Fire-rated door closers - compliance and requirements

Fire doors and fire-rated door closers are an essential element of a fire safety programme. Fire doors have the purpose of containing a fire and smoke for a sufficient period of time, to enable people in a building to escape safely and to limit the damage a fire can do. Meanwhile, fire-rated door closers ensure that doors identified as fire doors are always shut, and will shut automatically once opened, and hence fire-rated door closers help to ensure that the fire door is effective in its design purpose.  

The definition of a fire-rated door closer is that it:

- Is capable of closing a fire door from any angle of opening

- Provides sufficient force to overcome any resistance created by the fire in order to close the fire door, and to remain closed.

So it is essential that fire-rated door closers are suitable for the fire risks identified in a building and hence they are an important piece of building hardware, whether it is a commercial or domestic building. For this reason, fire-rated door closers are closely regulated and this guide will explain how that works.

What regulations control fire-rated door closers?

Fire-rated door closers are a mechanical device which controls the closing speed of a fire-door and ensures it stays closed. They are a legal requirement for fire doors under the UK Building Regulations and Fire Safety Act. The standard BS EN 1154 stipulates the requirements and test methods for controlled door-closing devices. BS EN 1154 seeks to ensure that door closers meet specific criteria for performance, safety and durability. 

So all fire-rated door closers must comply with BS EN 1154, but must also carry CE or UKCA marking, which denotes the product complies with EU or UK legislation. There may also be third party certification in some cases, which is not mandatory but in some applications is required to provide further assurance that a door closer is suitable.

What does BS EN 1154 compliance involve?

BS EN 1154 ensures a fire-rated door closer complies with specific criteria in terms of closing force, latching action, backcheck (the process of slowing the door closing action close to the latch) and corrosion resistance. Meeting this criteria means the door closer is effective and reliable in different conditions, notably in a fire.

The standard also controls the door closing speed – the closing action should not exceed 25 seconds in duration to be effective in a fire – and opening force, which must be within specified limits to enable ease of use for people with disabilities and limited mobility.  Other requirements of BS EN 1154 include:

• All door closers should be installed according to manufacturer’s installation instructions.
• Fire-rated door closers should be included in regular inspections to ensure their ongoing effectiveness and functionality.
• A coding system is used in the standard to classify door furniture. This adopts a six-digit code which covers type of use, mass of door, fire behaviour and resistance to corrosion. Fire behaviour is classified with a 1-4 grade, which denotes the severity of fire the item of door furniture can withstand, with the higher number being a higher level of resistance. With fire-rated door closers, this fire behaviour must be considered alongside the mass of the door when selecting the right door closer. This means that only door closers with a 3 or 4 grade can be used on a fire door. Meanwhile, a door closer with a low rating, will not have sufficient power to ensure a door remains shut in the event of a fire.  

What is EN 1634?

EN 1634 is a fire safety standard which includes fire doors within its scope. It ensures that fire doors and associated furniture, including door closers, provide effective fire resistance, integrity and insulation. This is a European standard which confirms that compliant fire door assemblies can withstand exposure to fire for a specific duration. Some of the door closers supplied by MB Direct, such as the ASEC Vital Size 3 Overhead Door Closer, comply with the requirements of BS EN 1154 as standard, but have also been tested to comply with the requirements of EN 1634. The standard includes a series of fire resistance tests for related fire door-associated products, and in the case of the ASEC Vital overhead door closer, this has been classified as being safe to use on timber fire doors for up to 120 minutes fire resistance.

Fire-rated door closers from MB Direct

You can check the specifications of our range of door closers and confirm that they are in compliance with BS EN 1154. However, some products within our range have also been tested for fire resistance under the requirements of EN 1634. Where relevant this is noted in the product specifications. You can therefore select the fire-rated door closer that is suitable for you, based on this information, and order online today.