The Locksmith Journal May/Jun 2018 - Issue 56 | Page 61

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DOORCLOSERS & HINGES • 61

Fire protection & accessibility – building regs pitfalls

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DOUGLAS MASTERSON , TECHNICAL manager at the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers ( GAI ), provides guidance on door closing devices and accessibility requirements …
WHICH TAKES PRECEDENCE – FIRE PROTECTION OR ACCESS REQUIREMENTS ?
The requirements for fire protection and accessibility have equal importance and both must be met to satisfy current UK building regulations and other legislation .
A common misconception is that the various guidance documents to the building regulations have no real status . This mistake leads people to think that these documents can be ignored if the guidance is difficult to achieve or problematic .
While it may be possible to meet the requirements of the building regulations in a different way , you cannot avoid or do less than the requirement . For example , it is a requirement for doors to be easy to open . This could be met by a suitable door closer , able to offer not more than 30 N opening resistance over the first 30 º of door opening and 22.5 N thereafter , as suggested in the guidance documents . Alternatively , it might be met by an electro-magnetic hold open / swing free door closer ; a low energy door operator ; or a fully automated doorset .
Similarly , some think that BS 8300 can be side-lined , because it has ‘ Code of Practice ’ in the title . This is not correct . There are several types of British Standard . Some are ‘ specifications ’ such as the individual door hardware standards which set out test methods and performance requirements .
Those standards which are ‘ Codes of Practice ’ are generally less prescriptive but still important nationally agreed documents . The British Standards Institution ( BSI ) defines them as :
“ Codes of practice recommend sound good practice as currently undertaken by competent and conscientious practitioners .
They are drafted to incorporate a degree of flexibility in application , whilst offering reliable indicative benchmarks . They are commonly used in the construction and civil engineering industries .”
There is flexibility in application but you need to recognise the benchmarks of acceptable practice , and you cannot do it to a lesser standard and expect to have complied .
MUST DOOR CLOSING DEVICES BE DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT ( DDA ) OR EQUALITY ACT COMPLIANT ?
Door closers ( or any other hardware product ) cannot be DDA / Equality Act compliant . However , some types of door hardware might assist a premises owner / manager in achieving Equality Act compliance with regard to the operation of their building .
The DDA worked to protect people with disabilities – including blind and partially sighted people – from discrimination . The DDA now only applies in Northern Ireland . England , Scotland and Wales are now covered by the Equality Act 2010 . Access into and through buildings is a prime requirement of the Equality Act and regional building regulations in UK .
The recommendation for not more than 30 N opening resistance ( 0 º - 30 º) and not more than 22.5 N ( 30 º - 180 º) occurs in :
• Approved Document M ( Both England and Wales )
• Technical Handbook : Non-domestic : Safety ( Scotland )
• Technical Booklet R ( Northern Ireland )
• BS 8300-2 2018
Therefore , the maximum 30 N / 22.5 N opening resistance applies to virtually all doors on new build and refurbishment in the UK with the exception of plant rooms , maintenance and service inspection areas in England , Wales and Northern Ireland .
The Equality Act is concerned with civil rights and does not mention door hardware at all . Some types of door hardware might assist a premises owner / manager in achieving Equality Act compliance with regard to the operation of their building . This is why values for door opening forces have been put into building regulation guidance documents and BS 8300-2 .
In turn , if products are supplied which assist in achieving these values , the finished building will enable its owner / manager to meet the Equality Act ’ s requirements for equality of access .
WHAT DOES THE GAI RECOMMEND ?
• Where possible , ensure other hardware supplied is low friction – e . g . hinges ; seals ; latches .
• Specify a closer with very high efficiency for refurbishment of existing narrow doors .
• Consider electro-magnetic holdopen / free-swing or automatic operator solutions .
• Ensure the products specified and supplied at least meet requirements in laboratory conditions .
Companies should be aware of the consequences of providing non-compliant fire safety and accessibility products simply to fit in with a contractor ’ s cost programme . It is the company ’ s responsibility to offer solutions which meet regional building regulations , not to put people at risk by ignoring them .
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