ARCHITECTURAL IRONMONGERY
Safety in Hardware – Saving More Than Just Fingers
» LOUISE FROST DIPGAI FROM DOOR Controls Direct discusses how we can address injury prevention with simple door and window hardware solutions .
50,000 toddlers and children suffer finger injuries each year .
4,000 children are injured falling from windows .
We should be asking how many of these incidents are completely unnecessary .
Considering the simple solutions that are readily available today , I ’ d say the majority of these injuries could be prevented .
The Tip of the Safety Iceberg
An amputation due to a finger trap injury is a traumatic ordeal but damage to or loss of fingertips whilst agonising in the moment , also has a long term impact on dexterity , hand strength , and can result in an on-going impairment .
BAPRAS surgeons have identified the top three risk factors as : 1 . Self-shutting fire safety doors 2 . Car doors 3 . Hinges The correctly identified and applied door hardware can go a long way to assisting on two out of the three hazards , and I ’ m not talking about correctly adjusted door closers to prevent slamming .
Products are available to stop doors from closing fully to prevent finger entrapment but for privacy and noise reduction many doors are required to be kept closed between each operation . A fully closed door is also a crucial component for effective passive fire compartmentation as well as doors fitted with access control to prevent unauthorized access .
There is a quick and easy , fire or security door compliant solution . Finger guards very much do what they say on the tin . These full height protective strips or rollers cover the gap between door and frame whilst allowing doors to close fully . They ’ re available for hinge knuckle and hinge cavity side installation , in different heights , finishes , and materials , and are face-fixing . Simple , isn ’ t it , yet often overlooked .
Saving More Than Just Fingers
ROSPA propose accident prevention measures for window fall injuries to children . The HSE have guidance specific to nursing homes . However , other buildings such as hotels and housing benefit from utilising window locks and window restrictors .
Falls from height through windows can be drastically reduced , and not simply through raised awareness of hazards or increased supervision . Hardware from brands such as Jackloc focus on safeguarding a property and its users by restricting window opening and providing a locking mechanism without restricting light or ventilation .
Unlike finger trap injuries that lead to disablement or disfigurement , falls from height are considerably more serious . Fatal . Whether a permanently fixed unit , a key-locking model , or twist-to-lock restrictor , windows can readily be secured in commercial and domestic environments .
What Can I Do ? Architectural ironmongery is just one step on the journey to door and window safety :
• Have an awareness of potential hazards . Establish the risks within your facility or sites you visit . Understand the threats , then you can begin to solve them . You ’ ll also need to be aware of the different ways that you can prevent the different injuries from occurring .
• Design in safety from day 1 – not only fire safety but other aspects of physical safety . Limit the possibility of injury rather than treating it after the event .
• Whether it ’ s the environmental or cost case for refurbishment over new build , change of use projects need be safe in use too . Retrofitting safety and security products to doors and windows is straightforward . Heritage building ? No problem . Manufacturers are producing increasingly discreet hardware , in a range of finishes .
• Repair and maintenance . Once installed , hardware should be regularly inspected , maintained , repaired when needed , and replaced when they no longer function correctly .
• Responsibility and accountability . Don ’ t assume someone else will do it . If you ’ re not the responsible person with a legal obligation for safety within a building , report a hazard to someone who is , someone who can rectify it .
Conclusion
Don ’ t treat the symptom , treat the cause . Understanding what causes these 50,000 + finger and hand injuries , and 4,000 + annual falls from height in children allows us to prevent them from happening . Whether this is through the effective design of a space or retrofitting safety products to an existing building , prevention is better than a cure .
And it ’ s not a one off . Inspect , repair , and replace these products regularly . Whether you ’ re directly accountable or not , we have a moral responsibility when noticing an issue that could seriously impact someone ’ s mobility or even their life , to flag it to the responsible person .
www . doorcontrolsdirect . co . uk
JULY 2024
35
Issue Takeover locksmithjournal . co . uk