Fast Facts Fire Doors
Office of Compliance
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advancing safety, health, and workplace rights in the legislative branch
Fire Doors
August 2008
Keeping You Out of Harm’s Way
Enclosing areas with fire barriers
windows may include wire mesh
— fire doors, walls, ceilings and
glass, liquid sodium silicate (or
floors — is the best means of con-
“water glass”) between two win-
taining fire. Fire barriers play an
dow panes, ceramic glass or boro-
integral role in managing a fire by
silicate glass.
interrupting the spread of smoke,
toxic gases and the fire itself from
Every approved fire door will have
one fire zone to another.
an assigned fire rating determined
by a standard fire endurance test.
What is a Fire Door?
The fire rating is stated on the
Not all doors are fire doors. The
door’s label, and indicates the
Life Safety Code stringently regu-
door’s ability to resist the passage
lates fire doors and their closure,
of fire and hot gases. The fire rat-
Electromagnetic hold-open device. This is the
only means by which a fire door may be held
precisely because of their impor-
ing of the door is determined by a
open.
tance as passive fire protection de-
standardized destructive fire en-
durance test on a sample door.
vices.
When Are Fire Doors Needed?
Fire doors are fundamental to the
In general, fire doors are needed
Fire doors are composed of a com-
integrity of fire barriers, because
whenever a door opening is pre-
bination of materials, including
any time there is an access portal
sent in a fire wall. Fire doors are
steel, gypsum and other fire-
(such as a doorway) to a compart-
also needed when a door has an
resistant materials. Some fire
ment, a fire barrier is broken tem-
“Exit” sign on or near it, when a
porarily. To minimize the break in
doors are equipped with windows,
door leads into exit stairwells and
protection and the spread of fire,
which must be subjected to prod-
horizontal exits, or when a door
smoke and toxic gases, fire doors
uct certification. Fire-resistant
leads to a hazardous area such as a
must be self-closing and have
room used to store flammable liq-
proper latching devices.
uids.
Potential Fire Door Hazards
Fire doors are often blocked open
for the convenience of employees
and visitors, creating a significant
fire hazard for all building occu-
pants because of the break created
in the fire barrier. Fire doors
should never be tied open or held
open by unapproved devices, such
as door wedges or blocks.
Fire door improperly held open by tying it to a wall.
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Doors that are designed as fire exit doors can be held open, for example, by
an electromagnetic hold-open device that automatically releases when build-
ing smoke control or fire alarms are activated.
Even when closed, fire doors should never have their latches taped over.
During a fire, if latches are taped over, hot gases could easily build up
enough pressure to blow the fire doors open, rendering them ineffective.
A fire door and its frame can often be identified by a plate affixed to each,
indicating the laboratory approval and the duration of fire rating. Painters
must avoid painting over these plates, as this could prevent future determin-
ation of whether or not the doors and frames are appropriately fire-rated.
Fire door latch improperly taped to hold the door open
fast stats
• OSHA regulations require that fire doors not be obstructed,
locked or held open unless equipped with a device that releases the door,
such as an electromagnetic hold-open device, upon activation of a fire alarm panel.
(29 CFR § 1910.36(d))
• Fire doors must be certified by an OSHA-recognized testing laboratory.
The laboratory’s certification label, typically on the door edge,
must state the door’s fire rating.
(29 CFR § 1910.36 (a) (3))
If you have any questions, please do not
The Office of Compliance advances safety,
hesitate to contact the Office of Compliance:
health, and workplace rights in the U.S.
Congress and the Legislative Branch. Es-
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110 Second Street, SE
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bilities under the Act, provides an impartial
tdd/ 202-426-1912
dispute resolution process, and investigates
Peter Ames Eveleth
f/ 202-426-1913
and remedies violations of the Act.
General Counsel
Mary-Margaret Smith
Editor
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T h i s i n f o r m a t i o n d o e s n o t c o n s t i t u t e a d v i c e o r a n o f f i c i a l r u l i n g o f t h e O f f i c e o f C o m p l i a n c e o r t h e
B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s a n d i s i n t e n d e d f o r e d u c a t i o n a l p u r p o s e s o n l y . F o r f u r t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e r e -
f e r t o t h e C o n g r e s s i o n a l A c c o u n t a b i l i t y A c t ( 2 U . S . C . 1 3 0 1 e t s e q . ) a n d t h e r e g u l a t i o n s i s s u e d b y t h e
B o a r d , o r y o u m a y c o n t a c t t h e O f f i c e o f C o m p l i a n c e .
