BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION CODE OF PRACTICE

BS 8214:2016 gives practical guidance on how to design, install, and maintain timber fire door assemblies. The aim of the standard is to make sure fire doors perform properly in a fire, helping to protect life, property, and the environment. It applies only to hinged or pivoted pedestrian timber fire doors. Doorsets made from other materials, such as steel, are covered by BS EN 16034.

​

The standard supports wider fire safety principles set out in BS 9999:2017 for non-residential buildings and BS 9991:2024 for residential buildings, and it links to BS 7974:2019, which deals with fire safety engineering. These references have been updated to reflect the most recent versions of each standard, ensuring consistency with current building regulations and practice.

​

BS 8214 places strong emphasis on testing, certification, and manufacturer guidance.

All timber fire door assemblies should be third-party tested and certified to confirm that they meet fire resistance requirements. Manufacturers are expected to provide full design, installation, and maintenance information, along with details of approved components. This ensures that installers and building managers can maintain the door’s performance over its lifetime.

​

The standard also highlights the importance of competence. Installation, inspection, and maintenance work should be carried out by competent persons, preferably those registered under recognised third-party certification schemes such as BM TRADA Q-Mark or FIRAS. This requirement supports Article 18 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which places a duty on employers and building owners to appoint competent persons for fire safety work.

​

Since 2020, BS 8214 has been applied within the wider legal framework established by the Fire Safety Act 2021, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, and the Building Safety Act 2022. Under Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations, responsible persons in multi-occupied residential buildings must carry out regular fire door inspections -  quarterly checks for communal doors and annual checks for flat entrance doors. BS 8214 provides the technical guidance to help meet these requirements.

​

The Building Safety Act 2022 also introduces the concept of the “Golden Thread” - a digital record of fire safety information. BS 8214 supports this by encouraging clear record-keeping of design, installation, and maintenance details, so that every stage of a fire door’s life can be traced and verified.

​

BS 8214 remains an essential code of practice for architects, designers, building control officers, installers, fire risk assessors, and facilities managers. It helps organisations comply with the Building Regulations 2010 (as amended) and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, ensuring that timber fire doors are safe, reliable, and properly maintained.

​

Full details of BS 8214:2016 are available on the official BSI website.