What's New?
BS 8214:2026

  FREE COURSE

  • Learning Style

    Self-directed, distance learning

  • Time Limit

    No time limit

  • CPD Hours

    Approx. 1 hour

  • Academic Level

    No prerequisites

Call us on 0161 399 0702 

BRITISH STANDARD UPDATE

What's new?
BS 8214:2026

  FREE

  • Learning Style

    Self-directed, distance learning

  • Time Limit

    No time limit

  • CPD Hours

    Approx. 1 hour

  • Academic Level

    No prerequisites

With major changes to scope, responsibility and evidence, the updated BS 8214 marks a step change in fire door guidance. This course gives you a clear and practical overview of what you need to know.

gareth underhill bsc eng tech mifiree | former fire safety inspector

NATIONAL SAFETY ACADEMY TUTOR
With major changes to scope, responsibility and evidence, the updated BS 8214 marks a step change in fire door guidance. This course gives you a clear and practical overview of what you need to know.

gareth underhill bsc eng tech mifiree | ex-fire safety inspector
NSA TUTOR
MODULE information

Here's what you need to know

Module aims

Stay up to date with the new BS 8214:2026 Fire-resisting and smoke control doors – Practical considerations concerning specification, design and performance in use – Code of practice. This free course provides a concise and practical overview of the key changes introduced in the new standard.

What you will learn:
  • The key changes introduced in the updated version of BS 8214
  • How the scope of the standard has expanded and why that matters
  • The shift towards treating fire doors as complete, coordinated systems
  • The importance of clearly defined roles, responsibilities and competence
  • How the approach has moved from prescriptive guidance to a more flexible model
  • What is meant by nominal and notional fire doors
  • How the standard aligns with current building safety legislation

Who is it for?

This module is for individuals or organisations who are interested in fire doors.

These individuals or organisations might include:
  • Fire risk assessors
  • Fire door inspectors
  • Responsible persons
  • Building safety professionals
  • Training providers 
  • Professional trade associations 
  • Anyone needing to understand changes in fire door standards

How is it delivered?

National Safety Academy qualifications are designed to take you on a learning journey. This course is fully online and self-directed, with instant access to the learning materials.

You can navigate through the course content in your learning portal online.

To support your learning, you'll also have access to:
  • Community forums to learn and share knowledge with your peers.
When the need arises to extend a fire alarm system, several key principles must be followed. Firstly, all new work must comply with the requirements of BS 5839-1:2025, regardless of whether the existing parts of the system were installed to an older standard. Secondly, a competent person with a thorough understanding of fire alarm system design must assume responsibility for the entire extension project.

It's also important to consider the scale of the extension. If the planned addition is substantial, perhaps similar in size to the original system, it might be more practical and economical to consider installing a completely new fire alarm system. This is particularly relevant if the existing system is aging or utilises outdated technology.

For addressable or networked systems, careful attention must be paid to cable compatibility. Using incompatible or older cable types to extend circuits can lead to disruptions in communication or even system failures. If the original cable type is no longer available, it might be necessary to undertake the more significant task of rewiring the entire circuit.

Following any extension, recommissioning of the entire system is essential. This process ensures that the new additions haven't negatively impacted the functionality of the existing system. Key aspects of recommissioning include checking the battery capacity to ensure it can still adequately support the expanded system, verifying signal strength in radio-based systems to guarantee reliable communication, and confirming the cause-and-effect programming to ensure the extended system integrates seamlessly with the existing operational logic.

Finally, a formal "Extensions or Modifications" Certificate must be issued and meticulously kept as part of the system's permanent records.
MODULE contents

Your learning journey