Fire door safety ignored despite Grenfell tragedy

Despite the shocking tragedy of the Grenfell fire in London last summer, an online poll has revealed 50% of tradespeople don’t feel confident in advising customers on fire door safety.

Even with extensive media coverage about the dangers of inadequate fire protection in offices and homes since the disaster, less than 20% of tradespeople polled have seen an increase in demand for fire safety products or parts such as replacement intumescent strips for fire doors.

The results are published in support of Fire Door Safety Week (24 September – 30 September) which aims to raise awareness of the importance of fire doors in saving lives.

The poll followed a national survey of 2,000 adults across the country, carried out by online trade supplier IronmongeryDirect and supported by the Fire Industry Association. The results illustrate an alarming lack of general public awareness of the life-saving role of fire doors which are a legal requirement in all commercial, public and multi-occupancy buildings.

A particularly disturbing outcome was that 70% of respondents would not know who to contact if they noticed a problem with a fire door. In addition, almost one in two people surveyed admitted that they do not know how to identify a fire door.

Ian Moore, CEO of the Fire Industry Association, said: “Fire doors are one of many essential elements to keeping safe from fire.  In all cases, a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment should be carried out by the responsible person - usually the building owner.  A fire risk assessment should determine, through thorough inspection, any potential risks or hazards so that they may be resolved.  If you are worried about hazards and risks from fire, you can always contact us, the Fire Industry Association, for free and impartial information and we will be able to direct you to an expert on the subject.”