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lee boylan  
#1 Posted : 08 June 2010 15:59:31(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
lee boylan

Hi All,

Does anyone out there have a fire door safety checklist that they could send me, rather than re-inventing the wheel.

Cheers

Lee
Alan Haynes  
#2 Posted : 08 June 2010 16:02:49(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Alan Haynes

bleve  
#3 Posted : 08 June 2010 16:07:42(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
bleve

Lee,
It's not a question of re inventing the wheel. It is a question of being able to put together a checklist based on your knowledge and experience of fire and smoke door requirements. In reality, an individual having competence in this area would not need a checklist.

Also, the problem begins where any given checklist is not specific to a particular type of door i.e metallic leaf, roller shutter door, counter balance sliding door, timber door, composite door, FR Glazing sytem etc etc.

There are plenty of checklists available on the interweb, google fire door check list and you can take your pick.

To be honest, if you need the check list perhaps you should think about shadowings some one that does not or employ an organisation to do this task for you.



BuzzLightyear  
#4 Posted : 09 June 2010 14:21:58(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
BuzzLightyear

I like that check list that Alan gave the link for. The only thing I am unclear on with the checklist is how many of these things are retrospective? e.g retrofitting intumescent strips on doors.
firesafety101  
#5 Posted : 09 June 2010 19:29:53(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
firesafety101

bleve wrote:
Lee,
It's not a question of re inventing the wheel. It is a question of being able to put together a checklist based on your knowledge and experience of fire and smoke door requirements. In reality, an individual having competence in this area would not need a checklist.

Also, the problem begins where any given checklist is not specific to a particular type of door i.e metallic leaf, roller shutter door, counter balance sliding door, timber door, composite door, FR Glazing sytem etc etc.

There are plenty of checklists available on the interweb, google fire door check list and you can take your pick.

To be honest, if you need the check list perhaps you should think about shadowings some one that does not or employ an organisation to do this task for you.

Hi Bleve, while I usually agree with what you say, on this point I have to disagree. There's nothing wrong with having a check list as an aid to carrying out a fra. You say "we don't know what we don't know" and this list helps us to remember what we've forgotten. I carry loads of stuff when I go out and about, sometimes it helps me to remember and other times it helps me to justify to people why I ask for certain standards.








bleve  
#6 Posted : 09 June 2010 19:34:36(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
bleve

Chris
I have no problem in checklists but in this area if you need a checklist wrt fire door inspection then maybe it should be left to some one that does not. As I ahve said a check list will not cover all types of doors or situations but no doubt some one else will say other wise. Ultimately, I no longer care, will wait for the day of the court case
martinw  
#7 Posted : 09 June 2010 19:54:28(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
martinw

bleve

I wish I knew as much as you about fire risk assessment. Then I too could look down on those who do not.

If the checklist covers the doors which are being assessed, then whoopydoo. If not, then it is time to recognise the limit of your experience and expertise and ask for help from someone with the knowledge required for those particular fire doors. Or get another checklist.

Whenever I carried out fire risk assessments it was for the common areas of small blocks of flats. Whenever I went to a different part of the UK to carry out these assessments I always had the local fire enforcement officer examine in detail a FRA for a building in their patch, and mine were always found to be suitable and sufficient. And I will be the first to acknowledge that you could run rings around me when it comes to fire knowledge. Your attitude may stop people learning and even you had to do FRAs without being an expert from day one.

Even the FIA are doing it bleve. Look at http://www.fia.uk.com/ob...s_store/fact_file_38.pdf

Get angry with the governments for allowing non experts to be allowed to carry out fire risk assessments rather than being angry with those (comparitively) non experts who are carrying out FRAs to relatively high standards within the letter and spirit of the law.

bleve  
#8 Posted : 09 June 2010 20:05:15(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
bleve

i do not look down Martin and i Learn things on a daily basis.

The end result is that peoples lives may depend on someone using a checklist to determine the adequacy of protection provided, if they are not able or make a mistake a number of people die.

Would you go to a Doctor who had to look at a book or checklist to be able to treat you or go to a mechanic who had to use a haynes manual to change your brakes? I dont thimk so.

I am sick and tired of every joe soap and muppet thinking they can use a checklist from the inerweb to carry out a FRA.

