Did you know that closing your fire door at night could be the difference between life and death?
The Fire Door Safety Week 2019 campaign focuses on the critical role of fire doors for keeping people safe in sleeping accommodation. This could be anything from HMO’s (House in Multiple Occupancy), care homes and hotels. Whilst you are asleep you are vulnerable to potential dangers, such as a fire.
By closing your bedroom door in these types of residence you are increasing your chances of survival. Here are a few of the benefits behind the closed door:
- Lower temperature
- Less smoke
- Prevented damage
- More oxygen
Can a closed-door really make that much difference?
Fire doors are specifically designed to trap a fire for up to 60 minutes. This gives enough time for people to evacuate the building and for the fire service to extinguish the flames before it takes over the whole building.
If you are asleep, you are going to be less reactive to a fire breaking out. If your bedroom door is left open, you are giving fire the opportunity to enter the room before you even realise it’s there. If your bedroom door is closed, fire will be kept out of the room, meaning the fire service can be called and they can help you evacuate the building safely and unharmed.
This image is an example of how much difference a closed bedroom door can make. On one side you can see the hallway which has been turned into ashes from the fire. The other side shows the bedroom which looks untouched. By keeping that door closed, the fire was not able to affect that room.
There are many reasons why people choose to keep their door open at night. However, it is much safer for yourself, your family and your property to close them.
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