PROUD SPONSORS OF THIS PAGE
INDUSTRYNEWS • 19
KEEPING FIRE DOORS OPEN – FINALLY A SOLUTION THAT MAKES SENSE …
As thousands of new students prepared to begin university life in Sheffield , South Yorkshire Fire Service was on hand with some valuable and – potentially life saving – advice .
»»
WITH ROOMS IN THE HALLS OF Residence blocks teeming with new faces , there would be a temptation for students to wedge open fire doors to help them meet everyone and make new friends , but at Student Fire Week - held between October 23rd and 29th - the region ’ s fire service was there to remind students that those very doors could only work properly if kept shut …
Amy Jenkinson , business fire safety manager , said , “ Fire doors are a crucial part of the passive fire protection of every commercial , public and multiple occupancy building . They save lives and property and should never be propped open . They are designed to stop a fire spreading as fast .”
This life-saving design only works of course if the door is shut and sealed in its frame when a fire takes hold . The problem with fire doors , as we are all aware , is that in many cases they are placed in parts of a building that become traffic routes . A typical door closer will attempt to shut the fire door as soon as it is opened , making transporting goods , or awkward items , awkward and frustrating .
So the age-old trick , to wedge or prop a fire door open , is almost second nature to many people . In schools , hospitals , and public buildings across the land wedges and chairs are routinely shoved into place to stop a fire door closing – and then not removed , which puts people and property in immediate danger should an alarm sound .
The obvious answer then is to consider using a system that can hold a door open when required , and release the fire door back into the frame when alerted by an alarm . That ’ s fine in theory but in practice there can be may reasons why this is not feasible . Budget is always a factor – the cost of installing a typical hard-wired system can be in four figures – but there can also be issues such as lack of nearby mains wiring , the building may be listed , or nearby walls are not suitable to take the additional fixings .
The answer is to use the DoorSense standalone hold open device along with a UNION door closer . DoorSense is a battery powered door control unit that features a foot operated stop to keep a fire door open , and release it when a fire alarm sounds . As it does not depend on mains wiring to power it , or alarm cabling to activate it , installation can be done in under five minutes . Furthermore , as it has been tested
‘ Compared to a door wedge and the chance of a hefty fine if they found in use during a fire inspection , DoorSense is a much more attractive , and practical proposition ’
to over 50,000 alarm cycles , it can be relied upon to release a fire door when it hears an alarm being sounded . The independent door closer will then shut the fire door into the frame to protect against fire .
Compared to a door wedge and the chance of a hefty fine if they found in use during a fire inspection , DoorSense is a much more attractive , and practical proposition . For students in Sheffield , or any University , DoorSense would allow them to throw their doors open and make new friends , and keep them safe if the unthinkable should happen and a fire breaks out .
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL . CO . UK | MAR / APR 2018 Sponsored by Lockex 2018 - Security & Fire Safety