A thorough grounding in the legislation that creates the demand for qualified fire door inspectors — and the duties your clients are legally required to fulfil.

• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — Article 17 maintenance duty
• Who is the Responsible Person?
• Fire Safety Act 2021 — flat entrance doors and external walls
• Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 — quarterly and annual checks
• Record-keeping obligations
• Building Safety Act 2022 and the SKEB competence framework

How fire door requirements are set at design and construction stage, and what documentation should exist in any building you inspect.

• Building Regulations 2010 — structure and purpose
• Approved Document B (ADB) Volumes 1 and 2
• Fire door requirements by location and building type
• New builds vs existing buildings — different standards apply
• Regulation 38 — fire safety information handover
• What documentation should exist and what to do when it doesn't

Understand the difference between the legacy British standard and the current European standard, and how to find and interpret certification evidence on site.

• BS 476-22:1987 — the legacy standard for existing stock
• BS EN 1634-1:2014+A1:2018 — the current standard
• How fire door assemblies are tested
• Third-party certification schemes (BWF-Certifire, BM TRADA Q-Mark)
• CE marking vs UKCA marking — what each means for inspectors
• Declaration of Performance and where to find it

A component-by-component breakdown of the fire door assembly — what every element does and what happens to fire performance when it fails or is substituted.

• Door leaf construction and core specification
• Frame, rebate and threshold requirements
• Intumescent strips — how they work and what can go wrong
• Smoke seals — types, function and placement
• Hinges — minimum quantity, specification and rating
• Self-closing devices, hold-open devices and EM releases
• Fire-rated glazing, ironmongery and signage

Learn to read and apply manufacturer data sheets, understand the scope of test, and handle missing or illegible certification labels correctly.

• The scope of test — what it covers and why deviations matter
• Extended Field of Application (EFoA) rules
• Reading and applying manufacturer data sheets
• Door leaf label locations and what a compliant label contains
• How to handle absent or illegible labels professionally

The structured six-step inspection process that ensures every inspection is thorough, consistent and defensible — from pre-inspection preparation to the closer test.

• Pre-inspection preparation and documentation review
• A systematic 6-step inspection approach
• Inspecting the door leaf — both faces and all four edges
• Gap measurement — tools, technique and tolerances (3mm standard)
• Hardware inspection and the self-closing device test
• Seals, glazing and why you must always inspect both sides

Apply a four-tier defect classification system, understand what can be repaired vs what requires replacement, and know your professional duty when risk is immediate.

• Four-tier classification: Critical, Major, Minor, Observation
• Critical defects — examples and immediate notification duty
• Major and minor defects by component category
• What repairs are acceptable without voiding certification
• When a door must be replaced rather than repaired
• Knowing and staying within your professional limits

Produce inspection records and reports that satisfy legal requirements, protect your professional reputation, and communicate clearly to a non-specialist audience.

• What must be recorded for every door inspected
• Legal record-keeping requirements under the FSO and FS(E) Regs 2022
• Photographic evidence best practice
• Inspection report structure — six sections
• Writing effectively for the Responsible Person
• Prioritising recommendations: Immediate / 30 days / Routine