Fire Door Inspection Records: What Building Managers Must Keep
Fire doors are one of the most inspected and frequently cited failure points in UK building safety audits. Inspectors don’t just want to see that fire doors are installed — they want evidence that they’re being maintained, inspected, and certified on schedule.
Here’s exactly what records you need to keep, how long to keep them, and what inspectors ask for.
What Records Do You Need?
1. Installation Certificate and Product Specification
When a fire door is installed, the installer should provide:
- The fire door product certificate (typically BM TRADA Q-Mark or CERTIFIRE)
- The intumescent seal and hardware specification
- Confirmation of the fire rating (typically FD30 or FD60)
- Evidence of CE/UKCA marking
This document proves the door is rated for what you need. Without it, there is no baseline.
2. Initial Inspection Record
Within 3 months of installation, a competent person should inspect the door and document:
- Alignment, gaps, and seals
- Self-closer function
- Hardware condition
- Any remedial actions taken
3. Regular Inspection Records
Under BS 8214:2016 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, fire doors must be inspected regularly by a competent person:
| Door location | Minimum inspection frequency |
|---|---|
| High-use areas (corridors, communal areas) | Every 3 months |
| Lower-use areas | Every 6 months |
| As part of fire risk assessment | Annually |
Each inspection must document:
- Date of inspection
- Inspector name and competency evidence
- Condition of each component (door leaf, frame, seals, hinges, closer, signage)
- Pass/fail result
- Remedial actions required and completion dates
4. Remedial Action Records
When an inspection identifies a defect, you need a record of:
- What the defect was
- When it was identified
- What was done to fix it
- When it was fixed
- Who carried out the repair
A fire door that was defective and has since been fixed is not a problem — if you have the paper trail. A fire door that was defective and you can’t prove it was fixed is a problem.
5. Competency Evidence for Inspectors
Whoever inspects your fire doors must be competent. This means either:
- A qualified fire door inspector (FDIS scheme, Guild of Architectural Ironmongers, or equivalent), or
- A person who can demonstrate specific training and experience
Keep records of the inspector’s qualification alongside inspection records.
How Long Must You Keep Fire Door Records?
There is no single statutory retention period, but the practical standard applied by BSR inspectors and fire authorities is:
| Document type | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Installation certificates and product specifications | Lifetime of the building |
| Inspection records | Minimum 10 years |
| Remedial action records | Minimum 3 years (keep longer in practice) |
The Building Safety Act 2022 Golden Thread obligations require higher-risk buildings to maintain all safety-critical documentation as part of the building’s permanent record. For HRBs, treat fire door records as permanent.
What Fire Inspectors and BSR Ask to See
During a fire inspection or BSR audit, expect to be asked for:
- Evidence that all fire doors have been inspected in the past 3–6 months
- A list of any fire doors that failed inspection and what was done
- Product certificates for fire doors in critical locations (stairwells, escape routes)
- Evidence of inspector competency
If you manage a large building with 50 or more fire doors, you need a system. A spreadsheet with dates and names is better than nothing — but in the middle of an inspection, a searchable document library will save you.
The Most Common Failures
From fire authority reports and BSR enforcement notices:
- No inspection records at all — especially common in buildings that changed management
- Records held by the previous manager — and never transferred at handover
- Defects recorded but no evidence of repair — the inspection found problems; nothing was done
- Installation certificates missing — particularly for doors installed before 2010
- Competency not evidenced — inspections carried out by maintenance staff with no formal fire door qualification
Getting Your Records in Order
If you’re not sure what fire door records you have, start here:
- Inventory every fire door — location, rating, last inspection date
- Find the installation certificates — if they don’t exist, commission a surveyor’s baseline inspection to establish current condition
- Schedule inspections — use the frequency table above to set recurring schedules
- Centralise the records — all inspection reports in one searchable location, not email attachments and desktop folders
The buildings that pass fire audits aren’t the ones with perfect fire doors. They’re the ones where building managers can answer “when was this door last inspected and what did the inspection find?” in under 30 seconds.