Normally closed
Fire door keep shut
For fire doors that should be kept closed when not in use, such as many corridor, stair and lobby doors that people pass through.
Door Guide · England
Fire Door Keep Shut and Keep Locked Signs
The blue mandatory signs on fire doors tell people how a particular door is meant to be used: kept shut, kept locked, or kept clear so an automatic device can release it. Different doors need different signs, some doors are not expected to carry one, and a sign is not proof that the door itself works. This guide explains the wording by context and how signage fits into fire door remedial work.
The Three Wordings And When Each Applies
Approved Document B Volume 2 (Appendix C, paragraphs C11–C12) and the equivalent paragraphs in Volume 1 describe three markings for fire doorsets, chosen by how the door is used:
Normally locked
Fire door keep locked shut
For fire doors that should be kept locked when not in use, for example some cupboards, stores, risers and service ducts.
Held open
Automatic fire door keep clear
For fire doors held open by an automatic release mechanism or free-swing device, so nothing obstructs the door when it is released to close.
Not Every Fire Door Is Treated The Same
The guidance generally expects marking on both sides of a fire doorset, but only on the outside for cupboards and service ducts. It also lists doorsets it does not expect to be marked, including doors to and within flats and dwellinghouses, bedroom doors in some residential premises and lift entrance or landing doors.
Those are building-design guidance points. In an existing building, the fire strategy, the fire risk assessment and the building's specific circumstances control which sign each door needs. Where they say something different, follow your assessment and ask your assessor if in doubt.
Choosing The Wrong Sign Causes Problems
- A 'keep shut' sign on a door actually held open on a device sends a mixed message
- A 'keep locked shut' sign on a door people need to pass through invites wedging or misuse
- An 'automatic' sign on a door whose hold-open device has been removed is misleading
- Signs left behind after a door's use changed no longer match the fire strategy
Missing, Damaged Or Painted-Over Signs
Signs can be peeled off, defaced, painted over during redecoration or lost when a door is replaced. A sign that cannot be read should be replaced with the correct wording for that door's use. When signs are fixed mechanically, use a method that does not leave unsupported holes in the door.
A Sign Is Not A Door Repair
Replacing a sign deals with signage only. It does not fix a door that does not close or latch, a disconnected closer, a hold-open device that fails to release, a lock that blocks escape, damaged seals or gaps, or missing certification and traceability information. Those are separate defects with separate remedies, covered by the guides linked below.
On remedial projects we include signage where it is in the scope — for example re-signing a replacement door — and record it with the other works on that door.
Illustrative Example
Illustrative only: an action list notes three doors with missing signs. On site, one is a store that should carry 'Fire door keep locked shut', one is a corridor door that also fails to latch, and one is a lobby door on a hold-open device that does not release when tested by the alarm contractor. The quotation separates the sign replacements from the latch repair and refers the hold-open fault for the door and alarm sides to be dealt with together.
Sources
GOV.UK: Fire safety: Approved Document B (publication page) — accessed 9 October 2026.
Approved Document B Volume 1 (current online PDF) and Volume 2 (current online PDF) — Appendix C, paragraphs C11–C12, accessed 9 October 2026. Applies in England.
HSE L64: Safety signs and signals. The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996. Guidance on Regulations — accessed 9 October 2026.
Related Pages
The door defects a sign cannot fix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fix The Door, Not Just The Sign
Send your action list or photographs of the doors. We will separate signage from closing, locking or hold-open defects and price the works door by door.