Fire Door Safety Week

This week (25 – 29 September) is Fire Door Safety Week, and we’re joining in to highlight the importance of fire doors which, in the unfortunate event of a fire, can protect your home and save lives.

The importance of fire doors

Fire doors play a critical role in keeping fire and smoke contained in one room so they don't spread throughout a building. Everyone plays their part in ensuring a fire door performs as it should in the event of a fire, from the door manufacturer and our fire safety team through to everyone who lives in the building. Knowing what to look out for and what to do if you spot a problem might just save a life.

What you can do to help

If your home’s front door is a fire door, it is important not to alter it, including drilling into it. This will weaken the fire safety of the whole building and put you, your family, and your neighbours in danger.

It is also important that communal fire doors, labelled with a blue sign, are never propped open. They are designed to stop smoke and fire spreading when kept closed and protect an escape route so you and your neighbours can evacuate safely.

Checking your fire door

If you suspect a fire door is faulty, there are checks you can complete.

1. When closed the gaps around the top and sides of the door should be consistently less than 4mm. The gap under the door can be slightly larger (up to 8mm), although ideally, you should not see light under it.
   
   
2. Check that any seals around the door or frame are intact and free of damage.
   
   
3. Check that all hinges (there should be at least 3) are fixed with no missing or broken screws.
   
   
4. Check the door closes firmly without sticking to the floor or the frame. A fire door only works when it is fully closed and is completely useless if it is wedged open or can’t shut fully.

It's really important that you report to us any fire doors (either your front door or a communal fire door) which you think are faulty. You can do this via your MyMoat account, calling our Customer Services team on 0300 323 0011 or by emailing customer@moat.co.uk We take any reports very seriously and will arrange to inspect and repair the door promptly. You will be playing your part in safeguarding lives.

What we do to keep you safe

We carry out regular fire door safety checks to all of our buildings which are higher than 11 metres.

This includes quarterly checks of all fire doors (including self-closing devices) in communal areas and annual checks of all flat front doors (including self-closing devices) that lead onto a building’s communal areas.

We will also be providing information on the importance of fire doors to our customers living in blocks of flats with communal areas on a yearly basis or when you first move in to your new home.

For more information on fire safety, visit the fire safety pages on our website - Moat | Our fire safety procedures and Moat | Building safety or take a look at the Fire Door Safety Week website.