
4. Keep an eye on fire doors conditions
All fire doors have distinct purposes. So, each fire door needs to be checked often to make sure that it is working properly. Fire retardant doors that are more frequently used are at higher risk of getting damaged. More rigorous and regular checks must be conducted, especially on damaged doors. In some situations, the fire door could warp since it is kept open for longer. In a fire emergency, these front doors might not close properly, which could cause a lot of damage and loss of life. So, you should carefully check every fire door, and if you see any signs of damage or warping, you should fix it right away.
Resource Box –
Vijay Systems is among the leading fire door manufacturers and provides top-quality fire protection solutions. The fire door is the first and most critical fire protection system and should always be addressed. A fully operational fire door can significantly help during a fire emergency. It doesn't just stop the fire from spreading; it also helps keep it in a small area and makes it easier for people to get out or be rescued. For more information about premium fire retardant doors and other products, visit Vijay Systems Engineers today.
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