Steel Fire Exit Doors
- Panic bars, push pads and emergency escape hardware
- Single and double steel doorsets made to measure
- Suitable for new installations and replacement fire exits
- Fire-rated doorsets available separately where required
Steel Fire Exit Doors for Safe Emergency Egress
Maxium supplies made-to-measure steel fire exit doors for commercial, industrial and public buildings throughout the UK. Designed to provide fast and straightforward escape during an emergency, our doors can be fitted with panic bars, push pads and other suitable emergency-exit hardware.
Available as single or double doorsets, each steel fire exit door is manufactured to suit the structural opening, expected level of use and required access arrangements. Options include external access, security locking, vision panels, accessible thresholds and durable powder-coated finishes.
These doors are suitable for new developments and the replacement of damaged, outdated or unreliable emergency exits in locations such as warehouses, factories, schools, offices, retail premises and public buildings.
A standard fire exit door is designed to provide emergency egress and does not necessarily require certified fire resistance. Where the project specification requires the doorset to resist fire for a stated period, Maxium can instead supply a separately tested and certified fire-rated doorset.
BS EN 1125 & BS EN 179
BS EN 1125
Public or unfamiliar occupants
- Panic exit device
- Public Areas
- Occupants maybe unfamiliar with escape route
- Operated by a horizontal bar
BS EN 179
staff or familiar occupants
- Emergency exit device
- Controlled work spaces
- Occupants are familiar with the escape route
- Operated by a lever handle or push pad
Select escape hardware according to the expected users and building use
Replacement Fire Exit Doors
Damaged, corroded or unreliable fire exit doors can make an emergency escape route difficult to use and leave a building vulnerable to unauthorised access. Maxium supplies made-to-measure replacement steel fire exit doors for commercial, industrial and public buildings.
Each replacement doorset can be manufactured around the existing structural opening and configured for the way the exit is used. This includes selecting appropriate panic hardware, external access, thresholds, locking and finishes.
A replacement may be required where the existing door has:
- Corrosion or damage to the door leaf or frame
- Faulty panic bars, push pads or escape hardware
- Misalignment that prevents reliable opening or closing
- Damaged hinges, seals, thresholds or locking points
- Poor weather resistance around an external exit
- Outdated hardware that no longer suits the building
- Repeated maintenance problems or unauthorised access
Replacement steel fire exit doors are suitable for warehouses, factories, schools, retail premises, offices, leisure facilities and other buildings requiring dependable emergency egress.
Maxium can provide supply-only or installation options, depending on the project and location. Photographs, approximate dimensions and details of the existing escape hardware will help us identify a suitable replacement.
Panic Bars and Emergency Exit Hardware
- Single-point emergency escape push pads
- Single or multi-point panic bars
- Hardware for single and double fire exit doors
- External key access where authorised entry is required
- Outside access devices and compatible locking
- Door closers and controlled-closing equipment
- Hold-open or monitoring options where appropriate
External Steel Fire Exit Doors for Commercial Buildings
Maxium’s steel fire exit doors are suitable for external escape routes in commercial, industrial and public buildings. Their robust construction provides dependable emergency egress while helping protect less-visible entrances against weather, frequent use and unauthorised access.
Common applications include:
- Warehouses and distribution centres
- Factories and manufacturing facilities
- Retail units and shopping premises
- Schools, colleges and public buildings
- Offices and commercial developments
- Leisure centres and entertainment venues
- Plant rooms, service areas and rear exits
Doors can be manufactured as single or double configurations and finished in a choice of powder-coated colours. Weather seals, accessible threshold options, vision panels and external access hardware can also be specified around the location and intended use.
Where the exit also needs to provide authorised entry, an external access device can be incorporated without compromising straightforward escape from inside the building.
Each doorset should be selected around the structural opening, expected users, external conditions and the requirements established by the building’s fire-risk assessment or project specification.
Supply Only or Fully Installed Fire Exit Doors
- Confirmation of dimensions and doorset specification
- Coordination of delivery and site access
- Removal of the existing door where agreed
- Installation of the new door leaf, frame and threshold
- Fitting of panic bars, push pads and external access hardware
- Alignment, operational testing and final adjustments
- Completion checks and project handover
Fire Exit Door Regulations and Compliance
Legal Requirements for Fire Exit Doors
Fire exit doors form part of a building’s means of escape and must be suitable for the building, its occupants and the evacuation strategy identified by the fire risk assessment.
For most non-domestic premises in England and Wales, the principal legislation is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It requires emergency routes and exits to lead as directly as possible to a place of safety and to allow occupants to evacuate as quickly and safely as possible.
Where necessary, emergency doors must open in the direction of escape and be capable of being opened easily and immediately by anyone who may need to use them. Escape routes and exits must also be kept clear and appropriately indicated.
The building’s responsible person must ensure that fire-safety measures, including exit doors and escape hardware, remain in efficient working order and good repair.
Relevant guidance and standards include:
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, particularly Articles 14 and 17
Approved Document B: Fire Safety
BS 9999:2017 – Fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Approved Document B
Door Size, Direction and Accessibility
The position, width and opening direction of a fire exit door should be determined as part of the building’s fire strategy and fire risk assessment. Factors include the number of occupants, the intended escape capacity, the type of premises and whether users are familiar with the building.
Exit doors should normally open in the direction of escape, particularly where they serve larger numbers of people or premises where crowd pressure could develop. Government guidance for small non-domestic premises indicates that doors used by more than 60 people should open outwards unless they can be kept open.
