Asbestos Fire Doors

Asbestos was once commonly used in the manufacture of fire doors throughout Australia. The central core of the door was also often made of asbestos or compressed asbestos sheets, which were then concealed during construction of the door by ply or mdf skins and edge strips.

  • Fire doors that date back to the 1960s or 1970s have a very high chance of containing asbestos;
  • Fire doors dating back to the early 1980s have a considerably lower chance;
  • Fire doors manufactured in the late 1980s is even more unlikely;
  • Fire doors manufactured from 1990 onwards should not contain asbestos.

Asbestos can be released into the air if the materials are disturbed during maintenance, such as fixing door handles, locks and hinges.

Asbestos only poses a health risk when the material is disturbed, sending microscopic fibers into the air to be inhaled or ingested. Once the doors are damaged, air monitoring results are often among the highest we see. For this reason, it is imperative that you do not attempt any maintenance work on a fire door that you suspect could contains asbestos – particularly when it involves using power tools that can significantly disturb the material and send it airborne.

Where were asbestos fire doors used:

  • Residential buildings
  • Commercial and industrial buildings
  • Substations
  • Switch-rooms and (steel clad) transformers

If you suspect that a fire door contains asbestos:

  • Assume that it does, and do not drill into it or attempt to remove it without taking the necessary precautions
  • If the door appears damaged and/or you find any white or gray dust surrounding the door, get a sample tested by an accredited laboratory
  • Unless the presence of asbestos has been completely ruled out, arrange for the door to be removed by an expert contractor licensed to remove asbestos.
  • As with so many other residential and commercial asbestos-containing products, fire doors made with asbestos can still be present in buildings today. The recommended course of action is to always take a highly cautious approach and call in the experts to have it removed.

When replacing or maintaining asbestos core fire doors contractors must NOT remove any hardware fittings from the door i.e. hinges, handles, door closers etc., only unscrewing the hardware items attaching the door to the door frame are to be removed, leaving all hardware items in place on the door itself.

Inglis Fire and Safety have replaced a multitude of asbestos fire doors over the years and can provide advice and rectification solutions.

If you may have been exposed to asbestos, speak with your healthcare provider about tests and screening to help detect the presence of asbestos fibers and asbestos related damage.