The importance of fire door hardware maintenance can’t be overstated. Fire doors and their hardware are often the first line of defence against fire and must be regularly maintained to ensure they continue to operate as intended.
Even durable door hardware can wear out in high-footfall environments, eventually requiring repair or replacement. For instance, a damaged or malfunctioning self-closing device can prevent a fire door from closing fully into its frame, compromising its effectiveness in the event of a fire.
Fire Door Hardware Maintenance & the Responsible Person
Responsible persons, i.e. the individual or organisation responsible for fire safety in the building, should conduct regular inspections of fire doors, along with annual checks of flat entrance doors and self-closing devices in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). A competent assessor must ensure that all components of the fire door are in working condition and function as intended, including hinges, seals, and closing mechanisms, and that they have appropriate signage, certification, and gap measurements.
If an inspection reveals that a fire door is not operating as intended, it is crucial to seek professional guidance and ensure that any necessary repairs or replacements are completed promptly and to a high standard.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Responsible Persons are required to ensure fire doors and their hardware are ‘subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair '.
Working Together
Where the RP is responsible for gathering information and paperwork, an Accountable Person is an organisation or individual that owns, or has a legal obligation to manage, the fire and structural safety risks in the common parts of a building, such as corridors, staircases, and the building's exterior.
The Building Safety Act 2022 places a duty on both APs and RPs to work together, cooperating and coordinating safety arrangements to ensure fire safety standards are maintained throughout the building.
Approaching Fire Door Hardware Maintenance
The safety and security of your building and its occupants can be seriously jeopardised if fire doors are not operating effectively.
Fire and smoke-resistant doors - and those which form part of your building’s fire escape route - must be periodically inspected to ensure they meet the same standards as when they were originally installed.
Both the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 contain requirements on the safety of doors and require that any system capable of developing dangerous faults is subject to a suitable system of maintenance. This implies, among other things, that maintenance is carried out regularly, that defects are remedied, and that suitable records are kept.
General Guidance
✔ All doors will need to be checked for any seasonal changes
✔ Applications in severe atmospheric conditions will require additional consideration, e.g., coastal locations or swimming pool applications.
✔ While many final emergency exit doors may be used very infrequently, those used, for example, as staff ‘smoke break’ exits may be subject to high usage
✔ Internal fire resisting doors are equally important as final exit doors but may well have completely different hardware fitted to them
✔ Vandalism and abuse will cause most problems, so such applications may need to be checked more regularly than otherwise indicated
The onus is on the building’s responsible parties to ensure that maintenance routines are carried out and that:
✔ Suitably proficient individuals carry out the work. Regulations require all individuals carrying out design, construction or refurbishment work to be competent, which is defined as having the appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours (SKEB)
✔ Any remedial work is carried out immediately by a competent individual, especially on doors which form part of the fire safety or security of the building
✔ Only parts of equal or better standard should be fitted, as anything else could compromise the performance of the door. In the case of fire doors, it could invalidate fire certificates
✔ To comply with the requirements of BS EN179:2008 and BS EN1125:2008, emergency exit and panic exit devices should be subjected to routine maintenance checks at intervals of not more than one month
Ensuring Compliance & Safety
A building’s responsible persons must ensure that all fire doors are kept in good working order by a properly documented regime of regular and appropriate maintenance.
A simple visual assessment, conducted and recorded by a competent individual, could make the difference in safeguarding building compliance and protecting human life.
Fire door safety requires correct selection, competent installation and ongoing maintenance. Clear responsibilities and up-to-date risk assessments (aligned with the Fire Safety Act 2021 and, where applicable, the Building Safety Act 2022) are essential to keep occupants safe and comply with the law.
From fire door closers and hold-open devices to hinges and exit devices, your fire door hardware should be tested and certified. Still in doubt, or in need of replacement hardware? Call us today on 0330 8080 617.
If you’re a specifier, installer or responsible for maintaining a fire door, it’s also important that you can select and fit the correct fire door hardware with the necessary level of competence. Our state-of-the-art fire-door training centre offers the accredited training courses and regulated qualifications you and your team need to feel confident and remain compliant. Contact fdm.info@allegion.com and upskill your workforce today.
Don’t miss #FireDoorSafetyWeek 2026 - 21–25 September.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should fire door hardware be inspected? Inspect fire door hardware regularly and record the checks. Routine visual checks should occur more frequently in high-traffic or harsh environments; panic and emergency exit devices require monthly checks, and HMOs require annual checks of flat entrance doors and self-closing devices.
Who is responsible for fire door hardware maintenance in a building? The Responsible Person (RP) must ensure a suitable maintenance regime is in place and kept documented. Where common parts are involved, the Accountable Person (AP) must cooperate with the RP under the Building Safety Act 2022 to manage and coordinate safety duties.
What does a proper fire door hardware maintenance check include? A competent assessor should check hinges, seals, closers, latches and signage, confirm acceptable gap measurements and test that doors fully close and latch. Fix any defects promptly and keep records of inspections and remedial work.
Can maintenance work invalidate a fire door’s certification? Yes, using wrong parts or poor repairs can void certification. Always replace components with equal-or-better-standard parts and have competent personnel perform the work to protect the door’s performance and certification.
What qualifications do technicians need to maintain fire door hardware? Technicians must be competent, demonstrating the right skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours (SKEB) for the task. Use trained installers or assessors who follow manufacturer instructions, third-party certificates and relevant UK regulations.
