Fire door ratings such as -/60/30 and -/120/30 are Fire Resistance Levels (FRL). It tells you how long the complete doorset, meaning the door, frame, seals and hardware together, keeps fire out of the next space. The three numbers are structural adequacy, integrity and insulation, in minutes.
An FRL is written as three figures separated by slashes: structural adequacy / integrity / insulation. A dash means the criterion does not apply.
So -/60/30 means no structural requirement, 60 minutes of integrity and 30 minutes of insulation. A -/120/30 door holds integrity for 120 minutes with the same 30 minutes of insulation.
The required FRL depends on the building class, where the door sits and the rating of the wall it is installed in. A door generally cannot have a lower rating than the wall around it. The National Construction Code (NCC) sets the requirement, and the approved fire safety schedule or your certifier should confirm it for each opening. The most common fire door ratings you will see on Sydney sites are -/60/30 and -/120/30, but other ratings exist, so do not assume.
Fire door ratings apply to a tested assembly. Swapping the frame, changing the seals, cutting in a vision panel or fitting different hardware can invalidate it unless the change is covered by the test evidence. The standard that governs construction and testing is covered in our guide to AS 1905.1 fire doors.
A door can carry the right FRL and still fail an inspection because of excessive gaps, missing seals or a closer that does not latch the door. Gap limits are covered in our gap tolerances guide. Smoke control is a separate performance requirement from fire resistance.
Entry doors to apartments and other sole-occupancy units in many multi-storey residential buildings are commonly required to be -/60/30. Doors in walls with a higher fire resistance, such as some fire walls or service shafts, may need -/120/30 or another rating. These are general examples only. The rating for each opening is set by the building’s approved design, so always confirm it against the fire safety schedule rather than relying on the door type or location.
During routine inspections and testing, a fire door is checked against the rating it is supposed to carry. A door with a missing or unreadable label, or one that no longer matches the documented FRL, is a compliance problem even if it looks sound. Keeping labels visible, avoiding paint over tags, and recording each door’s rating in your logbook makes annual checks faster. Our AS1851 compliance guide explains what building owners must keep and when inspections are due.
If a door is damaged, has been modified or cannot be matched to its documentation, treat it as unverified until a qualified person has assessed it. Repairs should use compatible, certified components so the rated system stays intact.
It means no structural adequacy requirement, 60 minutes of integrity and 30 minutes of insulation.
It resists fire for longer, but it is only the right choice where the opening requires it. Use the rating the NCC and your certifier specify.
Not by adding components yourself. Rating comes from a tested system, so you would need a certified doorset or evidence that covers the change.
The NCC sets the requirement and the building’s certifier or fire engineer confirms it for each opening.
Not sure what fire door ratings your doors carry? Our team can inspect, tag and report on your fire doors across Sydney. Get in touch or see our products and services.
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