Fire Door Hardware

Everything you need to make a door legally compliant as a fire door — BS EN 1154 certified door closers, BS EN 1125 panic hardware, BS EN 179 emergency exit hardware, intumescent strips, and electromagnetic hold-open devices from dormakaba, Groom, Axim, Exidor, Adams Rite, Pyroplex, and Lorient.

Under UK fire safety legislation, every fire door on an escape route or fire compartment boundary must be fitted with a self-closing device that will reliably close and latch the door from any open position. The hardware on that door must be CE marked and independently tested — fitting uncertified hardware to a fire door is a compliance failure and a potential liability.

What hardware does a fire door need?

• Door closer — CE marked, tested to BS EN 1154. Must close and latch the door reliably from any open position. CERTIFIRE approval (e.g. dormakaba CF119, CF127) provides additional UK third-party certification.
• Intumescent strips — fitted around the door leaf or frame to seal the gap against fire and smoke when heat is applied. FD30 doors require 30 minute rated strips; FD60 doors require 60 minute rated strips.
• Panic or emergency exit hardware — on escape route doors accessible to the general public, BS EN 1125 certified panic hardware is required — a single push of the crossbar releases the door. On staff-only escape route doors where all users are familiar with the door, BS EN 179 emergency exit hardware (lever handle or push pad) is acceptable.
• No mechanical hold-open — fire doors must never be propped open with a mechanical device. Where a fire door must be held open, an electromagnetic hold-open connected to the fire alarm system is required — the door closes automatically when the alarm activates.
• Door selector (double doors) — on double fire doors, a door selector is required to ensure the inactive leaf closes before the active leaf, allowing correct latch engagement.

BS EN 1125 vs BS EN 179 — Which Standard Do You Need?

BS EN 1125 (panic exit hardware) — required on escape route doors accessible to the general public or where occupants may be unfamiliar with the building. A single push of the crossbar must release the door with no other operation required.

BS EN 179 (emergency exit hardware) — acceptable on staff-only escape route doors where all users can be expected to be familiar with the door. Typically a lever handle or push pad rather than a full crossbar. If in doubt, specify BS EN 1125 — it is always acceptable where BS EN 179 would be; the reverse is not true.

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