A fire safety inspection checks whether a building’s passive and active fire protection measures are in place, functional, and properly documented. Inspectors verify that fire compartmentation is intact, that fire-rated doors and closures meet the required classifications, and that all products carry the correct certification. For architects and facility managers, preparation is the key to passing without delay.<\/p>\n
The scope of what gets checked depends on the building type, its use, and the applicable regulations \u2014 including the BBL (Besluit Bouwwerken Leefomgeving, formerly Bouwbesluit) and relevant European standards. The sections below answer the most common questions about what inspectors look for, what documentation must be ready, and who carries responsibility when something falls short.<\/p>\n
Fire safety inspectors assess whether a building’s fire protection measures comply with the regulations that applied at the time of construction or the last renovation, and whether those measures are still functioning as intended. The inspection covers both passive fire protection \u2014 compartmentation, fire-rated doors, penetration seals \u2014 and active systems such as sprinklers and smoke detection.<\/p>\n
In practice, inspectors work through a structured checklist that includes the following areas:<\/p>\n
For industrial buildings in particular, inspectors pay close attention to large openings used for internal transport \u2014 forklift passages, roller door openings, and logistics corridors \u2014 because these are common weak points in fire compartmentation. Fire-rated industrial door solutions<\/a> designed specifically for these openings are increasingly part of what inspectors expect to see in production halls and warehouses.<\/p>\n Contact us<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Fire-rated doors are assessed against the classification specified in the building permit or fire safety plan. Inspectors check whether the installed door matches the required fire resistance class \u2014 for example EI1 60, EI2 60, or EW 60 \u2014 whether it is correctly installed, and whether it continues to function as a fire barrier. A door that cannot close fully, or whose seals are damaged, may fail even if the product itself is correctly certified.<\/p>\n The fire resistance classification system used for doors follows EN 13501-2 and is built around three criteria:<\/p>\n The number following the classification code (for example 60 or 120) indicates the number of minutes of guaranteed performance during a standardised fire test. So EW 60 means the door blocks flames and limits radiant heat transfer for 60 minutes, while EI2-120 means the door blocks flames and limits temperature rise on the unexposed side \u2014 under the less strict insulation criterion \u2014 for 120 minutes.<\/p>\n The assessment of a fire-rated door during an inspection typically covers four areas:<\/p>\n It is worth noting that EI1 and EI2 represent different levels of strictness on the insulation criterion, and EW applies a different baseline criterion entirely \u2014 it is the Dutch standard baseline for industrial door applications. Specifying the wrong class, or failing to distinguish between EI1 and EI2, is one of the most common documentation errors that surfaces during an inspection. The correct classification must be determined through a project-specific fire safety calculation; it cannot be assumed from building type alone. For questions about which classification applies to a specific project, consult a qualified fire safety engineer, the local authority, or Metacon-Next directly.<\/p>\n For fire-rated doors and related products, the minimum documentation that must be available during or ahead of a fire safety inspection includes the CE declaration of performance, the classification report from an accredited testing body, and the installation record confirming the product was installed within its tested scope. In projects subject to sustainability requirements, an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) may also be requested.<\/p>\n Specifically, inspectors and building authorities may ask for:<\/p>\n Architects who specify products at the drawing stage should confirm that all of this documentation is available before the order is placed, not after. Metacon-Next<\/a> publishes certificates, classification reports, and EPDs openly on its website \u2014 a practical advantage when building a specification file that needs to survive permitting and inspection without gaps.<\/p>\n If a fire door fails an inspection, the building owner or responsible party receives a formal notice requiring remediation within a specified period. Depending on the severity of the non-compliance \u2014 a missing certificate versus a door that cannot close \u2014 the inspector may impose conditions on continued use of the space or, in serious cases, require a partial closure of the building until the deficiency is resolved.<\/p>\n The consequences depend on what type of failure is identified:<\/p>\n Liability in these situations typically falls on the party responsible for the specification or installation. For architects, a failed inspection due to an incorrectly specified product is a professional liability issue \u2014 which is why specifying from a manufacturer with complete, verifiable documentation matters from the outset. You can contact Metacon-Next directly<\/a> to verify classification scope before committing to a specification.<\/p>\n The required frequency of fire safety inspections depends on the building type, its use, and the applicable national and local regulations. In the Netherlands, the BBL sets the absolute minimum framework, but sector-specific regulations \u2014 such as PGS15 for hazardous substances storage \u2014 may impose stricter or more frequent inspection requirements. The BBL defines the minimum threshold; a heavier requirement may apply where a project deviates from standard building regulations, where sector-specific regulation such as PGS15 mandates it, or where a client or insurer sets a stricter above-statutory requirement. For most industrial and commercial buildings, an annual inspection of fire-rated doors and compartmentation is considered standard practice.<\/p>\n Beyond mandatory inspections, building owners and facility managers are expected to conduct regular internal checks, particularly for high-traffic openings where fire doors are in daily use. A fire door in a busy logistics corridor experiences significantly more wear than one in a low-traffic corridor, and its maintenance schedule should reflect that. Automatic fire doors with magnetic hold-open devices connected to the fire alarm system require periodic testing to confirm the release mechanism functions correctly under alarm conditions.<\/p>\n The maintenance log mentioned in the documentation section is not only required for inspections \u2014 it is also the building owner’s evidence of due diligence if a fire incident ever leads to a liability investigation.<\/p>\n Contact us<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Responsibility for fire safety compliance is shared across multiple parties, with the distribution depending on the project phase. During design, the architect carries responsibility for specifying products that meet the applicable fire resistance requirements. During construction, the contractor and certified installer are responsible for correct installation. After handover, the building owner or operator carries ongoing responsibility for maintenance, documentation, and compliance with inspection requirements.<\/p>\n In practice, this means:<\/p>\n When a building changes use \u2014 for example, when a warehouse is converted to a production facility, or when a new mezzanine is added \u2014 the fire safety requirements may change, and a new assessment is required. Any change in required classification may be driven by a deviation from standard building regulations, a sector-specific regulation such as PGS15, a client requirement, or an insurer requirement \u2014 not by the BBL changing in isolation. Modifications that affect compartmentation boundaries or opening sizes must be reviewed against the current regulations before work begins. For complex situations, consulting a qualified fire safety engineer or the local authority is strongly recommended.<\/p>\n For architects specifying fire-rated industrial doors across complex projects \u2014 large openings, multiple product types, or buildings subject to sector-specific regulation \u2014 working with a manufacturer that provides full technical transparency from the start reduces the risk of compliance gaps at every stage. Metacon-Next’s product range<\/a> covers fire-rated roller doors, overhead doors, sliding doors, and fire curtains, all CE-certified and tested by Efectis, with classification reports and EPDs available without having to request them separately. Products are supplied and installed exclusively through a network of certified dealers, ensuring that both the product and the installation are fully warranted. To discuss a specific project or request technical documentation, visit the quotation page<\/a> or learn more about Metacon-Next<\/a> and its manufacturing approach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fire safety inspections cover more than you think \u2014 here’s exactly what inspectors check and why documentation matters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":27696,"template":"","categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27370","knowledge-base","type-knowledge-base","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nHow are fire-rated doors assessed during an inspection?<\/h2>\n
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What documentation must be available for fire-rated products?<\/h2>\n
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What happens if a fire door fails an inspection?<\/h2>\n
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How often should fire safety inspections take place?<\/h2>\n
Who is responsible for fire safety compliance in a building?<\/h2>\n
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