We know from case lawc and experience the opinion of the courts wrt general H&S why do we think the bar should be lowered wrt fire safety.

you will be in for a rude awakening one of these days and make no mistake.
bleve  
#9 Posted : 09 June 2010 20:06:24(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
bleve

And Martin, you had no problem in asking my advice previously but eaten bread is soon forgotten
shaunmckeever  
#10 Posted : 09 June 2010 21:19:01(UTC)
Rank: Guest
Guest

I can understand where bleve is coming from. I am aware of a situation where a 'fire risk assessor' advised all the fire doors in a staircase in a tall office block to be fitted with cold smoke seals and intumescent strips. I doubt he used a checklist but used what knowledge he had about fire doors. Unfortunately the fire strategy was that the staircase be pressurised and needed leakage paths through the doors. Your checklists don't tell you that.
Garfield Esq  
#11 Posted : 09 June 2010 22:57:24(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Garfield Esq

Bleve wrote:
i do not look down Martin and i Learn things on a daily basis.

The end result is that peoples lives may depend on someone using a checklist to determine the adequacy of protection provided, if they are not able or make a mistake a number of people die.

Would you go to a Doctor who had to look at a book or checklist to be able to treat you or go to a mechanic who had to use a haynes manual to change your brakes? I dont thimk so.

I am sick and tired of every joe soap and muppet thinking they can use a checklist from the inerweb to carry out a FRA.

We know from case lawc and experience the opinion of the courts wrt general H&S why do we think the bar should be lowered wrt fire safety.

you will be in for a rude awakening one of these days and make no mistake.



http://www.notts-fire.go...9E400791135?OpenDocument


http://www.communities.g...ents/fire/pdf/151102.pdf


http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg407ch.pdf


http://www.hantsfire.gov...sment/selfassessment.htm

http://www.gloucestershi...ndex.cfm?articleid=22711

In under 2 mins I found the above on the web - The problem is Bleve that the UK Government, Local Authority's and yes even enforcing authority, the fire service, the ones that own the field that you have played in all these 23 years are the primary source of the checklists and templates that feed the 'muppets' to which you refer. I understand your frustration, however you really cannot expect people to pay for hired in competence when the regulatory bodies are encouraging them to do FRAs themselves by offering free downloads. I enjoy reading your passionate posts but fear your BP is rising quick...
martinw  
#12 Posted : 10 June 2010 08:35:08(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
martinw

Bleve

I asked your opinion in the past because I recognised due to the nature of your previous answers to others that you have considerable knowledge and I have not changed my opinion of that. But it is the nature of your responses in relation to fire risk assessments that are a bit too OTT. I too know where you are coming from, but sound advice is one thing, it is another to say that 'you will be in for a rude awakening one of these days and make no mistake'. I don't listen to those in the street shouting that everyone is going to go to hell, for the same reason, as the manner of their delivery makes people walk in the opposite direction.
Incidentally, I have seen GPs refer to books eg the BNF a number of times when it comes to prescribing drugs - better to check, don't you think - and if they get past their level of specialist expertise, GPs can and do refer patients to specialists. Just as I do when I need a FRA carried out and it is beyond my sphere of competence. So I don't imagine any of my awakenings will be too rude. And as for eaten bread being soon forgotten, I seem to be losing my appetite. Bread seems to be getting a bit stale.

Going back to the original poster's question, I would recommend the following as a useful reference document when it comes to fire doors:

http://www.firecode.org.uk/

And I have no affiliation with the following organisation, but from a maintenance point of view I think that it is a pretty user friendly document and hopefully helps to answer the OP's question:

http://www.bwf.org.uk/fi...s/FACT_CARD_10_final.pdf

Martin

lee boylan  
#13 Posted : 10 June 2010 09:56:53(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
lee boylan

Thanks to all that posted,

The reason I was asking for a checklist is rather than me spending an hour or so creating one, there is one out there that I could tailor.

The checklist was not to carry out a FRA, far from it.

The on site maintenance team will be using the checklist , to ensure that the current control measures (smoke seals, door closers etc etc.) still operate and are maintained to the highest standard.

Hope that cleared that one up.

Regards

Lee
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