Fire Doors in a Mental Health Setting

Synopsis

Fire doors are a critical component of the fire safety strategy in mental health hospitals, helping to protect lives and maintain a safe environment. They are designed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke between different sections of the ward & hospital. This containment is crucial in protecting patients, staff, and giving everyone more time to evacuate safely.
By containing fire and smoke, fire doors help keep evacuation routes clear and safe. This is particularly important in mental health hospitals where evacuating patients can be problematic
Fire doors also play an important security role
They must meet strict standards and regulations, including those outlined in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Fire doors can be subject to more damage as service users will often take out their frustrations on the door & so they will require regular robust inspections & maintenance which will maintain the fire resistance of the door
This presentation will look at some of the challenges we face ensuring that the fire doors will provide the protection we require but still operate as a door during the day-to-day life of the ward