If you’ve ever been advised to arrange a fire door survey after already having a fire risk assessment carried out, you may have wondered why you need both. It’s one of the questions we’re asked most often, and it’s easy to see where the confusion comes from. After all, both relate to fire safety, both are designed to help keep people safe, and both form part of your responsibilities as a building owner or Responsible Person.
The important thing to understand is that they are not the same thing. In fact, they serve two very different purposes. A fire risk assessment looks at the overall fire safety of a building, while a fire door survey focuses specifically on the condition and performance of your fire doors. Rather than replacing one another, they work together to provide a much clearer picture of your building’s fire safety.
A fire risk assessment is designed to identify fire hazards, assess the level of risk within a building and recommend measures to reduce those risks. It considers how people would escape in the event of a fire, whether appropriate fire protection systems are in place, and whether there are any areas that require improvement.
As part of the assessment, the assessor will consider a wide range of factors including escape routes, emergency lighting, fire alarm systems, fire extinguishers, signage, housekeeping and passive fire protection. Fire doors form part of this assessment, but they’re viewed within the wider context of the building rather than being inspected in detail.
If the assessor identifies concerns with the fire doors, they may recommend a more detailed inspection. That’s where a fire door survey comes in.
A fire door survey takes a much closer look at each individual fire door within a building. Instead of considering overall fire safety, the survey focuses entirely on whether each door is likely to perform correctly if it’s ever needed.
During a survey, every door is inspected individually, with checks carried out on components such as the door leaf, frame, hinges, ironmongery, glazing, intumescent seals, smoke seals, door closers and gap tolerances. The survey will also confirm whether the door closes and latches correctly, as even small defects can affect how the door performs in the event of a fire.
Once the inspection is complete, a detailed report is produced outlining any defects, recommended remedial works and, where necessary, whether a door should be repaired or replaced.
This is where the distinction becomes important. A fire risk assessment isn’t intended to be a detailed inspection of every fire door within a building. Its purpose is to identify significant fire safety risks and determine whether further action is needed.
A useful way to think about it is to compare it to a property survey. When you’re buying a house, the surveyor might identify signs of damp and recommend further investigation by a specialist. The survey has identified a potential issue, but it hasn’t diagnosed the cause or specified exactly how it should be repaired.
The same principle applies here. A fire risk assessment may identify that fire doors require further attention, but a fire door survey provides the detailed information needed to understand exactly what condition those doors are in and what action should be taken.
In many cases, yes. A fire risk assessment provides an overview of your building’s fire safety arrangements and helps identify where risks may exist. A fire door survey complements that by providing a detailed assessment of one of the building’s most important passive fire protection systems.
Together, they give building owners and Responsible Persons the information they need to make informed decisions, prioritise remedial works and demonstrate that appropriate steps are being taken to maintain fire safety.
At CSD Fire Solutions, we regularly work with organisations that already have a fire risk assessment but need a clearer understanding of the condition of their fire doors. Our surveys provide a detailed inspection of every door, supported by clear reporting and practical recommendations that make it easier to plan any remedial works.
Whether you manage a commercial property, educational facility, healthcare setting or residential building, we’re here to help you understand exactly what your fire doors are telling you.
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