Fire Protection Maintenance Duties —
what, how often, by whom?

This table is the core of the article — listing every structural fire-protection element with duty, interval, legal basis and required qualification. Save it, print it, hand it out — the table covers 95 % of the questions.

Doors are the most common position — and by some margin the most common source of defects in fire-safety audits. Annual maintenance is mandatory, as is the qualified knowledge of the inspector.

• What's checked: closing behaviour, seals, hardware, frame, glazing and approval label
• Who may inspect: specialist firm with qualified knowledge per DIN 14677
• Documentation: inspection protocol with defect levels A / B / C, entry in the inspection log
• When in doubt: a service contract — automatic scheduling removes the burden of monitoring

Gates are more complex than doors — drive, control, safety devices. In high-frequency operations (logistics) shorter intervals than annually are often necessary.

• What's checked: closing behaviour, drive, control, safety devices and seals
• Interval: annually, more often in high-frequency use
• Who may inspect: specialist firm with manufacturer qualification

Hold-open devices are a special case: two mandatory layers. Monthly the operator checks function (press the smoke-test button, the door must close); annually the qualified inspector comes.

• Monthly function check by trained operator (smoke test button)
• Annual qualified inspection by a specialist firm
• Smoke detector replacement every 5–8 years — depending on the manufacturer date
• Entry in the inspection log both monthly and annually

Penetration seals — cable, pipe, combination — have no explicit annual maintenance duty but must be checked regularly by visual inspection. By far the most common defect at fire-safety audits is a subsequently violated seal — a cable pulled through, the hole never properly resealed.

• No explicit annual maintenance duty, but visual inspection is mandatory
• Most common defect: subsequently violated seals (cables pulled through later)
• Recommendation: include the annual visual check together with the door maintenance

Fire-protection cladding for steel beams and ventilation ducts, enclosures for server rooms or machinery — visual check for damage suffices here. Important: always inspect after refurbishments or retrofits, because interventions often cause creeping damage.

The maintenance duty arises not from a single rule, but from several sources that together paint a clear picture:

• DIN 31051 — principles of maintenance
• DIN 14677 — qualified inspection of fire- / smoke-resisting closures
• Workplace Safety Ordinance (BetrSichV)
• ASR A1.7 — workplace technical rules
• Cable Installation Directive (MLAR), in NRW LAR — penetration seals
• State building codes — operator duties
• Manufacturer specifications — condition for keeping the approval

The maintenance duty falls on the operator personally — under state building code and criminal law. Who that is depends on the constellation: owner, manager, management; in some cases also tenant or lessee (depending on contract).

On consequences of neglect: no scaremongering, but the reality is clear. Insurers refuse to pay in case of a claim if maintenance evidence is missing. Building-authority orders up to use prohibition are possible. On personal injury, criminal relevance is on the table.

• Owner (transferable on letting — check the contract!)
• Tenant / lessee (depending on contract design)
• Management (personal liability possible)
• Not the maintenance contractor for missed dates — unless explicitly agreed in the service contract

Complete documentation is part of the maintenance duty — not reconstructable after the fact, but kept continuously in the inspection log. The effort is manageable; the benefit in case of dispute is enormous.

• Inspection protocols per position
• Inspection log or file for the entire property
• Photos before / during / after repairs
• Defect lists with remediation evidence
• Approval evidence and conformity declarations
• Retention over the entire useful life of the component

The fire-safety audit is official, controlling and can issue orders. The fire brigade checks samples but explicitly demands inspection protocols as evidence. Anyone who cannot produce maintenance documentation has a problem — even if the doors are technically fine.

• Fire brigade checks samples
• Inspection protocols are demanded — must be presented
• On defects: deadlines for remediation, possibly follow-up inspection
• On imminent danger: immediate use prohibition possible

The most reliable way to fulfil all maintenance duties is a service contract. Automatic scheduling, predictable cost, one contact for all maintenance — and the certainty that no date slips through.

• Automatic scheduling — no forgetting
• Predictable cost per door / gate / device per year
• Legally defensible documentation
• One contact for doors, gates, hold-open devices, penetration seals
• Repair priority outside the maintenance cycle

Four sentences we hear regularly in initial conversations — and why they don't hold.

• "We did fire protection at construction." — One-off doesn't suffice. Regular inspection is mandatory regardless of installation date.
• "Our caretaker handles it." — Only with documented training per DIN 14677. No qualified knowledge, no valid maintenance.
• "We've never had problems." — Liability exists regardless of incidents. In a claim event, complete evidence counts, not a clean track record.
• "Our insurer knows about it." — Insurance cover requires evidence. Without inspection protocols, the insurer will refuse to pay.