Fire Doors: The Unsung Heroes in Workplace Safety

Compiled By: Schalk W. Lubbe

Fire safety in the workplace is often associated with alarms, extinguishers, and drills. But there is a passive system that quietly plays a critical role in protecting people and property: the fire door.

Fire doors are designed not just to separate spaces, but to compartmentalise fire and smoke during an emergency, providing crucial minutes for evacuation and fire containment. When well-maintained, they can mean the difference between a manageable incident and a disaster. But when ignored, damaged, or misused, they quietly lose their ability to perform.

What Makes Fire Doors So Vital

Unlike alarms and sprinklers, fire doors do not require manual activation. Their job is structural and automatic: contain heat, smoke, and flames within a particular zone, buying time and slowing the spread. This role becomes even more critical in buildings with complex layouts, multi-storey structures, or vulnerable occupants such as in schools, hospitals, and senior care facilities.

Yet despite their importance, fire doors are frequently overlooked during routine maintenance. Many businesses don’t know what to look for or how to test their effectiveness.

Common Failures We See in the Field

During assessments, we frequently find the same recurring issues:

Fire doors wedged open for airflow or convenience

Seals that are missing, cracked, or melted

Door closers that no longer allow the door to shut properly

Signage that is unclear or missing entirely

Pathways blocked by furniture or stock

Each of these faults can compromise the door’s ability to contain smoke and flame, effectively turning a safety feature into a liability.

The Importance of Regular Fire Door Inspections

A fire door should be inspected regularly by someone who understands its technical requirements. This includes checking:

That the door closes fully and latches

The integrity of intumescent seals

Hinge and frame alignment

Absence of unauthorised modifications

Clear access on both sides

In some cases, it also involves ensuring compliance with local building codes and insurance requirements. Remember, the door itself might appear fine, but one missing component can render it useless in a fire.

Fire Doors as Part of a Larger Safety System

No single fire safety measure works in isolation. Fire doors are part of a larger passive and active protection ecosystem. Their effectiveness is multiplied when combined with clear evacuation routes, functioning alarm systems, and well-trained personnel.

Our role at Collaborative Risk Applications is to help you maintain that ecosystem. We inspect, assess, and advise on fire door compliance as part of a wider fire risk audit—one that reflects the real conditions of your site, your people, and your operations.

In summary, fire doors are not just doors—they’re engineered life-saving barriers. Treating them as such is a sign of a responsible, safety-first workplace.

To book a certified fire door inspection or full fire safety assessment, contact us directly.

Email: info@collaborativerisk.co.za

Website: www.collaborativerisk.co.za