Fire-rated doors and frames play a vital role in keeping people safe and minimizing property damage during a fire. In fact, there has never been a loss of life due to a properly installed and maintained fire door.

It’s estimated that 80% of the 14 million commercial door systems installed in North America don’t receive routine maintenance, or aren’t equipped with properly installed or functioning safety devices, such as photo-eyes or sensing edges.

Based on NFPA 80, standards for Fire Doors and other opening protectives (2007 edition), documented inspections for fire-rated door assemblies are now required on an annual basis.

As 5.2.1 states, “Fire door assemblies shall be inspected and tested not less than annually, and a written record of the inspection shall be signed and kept for inspection by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, AHJ.”

Who is responsible for the maintenance and care of fire-rated door assemblies? Responsibility rests solidly on the shoulders of the building owners. The role of the inspector is to simply record and report the condition of the door assemblies to the owner. Owners will have to decide if, when and what corrective actions will be taken; otherwise, they will run the risk of being cited for violations by the AHJ.
Here are 11 things our inspectors look for during an inspection:

Damage to the door and frame
Security of glazing, if present
Security, alignment and operability of the door, frame, hinges and hardware
Missing or broken parts
Door clearances
Properly operating the self-closing device
Operation of a coordinator, if installed
Operation of the latching hardware
Illegal field modifications
Presence and integrity of gasketing and edge seals
Presence of auxiliary hardware items which may interfere with door operation

Avoid unpleasant surprises with planned maintenance. A regular checkup of your facility will save you time, money and headaches, along with protecting you from potential liabilities.