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UNION, part of ASSA ABLOY Security Solutions, cautions that while many door closers are stated as approved for metal fire doors, this may only apply to insulated, not non-insulated, metal fire doors.

The company says that with around 80% of metal fire doors sold in the UK being non-insulated, many door closers are therefore not fit for purpose, leading to potentially disastrous consequences.

The correct fire door closers must be specified for non-insulated metal doors, which do not protect against heat transfer, only against fire and smoke.

If a door closer is filled with mineral semi-synthetic mix oil, it could ignite if it reaches a high enough temperature.

Although testing organisation Certifire has recently revised its certification to more accurately state the type of metal fire door for which a door closer is approved, many installers and specifiers are still not aware of this risk and of the dangers of fitting incorrect door closers.

David Hindle, door closer specialist at UNION, said: “We believe many door closers could have been incorrectly specified for non-insulated metal fire doors, which could pose a real danger to lives in the event of a fire.

“These door closers are not suitable for fire escapes or other applications where extreme heat could risk lives or cause serious damage to property. This is a hugely serious issue.”

UNION gives the following advice on dealing with this concern:

Know your fire safety responsibilities.

Business owners have many responsibilities, but the consequences of neglecting your fire safety responsibilities are potentially unthinkable.

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