The clear opening width must be sufficient for the number and needs of the people expected to use the exit. Thresholds, opening forces, approaches and external landings should also be considered so that the route can be used by people with reduced mobility.
Relevant guidance includes:
- Approved Document B – means of escape and exit capacity
- Approved Document M – access to and use of buildings
- BS 8300-2:2018 – accessible and inclusive building design
- BS 9999:2017 – fire-safety design and management
Panic Bars, Push Pads and Escape Hardware
Fire exit hardware must allow the door to be released from inside without requiring a key, access code or specialist knowledge. The correct hardware depends primarily on whether occupants are familiar with the building and whether panic conditions could develop.
BS EN 1125:2008 applies to panic exit devices operated by a horizontal push bar or touch bar. These are generally used in public buildings and other premises where occupants may be unfamiliar with the exits or where crowd pressure could occur.
BS EN 179:2008 applies to emergency exit devices operated by a lever handle or push pad. These are normally suited to workplaces and other controlled environments where occupants are familiar with the escape routes and have been instructed in their use.
Where electrically controlled locking or access-control equipment is incorporated, the complete exit system should be designed to release safely under the required emergency conditions. BS EN 13637:2015 covers electrically controlled exit systems used on escape routes.
Relevant standards include:
BS EN 1125:2008 – panic exit devices operated by a horizontal bar
BS EN 179:2008 – emergency exit devices operated by a lever handle or push pad
BS EN 13637:2015 – electrically controlled exit systems
Panic Bars, Push Pads and Escape Hardware
A steel fire exit should be specified and manufactured as a complete doorset, with compatible leaves, frame, hinges, locking points, threshold and escape hardware. Its performance should be appropriate for its location, expected level of use, environmental exposure and security requirements.
BS EN 14351-1:2006+A2:2016 is the product standard covering performance characteristics for windows and external pedestrian doorsets. Depending on the project, relevant declared characteristics may include resistance to wind loading, watertightness, operating forces, impact resistance and thermal performance.
A standard final-exit doorset is not necessarily fire-rated. Where the door forms part of fire or smoke compartmentation, a separately tested and appropriately classified fire-resisting or smoke-control doorset must be specified.
BS EN 16034:2014 covers fire-resisting and smoke-control characteristics for pedestrian doorsets and other door products. The required rating and classification must be established by the building design, fire strategy or fire risk assessment.
Relevant standards include:
BS EN 14351-1:2006+A2:2016 – external pedestrian doorsets
BS EN 16034:2014 – fire-resisting and smoke-control doorsets
BS EN 13501-2 – fire-resistance classification
Installation and Commissioning
Correct installation is essential to the reliable operation of a fire exit doorset. The frame must be securely fixed and correctly aligned, with the door leaf, hinges, locking points and escape hardware adjusted so that the door releases immediately and opens freely throughout its intended travel.
The installer should ensure that:
- The doorset is installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions
- Panic or emergency hardware is compatible with the doorset
- The door can be opened from inside without a key or code
- External access devices do not prevent immediate escape
- The leaf does not bind against the frame, threshold or floor
- Double doors release and operate in the intended sequence
- The threshold and external landing do not create an avoidable hazard
- The door opens onto a clear route leading to a place of safety
- All operating and safety checks are completed before handover
Where fire resistance is required, alterations, substitute components or unapproved installation details may invalidate the tested performance of the complete doorset.
There is not one universal British Standard covering the installation of every non-fire-rated steel exit door. Installation should follow the doorset manufacturer’s instructions, the project specification, Approved Document B and the applicable hardware standards.
Inspection and Ongoing Maintenance
Fire exit doors and their operating hardware must be maintained in efficient working order and good repair. The appropriate inspection frequency should reflect the building’s fire risk assessment, level of use, environment and the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions.
Routine checks should confirm that:
- The door and escape route are unobstructed
- The exit is unlocked whenever the premises are occupied
- The panic bar, push pad or lever releases the door immediately
- Hinges, fixings, latches and locking points remain secure
- The leaf opens freely without dragging or binding
- The door and frame remain correctly aligned
- Double-door coordinators and vertical bolts operate correctly
- External access hardware does not interfere with emergency egress
- There is no significant corrosion, impact damage or deterioration
- Signs and emergency lighting remain present and visible
- The area outside the final exit remains clear
- Any door closer required by the fire strategy operates correctly
Faults affecting safe escape should be addressed promptly by a competent person. Inspection, testing, maintenance and repairs should be recorded within the premises’ fire-safety logbook.
Government guidance for small non-domestic premises recommends checking daily that exit doors are unlocked, readily openable and unobstructed. More detailed functional inspections should be arranged at suitable intervals determined by risk, usage and manufacturer guidance.
Relevant requirements include:
Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
BS 9999:2017 – ongoing fire-safety management
Manufacturer maintenance instructions
BS EN 1125 or BS EN 179, as applicable to the fitted hardware
Fire Exit Signs and Emergency Lighting
Fire exit routes and final exits should be clearly identified where occupants may not otherwise be able to locate them quickly. Signs should be positioned consistently along the route and remain visible from relevant approach directions.
BS 5499-4:2013 provides recommendations for escape-route signing using signs conforming to BS EN ISO 7010. Emergency lighting should illuminate escape routes, changes of direction, safety equipment and final exits if normal lighting fails.
Relevant standards include:
- BS 5499-4:2013 – escape-route signing
- BS EN ISO 7010 – registered safety signs
- BS 5266-1:2025 – emergency lighting of premises