Fire Doors have two main functions – Protection of the Building Asset and the Life Safety of its Occupants.

DON’T prop open fire doors with wedges, kick-down stops or other mechanical hold open devices.
Fire doors must be in the closed position or able to close on their own in the event of a fire. Using a hold open device will most likely cause the the fire door to bow and twist and require replacing

DON’T use hold back latches or cover strike plates with things like magnets or tape to prevent the fire door from latching. Fire Doors must be able to securely latch into the strike plate in the frame or adjacent door, to allow the door to perform as a fire barrier

DON’T decorate your fire doors. Signs that are hung on fire doors are limited to just 5% of the face of the door, and must be attached without mechanical fasteners. Adding signs, wreaths, decorations or even coat hooks, adds fuel to a door which can cause flaming, fire spread and failure of the fire door so the fire door will not perform as designed in a fire event.

DON’T hang signs, paper, curtains or blinds directly on or over fire rated vision panels in fire door. Fire rated glass does not protect from the transfer of radiant heat. During a fire event, items attached to glass and glazing could ignite, allowing fire to spread to other parts of the building.

DON’T cut into, trim or otherwise modify a fire door, door frame or hardware attached to a fire door without consulting a professional. Changes or modifications to a fire door could have an adverse effect rending the fire door non compliant and unable to perform as designed in a fire event.

DON’T shim hinges or other hardware installed on a fire door with wooden, plastic or nylon materials. Fire doors can only be shimmed with steel shims so that door and hardware stay aligned when exposed to heat and fire conditions.

DON’T paint over, conceal, remove or damage certification tags fitted to fire doors and metal door frames. Door and Frame Tags must be visible at all times for the relevant authorities in your region to identify and inspect the fire doors in your building.

DON’T install barricade devises that prevent escape or access, on fire doors. A fire doors main function is to protect people. Free and immediate egress must be allowed for all building occupants to be able to escape from the heat, flames and deadly gases that result from a fire, and first responders need to be able to access the building occupants who may be trapped or need assistance.

DO keep your fire doors in work order. Fire doors are required to be operational at all times in order to provide the protection they are designed for.

DO test your fire doors on a regular basis. It is mandatory under MP6.1 that your fire door are inspected to AS1851:2012 standards. Have your door inspected and tested will ensure that the door and door hardware is functioning properly and can be counted on when needed to slow the spread of fire and to provide the time and protection for occupants to escape.

DO make sure your fire doors stay closed, or can close without manual assistance. Fire doors are one of the buildings most used life safety equipment items in a building for protecting against the spread of fire. They must be closed, or should close upon the fire alarm activation if held open using electronic magnetic hold open device.

DO keep your fire doors latched. Make sure your fire doors are fully latching or that they will close and latch if they are held open using an electromagnetic hold open device.

DO repair or replace all damaged or defective fire doors, door frames and hardware component installed on the fire door immediately. Fire Door need to be reliable and any repairs or rectifications must be completed without delay.

DO keep your fire doors free of obstructions. The space in front of and behind you’re a fire door should be kept clear of any items that would prevent the door from closing and that might keep occupants from passing through the door way.

DO have your fire doors inspected by a QBCC licensed inspection party. Having your fire door inspected is compulsory under legislation MP6.1. This ensures that fire doors are able to perform as designed in a fire event. The main reasons for fire safety it the protection of the building asset and the life safety of the building occupants.