Fire door assemblies must be inspected and tested not less than annually and any field modification not approved will become subject to review, according to the 2007 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 80 Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, Chapter 5 Care and Maintenance Paragraph 5.2.1.
According to recent numbers, there are approximately 100 million fire-rated doors in commercial, high-rise residential and institutional buildings in the United States .
Fire-rated doors and frames are components of the overall fire-rated door assembly. Any modifications to the fire-rated door assembly must be compliant to NFPA 80. All of the add-ons including locks, hinges, viewers, kick plates, etc. must be fire-rated or compliant to NFPA 80 in order to be installed onto the door assembly.
A door that has been modified without proper codes and standards compliance can result in the removal of the label, requiring at minimum the door be replaced.
The Warnock Hersey (WH) Mark, owned by Intertek, is the predominant inspection and authorization mark on fire rated doors throughout North America . Intertek is an accredited and approved testing and listing agency.
Due to the demand for retrofit electrified hardware and the annual fire door inspection regulation, Intertek has instituted their Perfect Raceway Program, which authorizes locksmiths to drill raceways in fire-rated doors in place at the facility without altering/voiding the fire resistance rating. The Perfect Raceway Program trains locksmiths to do field installations of a 3/8” diameter raceway in fire-rated doors.
Once the raceway has been drilled, the locksmith/certified installer applies a label to the door assembly validating the door is compliant, having been properly drilled. This self-regulated capability provides the building owner a cost-effective alternative to time consuming field investigations.
Locksmiths completing the Perfect Raceway Program become Certified Installers through Intertek Testing Services NA, Inc. Completion of this program means the locksmith can drill raceways and apply a label that identifies the drilled raceway as being installed by a Certified Installer under an Approved label and audit program. Electrified hardware may then be installed by the locksmith in compliance with NFPA codes and installation standards. Certified locksmiths are able to provide their customers with legal, same day services.
As an additional benefit, the Perfect Raceway Program lists a certified installers on Intertek's on-line SpecDirect web site, accessed by Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) and potential customers looking for certified installers.
For more information on Intertek's Perfect Raceway Program, visit www.whmark.com/raceway
