Of more than 100,000 doors in around 2,700 buildings across the UK inspected by the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) in 2019, 76% were deemed not to comply with building regulations. Around one in six (16%) were not even proper fire doors.
Buildings inspected included social and specialist housing, as well as new build private homes and healthcare, education and commercial facilities.
Inside housing quited Louise Halton, scheme manager of FDIS, which is a joint venture between the British Woodworking Federation and the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers:
“the data “paints a very worrying picture of the fire safety of the UK’s buildings”.
Poor installation was identified by inspectors as a major issue, as was incorrect fitting leading to excessive gaps around the frame or used incompatible foam.
Meanwhile, Government funding estimates to support the new Fire Safety Bill will only pay for an extra 12 full-time inspectors a year despite covering more than two million homes, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has claimed.