Can finger guards be fitted on fire doors?

07 May Can finger guards be fitted on fire doors?

Adding finger guards to the doors throughout your premises is a great idea for so many reasons. Finger trapping accidents are unfortunately still very common occurrences, and with the consequences of door-related injuries long lasting in many cases, protecting against and preventing such injuries should be your first port of call.

For commercial buildings looking to safeguard employees and visitors, the addition of finger door guards could help you avoid financial repercussions. Legal claims following finger entrapment are on the rise, with amputations and other serious hand/finger injuries awarded six figure sums in compensation.

Prioritising the health and safety of the individuals who use your building is easier than you think, with our Fingersafe guards able to be installed quickly and easily. We have customers coming to us to fit guards across a number of door types, but are our safety devices suitable for fire doors? In this blog post, we answer that very question!

What exactly is a fire door?

A fire door is a specially designed door type that acts as a barrier in the most extreme scenarios, including in the event of a fire.

Its construction is designed to withstand fire as well as restrict the spread of smoke which can be equally as dangerous when inhaled. By delaying the spread of fire and smoke, the people within have more time to escape to safety. The use of fire doors also provides more time for firefighters to get to the scene and bring the fire under control.

It is also important to note that fire doors are a legal requirement across all commercial buildings within the UK.

How does a fire door differ from a normal door?

Fire doors differ in construction, material and use. From the door itself to its hinges, a fire door is fire-resistant, designed to specifically withstand extreme heat, and fire rated to deliver a certain amount of protection for a set period of time. Here Surrey Tech Services explains what level of fire resistance you can expect from a fire door when compared with a normal door:

“You can establish what length of time a door should be able to resist a fire for via the code it’s given, for example, FD30 gives 30 minutes of resistance, FD60 gives 60 minutes of resistance, and so on up to 120 minutes… Since standard doors are not built with any type of fire resistance in mind, the time for which they can withstand flames is far, far lower, sometimes less than a minute.”

When compared to normal doors, fire doors are heavier and thicker. Their hinges are also more heavy duty to prevent the warping that could compromise fire safety.

Are Fingersafe guards able to be fitted on fire doors?

Yes, Fingersafe guards can be installed on 99% of today’s doors, apart from sliding doors. This includes but is not limited to fire doors. For uPVC fire exit doors with a push bar however, you will require a MK1A standard door guard.

Whatever door type you are looking to cater for, you can rest assured that our door finger guards are up for the job. Each of our designs has been rigorously tested by The British Board of Agreement, and holds an impressive four-hour fire rating as confirmed by Underwriters Laboratories (UK) Ltd. They also act as effective draft excluders and smoke inhibitors.

To find out more about our fire rated finger pinch protector guards, including our fire door compatible MK1A products, please browse our brochure for details.