Fire safety in hospitals is of paramount importance due to the unique challenges these environments present. Unlike typical buildings, hospitals are filled with vulnerable patients who cannot always evacuate quickly or without assistance. This is why hospitals often follow a horizontal evacuation policy, where patients are moved to adjacent fire compartments rather than evacuating the building immediately. In this context, fire doors play a critical role in containing the spread of fire and smoke, ensuring that staff have the time and space needed to safely move patients.

The Vital Role of Fire Doors in Hospitals

Fire doors are more than just physical barriers; they are specifically designed to withstand fire and smoke for a designated period, usually 30 or 60 minutes, depending on the fire door rating. In a hospital setting, these doors help:

• Contain fires within specific compartments: Preventing the spread of fire and smoke between wards, operating theatres, and recovery rooms.
• Facilitate horizontal evacuation: Allowing patients to be moved to a safer part of the building without needing to evacuate the entire facility.
• Protect escape routes: Ensuring that emergency exits and corridors remain passable during an evacuation.
• Minimise disruption: By containing fires, they reduce the need for a complete evacuation, which is crucial in hospitals where patients are dependent on life-supporting equipment or are unable to move independently.

Fire doors are not merely passive systems; they are central to the fire safety plan in hospitals. To perform effectively when needed, these doors must remain in optimal condition.

The Challenge: Porters and Fire Door Damage

Despite their importance, fire doors in hospitals are frequently subject to damage—often unintentionally caused by hospital porters. Porters play a crucial role in the day-to-day functioning of hospitals, transporting patients, medical equipment, supplies, and even waste. However, the continuous movement of trolleys, beds, and large equipment can lead to accidental impacts with fire doors. Over time, this kind of wear and tear compromises the integrity of these doors.

Financial constraints often mean that hospitals are understaffed, and porters, in particular, can find themselves overworked. With fewer hands to share the workload, porters may be required to transport more equipment and patients in less time, which increases the likelihood of accidental damage. Common causes of damage include:

1. Trolley and Bed Collisions: Hospital porters frequently manoeuvre heavy and bulky items, such as hospital beds or medical trolleys, through narrow corridors. It is easy for fire doors to be struck or scraped as porters navigate these tight spaces.
2. Propping Doors Open: In the rush to transport patients or equipment quickly, fire doors are sometimes propped open, defeating their purpose. Even temporary propping can cause damage to door closers and hinges.
3. Wear on Intumescent Strips and Seals: Fire doors rely on intumescent strips and smoke seals to function effectively. Repeated impacts can loosen or dislodge these strips, leaving gaps where smoke could penetrate in the event of a fire.
4. Damage to Fire-Rated Glazing: Many fire doors have glazed panels, which are vulnerable to damage from impact. If these panels crack or break, the door can no longer provide the necessary fire resistance.

Addressing the Issue

To ensure that fire doors remain functional, hospitals must take proactive steps in both educating staff and maintaining their fire doors. Some key measures include:

• Porter Training: Hospitals should provide regular fire safety training to all porters, ensuring they understand the importance of fire doors and the consequences of accidental damage. Careful handling of trolleys and equipment can go a long way in preventing damage.
• Improved Signage: Clear signage reminding staff not to prop fire doors open and to be cautious when moving equipment can help reduce unintentional damage.
• Automatic Door Openers and Hold-Open Devices: For non-secured areas where frequent access is required, the installation of automatic door openers or hold-open devices can prevent the need to physically push doors open, reducing damage. These devices, which are connected to the fire alarm system, keep the doors open during regular operations but automatically release and close the doors when a fire alarm is triggered. This ensures that fire doors remain unobstructed during normal use but are fully operational in the event of a fire.
• Routine Inspections: Hospitals should implement a schedule for regular fire door inspections, checking for damage to the door, frame, intumescent seals, and glazing. Any damage should be promptly repaired to ensure the door remains compliant with fire regulations.
• Crash Protection: Installing protective guards or bumpers around high-traffic fire doors can help prevent damage from trolleys and beds.

Conclusion

Fire doors are a vital part of hospital fire safety, especially in environments where horizontal evacuation is the preferred method. While hospital porters and other staff play essential roles, their daily activities—combined with staffing shortages and heavy workloads—can unintentionally compromise the integrity of these doors. By raising awareness of the issue and implementing preventive measures—such as automatic door openers, hold-open devices, porter training, and routine inspections—hospitals can ensure their fire doors remain fully functional when needed most, protecting patients, staff, and the building itself.

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