Life Safety Essentials: Coverings and Decorations Applied to Fire Doors

Learning Objective: To review the standard for materials on fire doors.
 
By Robert Trotter, CBO, CFM, MCP - Manager, Sr. Life Safety Specialist

The Joint Commission’s 2011 Hospital Accreditation Standard for Life Safety LS.02.01.10 Element of Performance 7 states “Doors requiring a fire rating of 3/4 hour or longer are free of coverings, decorations, or other objects applied to the door face, with the exception of informational signs”. (For full text and any exceptions, refer to: NFPA 80-1999: 1-3.5) According to NFPA 80 Standard for Fire Doors and Fire Windows informational signs are permitted to be installed on the surface of fire doors but the total of area of all attached signs are not to exceed 5 percent of the area of the face of the fire door to which they are attached. Signs must be attached to fire doors using adhesive, mechanical attachments such as screws or nails are not permitted. Signs are not to be installed on glazing material in fire doors. Signs should not be installed on the surface of fire doors so as to impair or otherwise interfere with the proper operation of the fire door.