Fire exit door

Legal Requirements

In the UK, there are legal requirements to ensure a fire exit door is installed in the correct location in any commercial building and many residential buildings. In January 2023, new Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into effect following the findings of the Grenfell Enquiry. This included new fire door regulations relevant to rented accommodation. But there is a difference between fire doors and fire exit doors that is important to remember.

What is a fire exit door?

The purpose of fire exit doors is to allow people to escape the building should there be a fire. However, the purpose of fire doors is to prevent a fire from spreading throughout the building.

There is another point of difference, and that’s where fire doors and fire exit doors are located within the building. But first, let’s understand a fire exit. As the name suggests, it is where someone may exit a building to escape a fire. A fire exit can also be a main exit, or it can be a dedicated emergency exit, but it must:

  • Be in a location that is easily accessible.
  • Have an area or location where people can congregate safely away from the emergency situation.
  • Be controlled from inside the building.
  • Be well-managed and regularly maintained.
  • Be in a permanent location.


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About the doors

Now, let’s focus on the fire exit door. Although they are fire doors, they aren’t manufactured to quite the level of a fire door, i.e. they don’t need to withstand the impact of fire. But they must conform to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO) 2005. So, they must:

  • Open in the direction of escape, and sliding or revolving doors must not be used for fire exits.
  • Not be locked or fastened so they cannot be easily and immediately opened by any person in any emergency situation.
  • Be fitted with an emergency push bar (or other emergecny acess device) to allow for a quick escape, but also lockable from the outside to provide security.
  • Be cleary marked and identifiable using sufficient signage and/or lighting.
Fire Door Costings

Do I need fire exit doors?

Whilst there aren’t any specific regulations regarding fire exit doors in premises or rented accommodation, there are guidelines. The government recommends more than one fire exit, if possible, which should be separate from each other and have their own escape routes.

Also, take into consideration:

  • How many people are in the room/building
  • How many floors/storeys to the building
  • How far people have to go to the nearest exit

Fire exit doors must be tested regularly and maintained to ensure they are in working order, along with escape routes, staircases, fire detection and alarm systems, signage and lighting.

Do you need fire exit doors installed in your premises or rented accommodation? Have you had your fire exit doors tested recently? Call J&D Carpentry Services today to discuss your fire exit doors in more detail on 01603 552627 or email us at [email protected].