Fire Door Checks under the 2022 Regulations
A fire door only protects a building if it is in good order and actually closes — and in taller residential buildings, the law now requires that to be checked on a schedule. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced duties for regular fire door checks in multi-occupied residential buildings over a certain height. It is a compartmentation and management duty rather than a fire alarm one, but it sits within the same fire safety that the fire alarm serves, and an engineer working these buildings benefits from understanding it. This guide gives an orientation.
The central point is that the 2022 Regulations require regular fire door checks in taller multi-occupied residential buildings — a responsible-person compartmentation duty that sits alongside the fire alarm within the overall fire safety.
Who this is for
This is for competent fire alarm engineers who work in multi-occupied residential buildings. The experience level assumed is competent engineer. Use this as orientation; the duty rests with the responsible person, and the authoritative source is the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the accompanying guidance. The fire alarm follows BS 5839-1; fire doors are a separate compartmentation matter.
What the duty requires
From 23 January 2023, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require, for multi-occupied residential buildings in England with storeys over 11 metres, that responsible persons undertake quarterly checks of communal fire doors and, on a best-endeavours basis, annual checks of flat entrance doors that open onto common parts — including their self-closing devices. The point is to confirm, regularly, that these doors and their closers actually work. The duty is on the responsible person; the authoritative source is the regulations and the accompanying guidance, which should be consulted for the detail rather than relying on a summary. The essence is a scheduled, evidenced check that fire doors remain effective.
Why fire door checks matter
The reason behind the duty is compartmentation. Fire doors are part of a building's compartmentation, holding back fire and smoke to protect escape routes, and a door that will not close, is wedged, or is damaged undermines that protection entirely. Regular checks confirm doors and their self-closers are in working order rather than assuming they are. This is a compartmentation and management matter rather than fire alarm design, but it sits within the same overall fire safety the fire alarm serves — particularly in buildings where a stay-put strategy depends on compartmentation holding. When the doors fail, the strategy that keeps residents safe in their flats fails with them, which is why the checks matter.
How it relates to fire alarm work
For the fire alarm engineer, the honest position is that the direct effect is limited. Fire door checks are a duty of the responsible person about the building fabric, not fire alarm design, so they do not change how a fire alarm is designed. But fire doors, compartmentation and the fire alarm all serve the same fire strategy, and an engineer will encounter fire doors and, sometimes, door-related interfaces such as hold-open release. From field experience, an engineer who spots and flags an obviously defective fire door — one wedged open, or that will not close — adds value, even though fixing and checking it is not their duty. The fire alarm follows BS 5839-1; the door-check duty rests with the responsible person.
The engineer's part
The practical position is to know the duty, keep to your own remit, and flag what you see. The engineer maintains the fire alarm, not the fire doors, but should understand the duty and flag an obviously defective fire door to the responsible person. Any fire alarm interface to doors, such as hold-open release on alarm, still needs proving as part of the fire alarm work. Do not take on the door-check duty itself. Record fire alarm findings, and direct fire door matters to the responsible person who holds the duty. An engineer who understands the wider fire safety, without overreaching, works more coherently within it.
Common points to check
Recurring issues include obviously defective fire doors encountered during fire alarm work, hold-open interfaces not proven, and confusion over who checks the doors. Confirming the fire alarm's part and flagging obvious fire door defects is the essential check.
When not to rely on this alone
When not to use this article: do not treat it as guidance for carrying out fire door checks. Those follow the regulations and appropriate competence, carried out for the responsible person; the fire alarm follows BS 5839-1.
Relevant standards
The fire alarm follows BS 5839-1, a code of practice; fire door checks are a duty under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, within the framework of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Separate the legal duties from the recommended methods, verify specifics against the regulations, and always work to current editions and current guidance.
Professional disclaimer
This is an educational and workflow resource for competent engineers and does not replace the regulations, the current British Standards, or competent judgement. It is orientation only; verify specific duties against the authoritative sources.
Related documentation
Use this with the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and its guidance, and the current BS 5839-1. Keep fire alarm work to its standard, prove any door interfaces, and flag obvious fire door defects to the responsible person.