A door that fails the checklist may still protect the building.
Fire safety law says the adequacy of fire precautions in an existing building is determined by risk assessment, not necessarily by an audit against prescriptive guidance written for new construction. Fire doors are the clearest example, and there is often a significant financial benefit in taking the risk-based route.
What we do
The appraisal is a non-intrusive visual risk assessment of individual fire doors in situ, conducted typically on a 25 per cent sample. The sample illustrates the range of door conditions in the building so you can benchmark the rest and make wider decisions about their suitability. Rather than testing each door against a checklist, we evaluate how it is likely to perform in your building: the fire strategy, the number and mobility of occupants, escape routes and alternative means of egress, the likelihood and severity of fire exposure, and whether detection, sprinklers or suppression are present.
What you get
- A risk-based opinion on the adequacy of the sampled doors
- Assessment of the urgency of any required improvement, rather than a blanket pass or fail
- Findings that let you prioritise remedial work by risk
Why it matters
A prescriptive inspection reports pass or fail against BS 8214, BS 9999 or BS 9991 and Approved Document B. That is useful, but it can drive unnecessary replacement, because a door failing on a minor element may still provide adequate protection given the building it sits in. A care home with vulnerable residents and a warehouse with minimal occupancy do not need the same door performance. For older buildings, strict prescriptive compliance is often impractical without disproportionate intervention.
Why Vantify
Assessors who accept that a door may not meet every checklist item and still do its job, and who say so in writing.
Scope and limitations
No destructive testing or dismantling of doors, frames or components. Typically a 25 per cent sample rather than every door. The appraisal is an expert risk-based opinion, not a certification or a guarantee of compliance.
0203 337 3575
enquiries@vantify.com