What is a Fire Door Assembly?
A fire door assembly is composed of the door, the frame, the hardware, and all the accessories. This may include closers, panic bars, or fire-rated magnetic hold-open devices that are tied into the fire alarm system. All components fit together like puzzle pieces, and together they provide a specific fire rating (i.e. 30 min, 3 hrs, etc.) Note: the rating of the assembly can be limited by the lowest rated component. Your report will list the ratings for your use should components need replacing.
Are all doors in my building “fire door assemblies”?
No. Fire doors can be identified by a label on both the door and the frame. If the label was painted over, you can usually see the outline of the label under the paint. Examples of where fire door assemblies are used include: stairwells, exits, and major dividing walls. If needed, Fire Doors Hawaii inspectors can be hired as consultants to identify fire doors using building plans, life safety plans, or walking the facility itself.
How much time does an inspection take?
The initial setup can take 1-2 hours of office time, and field inspection can take 20-30 minutes per door. Reporting and submission of paperwork can take 10-20 minutes per door. Our goal is to get you your complete report, and all individual door records, within a week of inspection.
Are fire door assemblies designed to allow people to escape, or to block the progress of fire?
Yes to both. Fire door assemblies provide double duty protection. Do people need to escape? Provide no resistance, let them through. Is the fire moving to the next room? Block it as long as possible. This tension and complexity is why Fire Doors Hawaii focuses on providing detailed guidance for repairs.
Are annual fire door assembly inspections required in the state of Hawaii?
Yes, on August 14th 2014 the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the State Fire Council adopted NFPA 2012 edition as the state’s Fire Code. Among other changes, this introduced the requirement for detailed annual inspections for all fire door assemblies. CMS also requires NFPA 80 inspections with a deadline for compliance extended to January 1st 2018.
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