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RECENT EVENTS including the tragedy at Grenfell Tower have brought focus to Building Regulations in the UK. The recent interim report on Building Regulations and Fire Safety by Dame Judith Hackitt has questioned whether existing regulations are fit for purpose.
The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers( GAI) submitted 12 recommendations to the Hackitt Review, one of which called for an overhaul of the Approved Document B on Fire Safety as it is currently seen as an overly complicated document.
Approved Documents are intended to give practical guidance about how to comply with Building Regulations. A Building Regulation is described as a‘ requirement’ whereas Approved Documents provide‘ guidance’ on how to comply.
Part B – fire safety, Part M – access to and use of buildings and Part Q – security, are the Approved Documents for England and Wales that are relevant to the hardware and security industry.
APPROVED DOCUMENT B: FIRE SAFETY
Approved Document B is split into two volumes; Volume 1 Dwelling houses and Volume 2 Buildings other than dwelling houses.
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Volume 1 includes multiple occupancy and sheltered housing. There is limited detail on hardware but it does include information on fire resistant construction, compartmentation and fire doors.
Volume 2 mentions a number of hardware items including the following:
HINGES
Rising butt hinges are not acceptable to use on a fire door.
SELF- CLOSING DEVICES ON FIRE DOORS
Self-closing devices must be capable of closing the door from any angle and against any latch fitted to the door.
DOOR CLOSING DEVICES
The residential care homes section cites free swing door closers on bedrooms and hold-open devices on circulation spaces as being acceptable.
LOCKING MECHANISMS
Where a door on an escape route has to be secured against entry when the building or part of the building is occupied, the door should only be fitted with a lock or fastening which is readily operated without a key from the side approached by people making their escape.
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ELECTRICALLY POWERED LOCKS
Electrically powered locks should return to the locked position on operation of the fire alarm system, on loss of power or system error or on activation of a manual door release unit( Type A) to BS EN 54-11:2001.
PANIC DEVICES
In places where people assemble, shops and commercial buildings, the doors on the escape routes from rooms with an occupant capacity of more than 60 should not be fitted with lock, latch or bolt fastenings; alternatively they must be fitted with panic fastenings in accordance with BS EN 1125:1997.
APPROVED DOCUMENT M: ACCESS TO AND USE OF BUILDINGS
Approved Document M covers the issue of accessibility with a number of
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references to hardware and security:
• Lever handles can be operated with one hand using a closed fist. They must be fitted between 900mm and 1100 mm above floor level.
• On entrances, handles and rails must be warm to touch.
• Visual contrast is important for almost all items from handles to switches, doors and frames to walls.
• Powered entrance doors are required on self-closing doors when it is not possible for a person to open the door from the closed position with a force of less than 30N.
• Reference is frequently made to BS 8300, the Code of Practice which looks specifically at accessibility and which was revised in February 2017.
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