It is dangerous to prop or wedge open a fire door. The safety of the occupants of a room or building cannot be guaranteed in the case of fire. Fire doors must be closed to prevent fire and smoke from spreading. If you wedge open a fire door and it puts someone’s life at risk, you could suffer a hefty fine.
Recently, a Bath restaurant owner was handed a prison sentence for fire safety failings. The restaurant had many safety issues, including wedged open and broken fire doors. The owner was sentenced to nine months suspended imprisonment, and he was fined £70,000.
Why do we need fire doors?
Fire doors prevent the spread of fire and smoke through a building. They are designed to withstand fire for a certain period, and you should most certainly not wedge open a fire door. This protects a building’s occupants while they evacuate. In a fire, the fire doors stop the smoke from spreading into corridors and stairwells —so long as they are shut. This means people have a safe route to get out of the building.
A wedged open door prevents it from closing so that the fire can spread. Fire doors are always marked with a sign stating ‘keep shut’. If you see a fire door being held open, with a wedge, fire extinguisher, or anything else, you need to remove the obstruction.
Is It Illegal To Wedge Open A Fire Door – Insurance Implications
If there is a fire, it is possible that an insurer would refuse to pay for damages if a fire door was wedged or propped open. Most fire doors hold a fire inside a room for half an hour, so the Fire & Rescue service has time to get there. Wedging open doors can even cause a chimney effect, causing a fire to spread more rapidly. Wedging or propping open a fire door can be devastating – it allows a fire to spread and puts lives and buildings at risk. 64% of premises that are visited by the Fire Service has at least one fire door wedged open.
For more advice about fire safety contact our specialist on a local number below:-
Clitheroe Fire Alarms:- 01200 439333
Preston Fire Alarms:- 01772 970411
Manchester Fire Alarms:- 0161 8260480
Blackburn Fire Alarms:- 01254 367611
Blackpool Fire Alarms:- 01253 804199
