Keeping the area around your rolling fire doors clean and obstacle-free is a big part of keeping your business safe.
In its formal regulations (NFPA 80) the National Fire Protection Association requires at least an annual rolling fire door inspection. In addition, cities and towns may have additional requirements in the Madison WI area. The NFPA requirement is a three-part process:
- The door must be inspected by a certified technician and tested for proper operation including full closure.
- Each door must be reset in accordance to its manufacturer’s instructions.
- You must keep a written record of each test and make available to any and all agencies with the authority to examine it.
Depending upon the amount of use the door gets on a daily basis and the surrounding environment, rolling garage door professionals suggest an inspection every 6 months is a wise investment.
Drop-test During Rolling Fire Door Inspection
As part of each inspection the rolling door will be dropped from a fully-open position. First to see that it works properly. And a second time to make sure it has reset itself correctly. In the first drop inspectors look to be sure it fully closes across the entire bottom of the door. The final drop makes sure it works right again and has reset to manufacturer specifications. After the second drop, all moving parts are examined to be sure they are free from debris and anything that might restrict motion. If anything is amiss, there will be additional drop sequences. Items reviewed in the visual inspection include:
- Checking for open holes, breaks or other damage.
- Missing or broken components.
- Any improper modifications – painting over movable pieces is a common problem.
- Additional hardware that might interfere with smooth, rapid closure.
- Proper, accurate safety labels.
During the inspection technicians make sure the steel curtain, barrel assemble and guides all align, are level plumb and true.
Keep Your Space Clear
Hopefully you’ll never see anything like this, but you’ll sleep better knowing your fire doors are ready just in case.
NFPA 80 also requires keeping all door openings and surrounding areas clear of anything that could become an obstruction and interfere with the door. This element of the regulation is easy to overlook but keeping the area clear around protective doors makes sense, doesn’t it? If you need to protect your people and property you don’t want an odd piece of equipment falling under a rolling steel fire door so it doesn’t seal.
If your fire doors activate automatically when triggered by a fire or smoke alarm, the annual fire door inspection must also include testing these systems.
When properly adjusted and working per manufacturer’s specification a rolling steel fire door should close at a speed of at least 6 inches per second and not faster than 24 inches per second. Knowing if your doors comply means measuring them and timing their rate of drop.
Selecting The Right Rolling Fire Door
While most rolling steel fire door designs fit large openings, they do come in an assortment of sizes. Most use fairly large slat designs but these, too, differ greatly depending upon the application – shutting off a section within a building may require a different configuration than shutting the loading dock.
While it’s always best to have a factory-trained professional technician inspect your doors, you can find more detailed information by checking the website of the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers’ Association (DASMA).
Rely On Experience For Rolling Fire Door Inspection
Fire doors protect property and save lives. There’s no excuse for putting valuable assets at risk, is there? It takes very little time to keep your people and business safe and compliant.
The NFPA 80 requirement applies to all fire doors, even those that are not used and remain in the closed position. The doors must be checked regularly insuring they will work if necessary.
Northland Door Systems serves business customers throughout southern Wisconsin. Representing the best commercial garage door manufactures, it brings the latest technology to every commercial overhead door inspection, installation and repair. Its commitment and relationship with elite garage door manufacturers insures high-tech solutions and well-trained technicians. Northland Door Systems repairs, installs and stands behind the best commercial doors, commercial garage door openers and loading dock/warehouse accessories. We cover a wide service. Take advantage of our decades of experience, call or email Northland Door Systems at 608-251-3627. Northland Door is the complete resource for all your commercial garage door, door accessories and loading dock products in southern Wisconsin. Rolling steel doors is a specialty. Contact us today to schedule a rolling fire door inspection and make sure your Madison WI area business is safe and secure.
How Is A Rolling Fire Door Inspection Different From a Swinging Door?
