Help keep your block of flats safe
As part of new fire safety regulations taking place in January 2023, we’re reminding residents of the importance of fire doors in communal areas.
The front door within your flat is a fire door which is designed to protect your family and neighbours from flames and toxic smoke for up to 30 minutes. This allows enough time for you to escape or the fire and rescue service to reach you.
Communal doors in hallways and stairwells also slow down the spread of flames and toxic smoke when they are closed.
A fire door forms part of a barrier that’s been tested in a laboratory to ensure it prevents a fire from spreading. However, it can only be effective if the door and all of its features remain in place as included within its original design. Removing or replacing something as simple as a smoke seal could cause the door to fail in the event of a fire.
We’ll be regularly checking fire doors and we need residents’ help to keep your building safe.
Do
- Report concerns or damage immediately
- Regularly check that fire doors close fully into their close position
- Remove anything keeping the fire door open if it is safe to do so
Don’t
- Remove or adjust the self-closer on the fire door
- Drill nail or alter your own fire door in any way
- Add anything such as cat flaps or extra locks (Contact us if you feel you need these items and we’ll give you advice)
- Try to repair your fire door yourself
- Leave fire doors wedged open
- Remove Intumescent strips and cold smoke seals
