Fire Door Safety Week - 24 -30 September - will focus on educating public and private sector landlords and building owners to stop risking the lives of tenants and ensure fire doors are correctly inspected, specified, fitted and maintained.

The campaign will push the message that fire doors are the first line of defence against fires and they save lives and protect property.

The campaign says fire doors across the UK are still badly fitted, non-compliant, left propped open or damaged and, as a result, put lives at stake.

Now in its sixth year, this year’s FDSW campaign – Fire Door Five: Shutting the door on fire and smoke – will draw attention to the importance of properly-fitted and accredited fire doors as well as raising awareness of the dangers of smoke inhalation and the role that correctly installed fire doors can do in preventing the spread of both fire and smoke.

Part of the activity will see campaigners explore the need to establish a Building Safety Fund to help pay for vital and life-saving fire safety improvements in local authority and housing association accommodation.

Hannah Mansell, spokesperson for FDSW, as well as British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Head of Technical Research and Insight, chair of the Passive Fire Protection Forum and a trustee of the Children’s Burns Trust, says: “Through Fire Door Safety Week, we will once more renew our efforts to ensure that residents, landlords and building owners across the UK are armed with the information they need to make informed decisions that will improve safety. There is no doubt that fire doors, fully fitted with their correct and compatible components, that are properly installed and maintained play a crucial role in saving lives in the event of a fire. 

"The legacy of neglect means more lives could be lost as a result of substandard fire protection measures. We know that the necessary corrective actions will cost and that is why we are asking the government to set-up the Building Safety Fund. Finance should not be used as an excuse. The stakes are too high."

Hannah continued, “Tenants and the general public will, as always, play a key part and get their voices heard by reporting doors that are propped open, damaged or in poor condition, rather than waiting for landlords or building owners to inspect fire doors. As part of Fire Door Safety Week, we have created a Five Step Fire Door Check to help people inspect fire doors and empower them to report faulty ones."

FDSW, a national campaign, is run by the British Woodworking Federation, the BWF-Fire Door Alliance and the Fire Door Inspection Scheme, in partnership with the Home Office’s National Fire Safety campaign.

Throughout the week there will be events and campaign activity. A free toolkit of fire safety advice resources is available.

Original source

Fire Door Safety Week