FIRE SAFETY
Fire Door Compliance : Ensuring life safety
» TO MARK FIRE DOOR SAFETY WEEK , Pat Jefferies , Commercial Director at Abloy UK , discusses the importance of education around fire door compliance .
When specifying and installing access control systems in public and commercial buildings , there is no greater responsibility than ensuring the correct locking solution is installed on emergency escape and fire doors , as it can mean the difference between life and death for the occupants . However , there is sometimes confusion around who is responsible . With this in mind , what regulations need to be adhered to when specifying fire doors , and what help is available when it comes to education around compliance ?
Fire safety standards
The Regulatory Reform ( Fire Safety ) Order 2005 1 sets out the minimum fire safety standards and requires a ‘ responsible person ’ to oversee fire safety in non-domestic buildings , and in buildings where people are employed .
The responsible person is obliged to carry out regular fire safety duties such as ensuring there is a fire risk assessment in place , and that any action points raised are carried out , and making sure that general fire safety precautions are satisfactory . If the premises have more than five people in employment the fire risk assessment must be recorded in a formal document .
Recent additions to the Fire Safety Order 2 also implemented recommendations made to government in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report , which required a change in the law .
These included providing residents with fire safety instructions and information on the importance of fire doors , and supplying information to Fire and Rescue Services .
British Standards
In addition to the Fire Safety Order , there are several current building regulation standards in place that relate to access control , and it ’ s essential that these are met to ensure safety and security . These include BS EN 179 Emergency Escape ( for when the building occupants are aware of the building environment ), BS EN 1125 Panic Escape ( for environments used by the general public ) and BS EN 13637 Electronically Controlled Escape Systems ( for use on escape routes ).
These standards state that even if a door is electronically controlled for access there must be a compliant mechanical means of escape in an emergency . In the case of fire doors this is essential to provide fire protection , compartmentalise a building and protect the escape routes .
This is also a critical function in a terror situation - offering the ability to shut off certain areas to intruders and allow controlled egress or access to ensure the safety of the public .
Specifying compliant solutions
Abloy offers a range of products that are specifically designed for panic and escape doors . This includes motor and solenoid electric locks , which are the most effective forms of electric locking and adhere to the mandatory fire and escape standards .
Solenoid locks , like the Abloy EL560 work by controlling the handle , and are suitable for internal doors of public buildings , offices , schools or hospitals .
Motorised locks , like the Abloy EL520 work by drawing the bolt back once a proximity card or device is presented . Both locks automatically secure a deadbolt upon closing and can be used with escape mechanisms as appropriate to the environment and application . Abloy UK also have a selection of digital access solutions , to provide flexible , scalable and compliant security , and help control the movement of people in a wide range of building types and applications .
Education for locksmiths
As part of our continuing commitment to setting the standard in emergency and panic escape compliance , we offer free courses at the Abloy Academy ; designed to train installers , security managers , end users and specifiers .
The Foundations course is designed to help delegates understand the minimum legal performance criteria for access control locking applications for fire and escape doors , BS EN 179 , BS EN 1125 and BS EN 13637 to enable attendees to specify only compliant solutions .
For individuals who complete the first course , the Foundation Plus course is an advanced add-on , going one step further in educating delegates on in-depth industry standards and compliance terminology . This provides attendees with the knowledge to specify products that are suitable for both the application and door type .
www . abloy . co . uk
Sources : 1 https :// www . legislation . gov . uk / uksi / 2005 / 1541 / contents / made
2 https :// www . gov . uk / government / publications / fire-safety-england-regulations-2022 / fact-sheet-overview
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SEPTEMBER 2024
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