London Fire Safety Guidance for Houses in ... - Harrow Council

identical to those in the door manufacturer’s documentation. Any deviationin glazing type or fixing detail may affect the door’s performance in a firesituation.FacingsIf the door face is to be clad with a decorative panel or finish it must be fittedto both faces of the leaf to keep the door balanced. Highly flammable paintfinishes are to be avoided.Upgrading Existing Non-Fire Resisting DoorsThe upgrading of non-fire-resisting door assemblies is to be avoided wherepossible. The practice is generally impractical and uneconomic. It is reliantupon strict adherence to an approved specification and upon a high standardof workmanship.In each case where a door leaf is being considered for upgrading, a detailedspecification of the leaf with accurate dimensions of each of its components,its method of construction including, where known, any adhesives, must besubmitted to a suitably qualified person in order to assess its suitability forupgrading. Where the assessor is satisfied that the leaf can be upgraded,then a suitable technique will be specified and a report giving the assessedintegrity rating will be prepared. Each variation of door type will requireassessment in this way. Where the subject door is not similar to any doorpreviously subjected to a fire test, an assessment report may still be issuedsubject to additional measures being carried out. The assessment report willdetail these measures and they must be strictly adhered to.Where an assessment report is not forthcoming, the only alternative will be tosubmit an identical sample door to a BS 476 : Part 22 : 1987 test at a UKASregistered test house. Note: this is a test to destruction and will only bepossible where there are a number of identical subject doors of which one canbe sacrificed. The test costs several thousand pounds.Smoke Control DoorsIn certain situations smoke control doors are required e.g. in corridors longerthan 30m in hostels. Such doors need not be fire resisting and need notconform to the requirements of this section other than those requirementsrelating to smoke sealing. These doors are referred to as FD20S doors.Miscellaneous mattersA door from a space from which more than 50 people may need to escapeshould open in the direction of the escape. Consideration will often have tobe given to the terrain leading from the final exit from the building to a finalplace of safety to ensure that the surface over which people would pass whenescaping from fire is free from hazards.London Fire Safety Guidance for Houses in Multiple OccupationVersion 2: 06/06