In an emergency, a fire door may be the difference between a contained incident and a fire spreading rapidly through a building.
Fire doors are one of the most important – and often overlooked – safety features on a site. Their role is simple but vital: slow the spread of fire and smoke, protect escape routes and give people more time to evacuate safely.
But a fire door can only perform this role if it is properly installed, maintained and working exactly as intended.
Across warehouses, commercial premises, schools and public buildings, fire doors, shutters and curtains form a key part of a site’s overall fire protection strategy. When these systems work together correctly, they help contain fire, protect escape routes and limit damage to the wider building.
Fire safety is not just about compliance — it is about protecting people, property and business continuity.
Did You Know?
UK fire and rescue services attend over 150,000 fire incidents every year.
Fires in commercial and industrial buildings cause millions of pounds in damage annually, often disrupting operations for weeks or even months.
Fire doors, shutters and curtains help contain fire and smoke within specific areas of a building, protecting escape routes and slowing the spread of fire.
What does a fire door actually do?
A fire door is designed to hold back fire and smoke for a specific period of time, helping to compartmentalise a building and protect evacuation routes.
It’s important to understand that fire-rated doors are different from standard fire exit doors. Fire exits provide a route out of the building, while fire-rated doors are specially designed and tested to resist fire.
Most fire doors are rated to provide 30 or 60 minutes of fire resistance, depending on where they are installed within a building. In higher-risk areas or larger openings, specialist fire doors and shutters can be rated for up to four hours of protection, helping contain fire for longer and support safer evacuation.
For a fire door to perform correctly, the entire door set must function together. This includes the door leaf, frame, hinges, seals and closing mechanism. If any of these components fail, the door may not perform as intended during a fire.
Common issues seen on site:
Even when fire doors are installed correctly, everyday use can affect how well they perform.
During routine inspections, some of the most common issues include:
• Fire doors being wedged open rather than left closed
• Damaged seals or worn hinges
• Door closers that no longer shut the door fully
• Obstructions preventing doors from closing properly
These may seem like small problems, but they can prevent a fire door from performing its role if an emergency occurs.
Regular inspections help identify these issues early. When it comes to fire safety, prevention is always better than the cure.
“Fire safety is not just about compliance — it is about protecting people, property and business continuity.”
Why regular fire door surveys matter
Fire protection systems are designed to work together. Fire doors form part of a wider strategy that helps contain fire within specific areas of a building.
During fire alarm tests or safety inspections, doors should close properly and uniformly when the alarm is activated, ensuring that each section of the building performs as intended.
If even one door fails to close correctly, it can compromise the effectiveness of the whole system. Fire protection works on the same principle as many safety systems; it is only as strong as its weakest link.
Regular surveys help ensure that fire doors, shutters and related safety systems continue to operate reliably.
Fire shutters and curtains
While fire doors protect internal areas and escape routes, many buildings also rely on fire-rated shutters and fire curtains to protect larger openings such as loading bays, service areas, kitchens or storage areas.
These systems are designed to deploy automatically in the event of a fire, helping contain flames and smoke within a specific section of the building.
Depending on the system, fire shutters can provide 30 or 60 minutes of fire resistance, with higher-rated shutters offering two or even four hours of protection.
Stanair supplies, installs and maintains fire-rated shutters and curtains, including higher-rated systems designed to provide extended fire resistance. These solutions help improve fire containment across a building, support safer evacuation and provide greater peace of mind for site operators.
Supporting Fire Safety Across the Region
With over 50 years of experience supporting sites across Peterborough, Rugby, Milton Keynes and Kettering, Stanair helps businesses maintain safe and reliable fire protection systems.
Our engineers provide inspection, servicing and maintenance for fire doors, shutters and fire curtains, helping ensure they remain compliant and ready to perform when needed.
Stanair also holds recognised fire safety accreditation LPS 1197, giving customers additional confidence that work is carried out to recognised industry standards.
If you would like to review the condition of your fire doors, shutters or fire curtains, the Stanair team can carry out a professional inspection and provide guidance on any maintenance or improvements required.
Just click below.
Contact Stanair: https://www.stanair.co.uk/contact-us/
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