The Importance of Keeping a Detailed Fire Door Records

In any building — whether residential, commercial, or industrial — fire doors play a critical role in life safety. But installing fire doors is just the beginning. Maintaining a clear, accurate record of all fire doors is essential for ensuring compliance, safety, and peace of mind.

🔥 Why Fire Door Records Matter

1. Legal Compliance Fire safety legislation in the UK — including the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 — places a legal obligation on responsible persons to ensure fire doors are inspected and maintained. Detailed records help demonstrate compliance in the event of an audit or investigation.

2. Improved Safety Fire doors are designed to contain fire and smoke, buying precious time for evacuation. A record helps ensure:

• Regular inspections are completed

• Defects or wear-and-tear are logged

• Repairs and replacements are tracked

3. Accountability and Maintenance A fire door register creates a clear chain of responsibility. You’ll know:

• When each door was last checked

• Who inspected it

• What remedial actions were taken

This makes it easy to assign follow-up tasks and ensures no door is overlooked.

4. Insurance and Liability Protection In the unfortunate event of a fire, your fire door records could be critical. They show your organisation took reasonable steps to manage risk — which can impact liability and insurance claims.

5. Asset Management

Over time, keeping a record of your fire doors — including specifications, locations, and manufacturers — helps manage them as valuable assets, making future budgeting and upgrades much more efficient.

📝 What Should Be Included in a Fire Door Record?

A comprehensive fire door log should include:

• Door location (e.g. Floor 2 – Corridor A)

• Type and rating (e.g. FD30, FD60)

• Installation date

• Inspection dates and results

• Issues identified and remedial actions taken

• Name of person responsible for checks

💡 Tools for Keeping Records

Many companies still use spreadsheets, but there are now digital fire door management platforms that offer cloud-based tracking, reminders, and audit-ready reports — all in one place.

✅ Final Thoughts

Maintaining a detailed fire door record isn’t just about ticking a compliance box — it’s about saving lives. In a fire emergency, well-maintained fire doors with up-to-date records can make all the difference.

Whether you’re a property manager, business owner, or fire safety professional, take the time to review your current records. If they’re not detailed, consistent, and accessible — now’s the time to fix that.