CareHomeDeskCareHomeDeskFire doors are your building's primary means of compartmentation. Here is what the quarterly inspection must cover.
In a care home, residents cannot self-evacuate. This means the building's fire compartmentation -- particularly fire doors -- must hold for longer than in other premises. A fire door that fails to close fully or has damaged seals can allow smoke and heat to spread in minutes, overwhelming a progressive horizontal evacuation strategy.
Every fire door must be physically inspected at least quarterly. The check covers: door closes fully from any open position without assistance, gap around the door is no more than 3mm (4mm at the bottom), intumescent strip and smoke seal are continuous and undamaged, door furniture (hinges, closer, latch) is secure and functioning, glazing panels are fire-rated and undamaged, and the door is not wedged open or obstructed.
Since 2022, the Building Safety Act has raised expectations for fire door inspections in multi-storey residential premises. Best practice for care homes is an annual inspection by a qualified fire door inspector (FDIS or BM TRADA Q-Mark certified) who can certify the door to its original specification or identify where replacement is required.
Record every inspection on a door-by-door basis using a unique door reference (ideally marked on the door frame). Log the date, inspector, findings and any action taken. This evidence is essential for CQC inspection under the 'safe' domain and for the fire authority if there is ever an incident.
CareHomeDesk gives you compliance checklists, maintenance logs, and contractor management tools built around exactly this kind of knowledge.