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doors within flats (although self-closing
devices are still necessary on flat
entrance doors).
It goes on to state that closing devices
to flat entrances must be 18N in closing
force – power size 3. A mechanical door
closer will fulfil this requirement, but there
are also electro-magnetically controlled
closers available too, which would be
much more user-friendly in tower blocks.
A continual problem with fire doors
is that they are heavier in nature. This
makes them hard to operate for some
people, for example elderly, disabled or
children, who lack upper body strength
or mobility. Therefore the temptation is to
prop open fire doors to ease movement
and accessibility, but this is illegal. A
propped open fire door will render it
useless in the event of a fire.
Electro-magnetically controlled door
closers can negate this temptation, as
they will hold open doors using electro-
magnets, and release them when a fire
alarm is sounded. An example of this is
the Briton 996 door closer.
LATCHBOLT MONITORS
Another piece of hardware technology
that can contribute to a good fire door
system in multiple occupancy buildings is
the latchbolt monitor.
As mentioned, fire doors are often
propped open, but that is not the only
thing that stops them from performing
properly. If they do not close fully,
i.e. latch to the door frame, then the
intumescent seals around the
fire door won’t stop smoke and toxic
chemicals from leaking through.
In a tower block, this scenario is
common. Air pressure conditions are
constantly changing, due to the weather,
open windows, doors etc., which can
prevent a fire door from latching fully. To
guard against this, a latchbolt monitor can
be installed to the latch, which sends a
signal to a central monitoring system that
alerts if any doors aren’t latched fully.
ELECTRO-MECHANICAL PANIC BARS
A recent development of the door
hardware industry is the electro-
mechanical panic bar – a traditional panic
bar from the inside that allows access
control functionality from the outside by
using an electronic motor to control the
latch.
While not an essential to fire door
safety, they are a good addition for
tower blocks due to the access control
functionality they can provide. Use of
pinpads, transponders and keycards
instead of mechanical keys on communal
entrances can allow for audit activity on
those doors, and allow security managers
to pinpoint doors that are being left open
and at what specific times.
SIGNAGE AND RESIDENT’S FIRE
DOOR SAFETY CHECKLIST
All fire doors should be clearly marked,
as per the RRFSO guidelines.
Again, use of fire doors will be part of
daily life in a tower block. However, there
can be no guarantees that they won’t
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | SEP/OCT 2017
Sponsored by Aldridge Security
be misused. Clear and correct
signage must be applied to make
users aware that they should be
kept shut.
A good practice would also
be to ens ure residents are clear
on how to determine if a fire door
is legal or not. A basic checklist
and gap tester is available to all from
Allegion, which will allow residents to
test and report for gaps around the
fire door, latching issues or otherwise
etc. Making residents aware of fire
door safety can allow for a more agile
approach to fire safety testing.
‘it is a race against
time to prevent flames
from spreading’
ONLY AS GOOD AS THE
SUM OF ITS PARTS
In a fire, time is crucial. There needs
to be time for the fire services to reach
the scene of the fire, for occupants
to evacuate, and if evacuation is not
possible, then to move on to the next safe
points of the building.
Fire-resistant doors are available that
have been tested to protect against fire
spreading for up to 30, 60, 90 and 120
minutes. However, if they are not working
as they should be, then no matter how
good the cures are to follow, the fire
will have that chance of breaking out of
control and causing devastating effects.
In most cases, a fire door will never
be called into action for the entirety of
its lifespan. However, when we need it
most, we want it to work as it has been
specified to do. The simple measures
we have listed above will go a long way
towards ensuring fire doors are respected
as they should be.
www.allegion.com