If propped open occupants can be in danger using stairs to evacuate and lab research can be threatened by fire spread.
Fire door propped open.
Each fire rated door sold on the market must include a permanent label showing the following information.
The majority of fire doors will hold a fire in a room for 30 minutes by which time the fire rescue service will be on site.
Can doors be propped open with a wedge.
Despite this they re still regularly found propped open preventing them from working as they should.
The length of time that the door is intended to resist fire.
Fire doors form an integral part of the fire strategy for shared or multi storey accommodations.
Wedged or propped open fire doors are a common problem.
All doors in hazardous areas are required to be self closing regardless if the door is fire rated or just smoke resistant.
If we have doors to staff offices and staff kitchen that have an auto closure device but are not fire doors is it allowed to prop them open with a wedge.
A smoke barrier door that is wedged open will not close by itself.
In the event of a fire it is quite possible that an insurer would be unwilling to pay for damages when a door has been wedged or propped open.
That makes sense however if you leave the door propped open in sleeping accommodation overnight where fire can spred through compartments and cause fatalities or even a workplace that is not occupied overnight but a fire can travel through the compartment leading to more serious fire damage.
Propped open fire doors.
These doors protect stairs labs etc.
Don t prop open the door with wedges or by bending the closing mechanism.
Section 3 3 238 of the 2012 lsc defines self closing as a door equipped with an approved device that ensures closing after opening.
Fire doors can be heavy restrict access through buildings and prevent a free flow of air which is why people prop them open.
The answer to your question unfortunately is it depends though i can tell you as a general rule of thumb there are no regulatory surveyors who are going to give you a big thumbs.
Holding your fire door open.
However fire doors have a very important purpose preventing the spread of fire so wedging one open is dangerous and illegal.
To contain fire and smoke.
This short post seeks to explain why they shouldn t be propped open whilst it also covers a range of other frequently asked questions on the subject.
