Fire doors in healthcare buildings do a harder job than almost anywhere else. NHS fire safety guidance in Health Technical Memorandum 05-02 (Firecode) is built around progressive horizontal evacuation — moving patients through fire-resisting compartment lines rather than out of the building — which makes doorsets clinically critical infrastructure, not just passive protection. HTM 58 addresses internal doorsets in healthcare premises specifically. Doors on bed-flow routes must also survive constant trolley and equipment traffic while remaining within their certified tolerances.
Every doorset we supply into healthcare will carry third-party certification and be specified against the project's fire strategy and the relevant HTM guidance: compartment-line doorsets at the rating the strategy demands, vision panels for observation fitted in the factory within the certified field of application, and ironmongery selected for heavy-duty clinical use — including hold-open devices to BS EN 1155 where the fire strategy permits them on circulation routes. Where wards, consulting rooms and mental health environments need acoustic privacy alongside fire performance, we will offer acoustic-rated variants with the Rw performance stated on the doorset specification.
We also recognise that healthcare estates rarely close. Our installation approach will be planned around live environments: phased working agreed with estates and infection-control teams, protection and containment during works, and completed openings handed back with certificate references and documentation ready for the estate's fire door records.
What this sector needs from a doorset partner
- Compartment-line doorsets specified to support progressive horizontal evacuation strategies
- Combined fire and acoustic performance for wards, consulting rooms and mental health settings
- Heavy-duty doorsets and ironmongery for bed-flow and trolley routes, with protection plates within the certified scope
- Factory-fitted vision panels for patient observation within the certified field of application
- Hold-open devices to BS EN 1155 on circulation routes where the fire strategy permits
- Installation phased around live clinical environments, agreed with estates and infection-control teams
Standards & guidance we work to
- HTM 05-02 (Firecode: fire safety in the design of healthcare premises)
- HTM 58 (internal doorsets in healthcare premises)
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- BS 8214 (installation code of practice)
- BS EN 1634-1 / BS 476-22 (fire resistance testing)
- BS EN 1155 (hold-open devices) and BS EN 1154 (door closers)
Frequently asked questions
Why do hospital fire doors matter more than in most buildings?
Because healthcare fire strategies under HTM 05-02 rely on progressive horizontal evacuation: patients who cannot leave the building quickly are moved through fire-resisting compartment lines instead. The doorsets on those lines are what make that strategy work, so their certified performance, self-closing operation and condition are directly linked to patient safety — while also enduring some of the heaviest traffic of any building type.
Can you combine acoustic performance with fire ratings?
Yes. We will offer acoustic-rated variants of our certified doorsets where healthcare specifications require privacy and noise control alongside fire resistance — the Rw acoustic performance will be stated on each doorset's specification. Both properties come from the same tested design, so the fire certification remains valid with the acoustic construction; we will confirm the achievable combination against manufacturer certification data at enquiry.