Managing a building comes with a long list of responsibilities, and fire doors can be easy to overlook, unless there is an obvious problem. In busy premises, like schools, offices, student accommodation, and blocks of flats, they are used constantly throughout the day. Over time, general wear and tear can affect how well they close, seal and protect key areas of the building.
A fire door can also look fine at first glance, while still having faults that affect its performance. Damaged seals, excessive gaps, unsuitable ironmongery or a door that doesn’t latch properly can all create issues. These issues aren’t always easy to spot during everyday checks, especially when your team is managing lots of other maintenance tasks.
For many commercial properties, a professional fire door inspection is a legal requirement and one of the safest ways to remain compliant. At MD Fire Doors, we work with building owners, facilities managers, and maintenance teams to assess the fire doors throughout a premises, providing clear and practical findings. Our role is to help you understand what is compliant, what needs attention and what steps might be needed next.
The Importance of Fire Door Inspections
Fire doors remain an essential part of a building’s passive fire protection. Their role is to help slow the spread of fire, smoke and toxic gases, and support compartmentation within the building. In simple terms, they help buy time in an emergency. This time can be vital for evacuation, emergency response and reducing damage to the wider building.
For a fire door to do its job properly, the entire door needs to be in good working order. This includes the door leaf, frame, hinges, seals, glazing, latch, and gaps around the door. If one part is damaged, missing or incorrectly fitted, the door might not perform as expected. This is one of the main reasons why professional inspections are so important. At MD Fire Doors, our fully accredited inspectors carefully assess every part of the door to ensure it meets the latest fire safety standards.
In busy environments such as schools, student accommodation, blocks of flats, offices and medical buildings, this is particularly important. A door might be used heavily every day, exposed to regular damage, or affected by changes in the surrounding area, so it needs to be properly assessed rather than assumed to be compliant.
Who is Responsible for Fire Door Compliance?
In commercial properties, fire door compliance is the responsibility of a designated “Responsible Person”. This is usually the building owner, landlord, employer, facilities manager or another person with control of the premises. They are responsible for carrying out fire risk assessments and ensuring that fire protection measures, including fire doors, are properly maintained.
In practice, this responsibility often involves more than one person or team. A building owner might have overall responsibility, while a facilities manager or maintenance team handles the day-to-day checks, records and remedial actions. This is why clear reporting is so important. A professional fire door inspection helps everyone understand the current condition of the doors, the issues identified, and what needs to happen next.
Failing to manage fire door compliance properly can create serious risks. Beyond the potential for fines and reputational damage, the biggest concern is the risk to people using the building. Fire doors are there to help protect escape routes and slow the spread of fire, so any faults should be taken seriously and addressed through the right inspection and maintenance process.
What is Checked During a Fire Door Inspection?
A proper inspection needs to examine the entire door assembly, not just the most common parts. During a fire door inspection, we look for anything that might affect performance or compliance. This can include:
- The door leaf
- The door frame
- Gaps around the door
- Hinges, screws and other ironmongery
- Intumescent strips and smoke seals
- Door closers and self-closing action
- Latches and locks
- Glazing panels
- Evidence of damage, warping or poor repairs
- The general operation of the door
One of the most common issues we see is that a door might close but not close properly. It might drag on the floor, fail to latch, close too slowly, or sit unevenly in the frame. For day-to-day use, this might not be an issue, but from a safety perspective, it needs to be looked at. We also consider how the building is being used. A fire door in a quiet office corridor typically has a very different wear pattern from a door in a student accommodation block. Heavy-use buildings often need closer attention because small issues can develop quickly.
Basic visual checks are still useful between professional inspections, especially if a door is visibly damaged, being wedged open or missing essential signage. However, they shouldn’t replace regular inspections to ensure compliance. Some defects can be hard to spot without proper training, and future maintenance decisions should be made based on clear findings rather than quick observations.
What Happens After the Inspection?
After we inspect your fire doors, at MD Fire Doors, we provide a comprehensive report outlining the condition of each door, any defects identified and the recommended next steps to achieve or maintain compliance. This is one of the most valuable parts of the process because it gives you a practical record to work from.
For building managers and facilities teams, this information can support budgeting, planning and maintenance scheduling. It can also help you prioritise work rather than trying to fix everything at once without knowing which issues are most urgent. In some cases, the next step may be a minor adjustment or remedial work. In other cases, a door may need to be completely replaced. We always aim to give practical guidance so you can make informed decisions.
How Often Should Fire Doors Be Inspected?
Fire doors should be inspected regularly, typically every six to twelve months, depending on the type of building, its usage, risk level, occupancy and the findings from previous inspections. Buildings with higher footfall or greater wear may need more frequent checks. For example, fire doors in schools, blocks of flats, healthcare buildings, and office blocks are often used constantly throughout the day, so small issues can develop quickly.
For some residential buildings, there are specific requirements set out in the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. For instance, in multi-occupied residential buildings over 11 metres, this includes quarterly checks on communal fire doors and annual checks on flat entrance doors. These checks are essential for both peace of mind and legal compliance.
It’s important to remember that compliance is ongoing; fire doors can’t simply be installed and then forgotten. They can become damaged over time, and regular checks help identify issues early, preventing small faults from becoming bigger problems.
Working With Professional Fire Door Inspectors
When you arrange a professional inspection, it’s essential that the person assessing your doors understands the current standards, the common faults and the practical realities of your building. At MD Fire Doors, all inspections are carried out by fully qualified inspectors, with accredited expertise under FDIS and NAFDI.
We provide independent and impartial fire door inspections for Responsible Persons across the UK. Our role is to assess the condition of your doors, explain any issues clearly and help you understand the next steps required to support compliance. With over three decades of experience, we understand the importance of consistent reporting, practical advice, and a professional approach that works for real buildings, not just paperwork.
Following an inspection, we can also arrange minor adjustments and remedial works where required. This prevents the need to involve additional trades and helps maintain compliance. For busy sites, multi-building estates and facilities teams, this end-to-end service makes fire door management much easier to keep on top of.
We can also support your team with fire door compliance training. This helps building managers and maintenance teams recognise common faults, make minor adjustments to prevent non-compliance, and ensure every fire door in their building operates safely. Training doesn’t replace a professional inspection, but it can make day-to-day fire door management easier.
Speak to MD Fire Doors About Fire Door Inspections
If you are responsible for a commercial building, professional fire door inspections can help you keep your building compliant. At MD Fire Doors, we provide independent fire door inspection services across the UK, supported by clear reporting and practical advice. We can help you keep your building safe and compliant.
To arrange a fire door inspection, contact our team at MD Fire Doors today.