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Opening The Door To A Safe Workplace

The pandemic has changed the way organisations and businesses use their workspaces; many are rethinking and adapting their premises. It’s a good time to consider how internal fire door specification can maximise not only safety but wellbeing too, says Nigel Sill, Chairman of Enfield Speciality Doors.

As the Government’s Plan B requirement to work from home comes to an end, businesses and organisations are once again migrating back to the office. But with more companies than ever offering hybrid working to their employees, workplaces now look very different to the way they did two years ago.

For facilities managers, navigating the raft of new demands from businesses will certainly require fit outs, reconfigurations and refurbishments. A survey in 2021 revealed that more than a quarter (26%) of UK businesses are expected to close, downsize or consolidate their offices in the coming months.

But it’s not just office use which is a concern. Others businesses are reconfiguring their existing office space to accommodate flexible working patterns, making the “move from Me to We” space allocation in the workplace to encourage a sense of community and collaboration, which is often lacking when working from home.

Doors, particularly fire doors, are an integral part of any shared space, no matter how it is configured, and safety, security, health and wellbeing are all key aspects when considering their use.

With a marked change on the horizon for workspaces, it’s a good time for facilities managers to think about the maintenance and replacement of internal fire doors to help them fulfil the new demands of their occupants.

So, how can internal fire doors deliver the office workplaces that today’s businesses need?

Promoting Improved Health And Safety

Fire doors slow the spread of heat, flames and smoke to preserve life and property, and provide a safe egress from a building to allow people to move to a place of safety. The most commonly installed internal fire doors are FD30 – providing a minimum of 30 minutes fire resistance. Here at Enfield, our doors are over-engineered to ensure they more than meet requirements. Our doors were tested by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government as part of a nationwide project to test effectiveness after the Grenfell tragedy. And they passed with flying colours. Opening in exceeded the time required by 19% while opening out exceeded by 70%, or 51 minutes.

But internal fire doors can also help improve the health and safety of a building’s occupants in other ways.

We are all acutely aware of how easily disease can spread and the need for greater hygiene and protection. Doors are a major touchpoint in a workplace, making them a hotbed for sharing bacteria. In fact, at room temperature, germs can multiply rapidly, doubling within 20 minutes!

To stem the spread of germs, we advise customers to make sure their internal fire doors are laminated. This makes them easy to clean as well as being attractive. It’s a solution that’s common in healthcare settings, where infection control has always been important.

However, facilities managers can now go a step further, by choosing an anti-bacterial protection for the laminate. We offer a special silver ion coating which offers 99.9% protection against germs. It’s another barrier against the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace.

Safe And Stylish

Many people are surprised to learn how customisable a fire door can be. There’s no need to compromise on style or safety when carrying out refurbishments.

Fire doors can be specified with a variety of finishes, from real wood veneer, like ash, beech and walnut, to bright laminates that offer a splash of colour. Laminates and paint finishes can be specified to match the interior décor of the workspace.

Glazed screens can also improve visibility and increase light in and out of a room. Up to a maximum individual pane size of 2.15m², glass panels can be inserted using standard frame sections, ensuring the doors remain compliant with fire certification of up to 60 minutes.

Stylish handles and accessories complete the look of an internal door. While handles and doors must be functional and ensure the door closes properly, they can still be keeping with the rest of your refurbishment.

Quiet Please!

While workplaces are expected to shift towards being more communal and collaborative spaces, it’s still necessary to ensure there are quiet areas available. Some employees need to work without distraction, or may need a place for confidential meetings.

Internal fire doors can give facilities managers the option to create quiet spaces within a workplace, reducing internal or external noise. Doors with a high acoustic performance of 38dB or above (or provide a combination of high acoustic, fire and/or security performance) are generally considered ‘specialist’ and are usually bespoke and/or made by a company specialising in this area/sector. You can also look for the Quiet Mark seal of approval.

And if security is important, PAS24 FD30 and PAS24 FD60 door sets are the ideal specification, particularly for internal entrance doors, meeting standard requirements for fire and acoustic performance as well.

Inspect And Maintain Regularly

Whether you’re fitting new doors as part of a refurbishment or reconfiguration or sticking with the ones you have, regular inspection and maintenance is essential. This is particularly important if a premises hasn’t been used for some time.

However minor it might seem, damage or distortion to the door, frame or the intumescent seal will affect the performance of the fire door. Anything more than minor surface damage means the fire door will not guarantee a minimum of 30 minutes fire resistance, endangering life and property.

Fire doors are an important element for any commercial building but with careful specification, they can fulfil a bigger purpose by not only protecting the health and safety of occupants but also providing design elements and supporting the functioning of the post-Covid workplace.

For more information or advice on specifying internal fire doors email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,
call 020 8805 6662 or visit www.enfielddoors.co.uk.