What a fire door check covers
A routine fire-door check is quick and visual, and follows five well-known steps. Here is what each one looks at — and how a routine check differs from a detailed inspection.
The five-step check
1. Certification
Look for a label or mark (often on the top or side edge) showing the door is a certificated fire door. No evidence it is a fire door is itself a finding to escalate.
2. Gaps
Check the gaps around the door are consistent and not too wide — typically around 3–4mm around the edges — and that any threshold gap is appropriate. Large or uneven gaps let fire and smoke through.
3. Seals
Check the intumescent seals (and any smoke seals) in the frame or door edge are present, continuous and undamaged. Intumescent seals expand in a fire to close the gap.
4. Hinges
Check hinges are firm, with all screws fitted and tight, and no signs of wear or damage. Fire doors are heavy and rely on their hinges.
5. Closing
Open the door about halfway, let go, and check the self-closing device shuts it fully onto the latch, from any angle, without sticking. A door that does not close is not doing its job.
These figures are a general guide; always follow the door manufacturer's instructions and your fire risk assessment, which take precedence for a specific door.
Routine check vs detailed inspection
A routine check — like the regulation 10 checks a responsible person arranges — is a visual check for obvious problems, done frequently. A more detailed inspection by a competent fire-door specialist is a separate exercise, appropriate where the fire risk assessment, the door's condition or a routine check indicates that further examination is needed. The regulation 10 check itself is deliberately a simple visual check and does not normally need a specialist. Knowing which is which keeps expectations (and records) straight.
Recording what you find
A check is only useful if the result is recorded and any defect is followed through. Keep, for each door, what was checked, when, by whom, what was found and what was done about it — so you can show the door is being managed, not just looked at.
Log every check against the door
Complys holds a fire-door register and logs each check — date, outcome and any defect — with the schedule and evidence. Your staff or a competent contractor carry out the checks; Complys keeps the record.
Fire door inspection software →FAQs
What is the five-step fire door check?
A simple routine check anyone can be trained to do, popularised by Fire Door Safety Week: certification, gaps, seals, hinges and closing. It is a quick visual check to spot obvious problems — not a substitute for a detailed inspection by a competent fire-door inspector where one is needed.
Is a routine check the same as a detailed inspection?
No. A routine check (such as the regulation 10 checks a responsible person arranges) is a visual check for obvious defects. A detailed inspection by a competent fire-door inspector is a separate, more thorough examination. Both have their place; the routine check is what happens most frequently.
What should I do if a check fails?
Record the defect, escalate it, and arrange a repair or a more detailed inspection — and keep the door out of reliance until it is put right where safety requires. Keeping a record of the finding and the remedial action is part of being able to evidence your fire-door management.
Related: fire door regulations, how often fire doors should be checked, and fire door inspection software. General information, not fire-safety advice for a specific building.