A fire door is passive fire protection. It only works if it is maintained. UK law puts a hard duty on the responsible person to inspect every door, record its condition, and act on defects. This is the law, what each check must cover, and a free fire door inspection checklist uk teams can run today.
Template · Fire Safety
Fire door inspections, done right.
UK law makes responsible persons inspect and record fire door condition. Here are the legal obligations, what every door check must cover, and a free inline checklist.
Free forever: 20 reports a month. No card, no trial clock.
The law
Three pieces of legislation set your duty.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires fire doors to be maintained in effective working order. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require quarterly checks on common area fire doors in residential buildings of four or more storeys. The Building Safety Act 2022 adds duties on higher-risk buildings, with personal liability for failures.
Every door
What an inspection must check.
- 1
Leaf, frame and gaps
No damage or unauthorised modification. Gaps 3mm or less top and sides, 8mm or less at the threshold.
- 2
Seals, hinges and closer
Intumescent and smoke seals intact. Three secure hinges. A closer that shuts and latches the door under its own power.
- 3
Signage and glazing
Keep shut signage both sides. Fire-rated glazing in any vision panel, with seals intact.
The record
Undocumented inspections offer no protection.
A building with fifty fire doors needs fifty records per round, naming the door, date, inspector, condition, defects and priority. Quickler inspectors complete each door by WhatsApp, photograph defects in the conversation, and generate one timestamped PDF per door. The dashboard flags amber and red items across the building.
Get started
Complete fire door inspections by WhatsApp.
No app install. Setup to first live workflow in under a week. The dashboard flags defects immediately.
The short version
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires fire doors to be maintained in effective working order. Fire door check legal requirements flow from Article 17.
- The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require quarterly checks on common area fire doors in residential buildings of four or more storeys, in force since January 2023.
- The Building Safety Act 2022 covers higher-risk buildings, 18 metres or seven storeys with at least two residential units, with personal liability for failures.
- Every inspection checks the leaf, frame, intumescent seals, three hinges, the closer, signage, vision panel and threshold gap. Gaps 3mm or less at the edges, 8mm or less at the threshold.
- Undocumented inspections offer no legal protection to the responsible person.
The law
Three statutes set your duty.
Three pieces of legislation set the fire door check legal requirements in the UK.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) applies to all non-domestic premises and the common areas of residential buildings. Article 17 requires the responsible person to keep fire-fighting equipment and fire protection measures, including fire doors, in effective working order and good repair. The Order sets no fixed frequency. A fire door inspection rro 2005 duty means managing fire safety in practice, which means regular documented checks.
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 added specific duties for residential buildings of four or more storeys. Responsible persons must run quarterly checks on all common area fire doors, and annual checks on flat entrance doors. In buildings of 11 or more storeys, landlords must also seek access to check flat entrance doors. These obligations have been in force since January 2023.
The Building Safety Act 2022 covers higher-risk buildings: residential buildings of 18 metres or more, or seven or more storeys, with at least two residential units. Accountable persons must identify, assess and manage structural and fire safety risks across the building's life. Fire door inspection higher risk buildings duties sit inside that ongoing safety case. The Act creates personal liability for failures.
Every door
What the inspection must cover.
A fire door inspection is not a glance. It is a systematic check of every component that delivers the door's fire resistance performance, because one failed element can defeat the whole assembly.
Leaf. No holes, cuts or damage to the core. The fire door label or plug present and legible inside the top edge. Any added glazing, letterbox or cat flap that compromises integrity is noted and flagged for remedial work.
Frame and architrave. No cracks, splits or gaps between frame and wall, and no evidence of previous damage or botched repair. Frame and leaf must be compatible, tested together as a system, not the leaf alone.
Gaps. Perimeter gaps at top, hinge side and latch side 3mm or less. Threshold gap 8mm or less, or a threshold seal fitted. An uneven gap around the perimeter means the door has dropped or the frame has moved.
Seals. Intumescent strips present and undamaged on all four sides, depending on the door design. Smoke seals, the brush strips, complete and not compressed. Missing or damaged seals mean the door will not perform to its rating.
Hardware
Hinges, closer, signage, glazing.
Hinges. Fire doors typically require three hinges. No loose screws, damage or wear. CE marking or third-party certification on the hinges.
Closer. Present and working. The door closes fully from open without help and latches under its own power. No wedges, furniture or other hold-open devices in use.
Signage. "Fire door keep shut" or "Fire door keep locked" present and legible on both sides. Signage on final exit doors where required.
Vision panel. Glass confirmed as fire-rated glazing, not standard glass. Glazing beads and seals sound. No cracks or chips.
Threshold. Threshold gap checked. Automatic drop seal operates where fitted. No floor covering or threshold strip damage that stops the door closing fully.
The checklist
Run this on every door.
Run this fire safety inspection checklist on every door and photograph each defect as you go.
- Fire door label or plug present inside the top edge of the leaf
- Leaf: no damage, holes or unauthorised modifications
- Frame: no cracks, splits or gaps to the wall structure
- Gap top, hinge side and latch side: 3mm or less
- Threshold gap: 8mm or less, or threshold seal fitted and operational
- Intumescent strips: present, undamaged and not painted over
- Smoke seals where fitted: complete and not compressed
- Three hinges present and secure, no loose screws
- Closer present and functional: door closes fully and latches
- No wedges, furniture or other hold-open devices in use
- "Fire door keep shut" signage present both sides
- Vision panel where present: fire-rated glazing, seals intact
- Automatic threshold seal operates correctly where fitted
- Photos taken of any defects
- Remedial actions identified with priority and target date
The record
Undocumented checks protect no one.
The record must name the door by floor, location and door number, the date, the inspector, the condition of each element, any defects, the recommended action and the priority. A building with fifty fire doors needs fifty individual records per round. That paperwork is why responsible persons fall behind. The inspection happens. The write-up does not.
Fire door inspectors using Quickler complete each door in sequence by WhatsApp. The workflow asks every checklist item. Defects are photographed and sent straight into the conversation. At the end of the round the PDF is generated: one record per door, timestamped, tied to the building address. The dashboard shows amber and red items across the whole building, so the responsible person sees at a glance which doors need attention. See the inspection report template and the site safety inspection guide, plus the H&S site walkround checklist.
Questions, answered
How often must fire doors be inspected under UK law?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to keep fire doors in effective working order. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require quarterly checks on fire doors in common areas of residential buildings of four or more storeys. Higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022 face more prescriptive obligations.
What gap is acceptable at the edge of a fire door?
Gaps around fire doors should be 3mm or less on the hinge side, latch side and top. At the threshold the gap should be no more than 8mm, or fitted with a threshold seal. Larger gaps mean the door has dropped, warped or the frame has moved, and it will not perform to its fire resistance rating.
Who can carry out a fire door inspection?
The RRO 2005 requires the responsible person to ensure inspections are carried out by a competent person, defined by knowledge, training and experience. There is no statutory mandatory qualification, but bodies such as the British Woodworking Federation and the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers run recognised fire door inspection schemes.
Does a fire door inspection need to be documented?
Yes. The responsible person must keep records of fire safety checks, including fire door inspections, as part of their fire safety management system. After a fire or during enforcement action, records prove the duty of care was discharged. Undocumented inspections offer no protection.