Fire Doors

Fire door assemblies are a critical part of a buildings passive fire protection system, as they help to compartmentalize the building and determine the spread of smoke, flames, and toxic gases. Over time, components of the assembly will require maintenance, adjustment, repair, or replacement. If deficiencies are not corrected, the opening protective may not function properly during a fire. Fire door inspections ensure that the fire door will function as designed and tested.

Beginning with the 2007 edition of NFPA 80 – Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, requirements for periodic fire door assembly inspections (FDAI) have been included in the standard. In each of the subsequent editions, the inspection requirements have been modified and expanded. When an adopted code references one of these editions of NFPA 80, the inspection criteria become enforceable by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). The International Fire Code® 2009 edition was the first to adopt these requirements by reference to NFPA 80 2007.

NFPA 80 requires visual inspections and acceptance testing to be performed by a qualified person with knowledge and understanding of the types of assemblies being inspected. A qualified person is someone who has the knowledge, training, and experience to conduct inspections, and who may demonstrate their ability by possession of a degree, certification, professional standing, or skill. Although a certification is not specifically required by NFPA 80, it may help an AHJ determine whether an inspector has the required expertise.