Fire Doors and Fire Exit Doors

Fire Doors and Fire Exit Doors

A fire door is a door with a fire-resistance rating (sometimes referred to as a fire protection rating for closures) used as part of a passive fire protection system to reduce the spread of fire and smoke between separate compartments of a structure and to enable safe egress from a building or structure or ship.

A fire door is more than just the door itself, it refers to the door, the fixings, the fitting, the ironmongery (latches, handles, etc.) and the frame. Fire doors should be compliant and tested to BS 476 Part 22 or to the European equivalent BS EN 1634-1. BS EN 13502-2, Fire classification of construction products and building elements sets the fire resistance classifications. 

This standard should not be confused with NFPA 80-2019 Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives.  NFPA 80-2019 provides guidelines for the installation and maintenance of assemblies and devices used to protect openings in walls, floors, and ceilings whose main goal is to keep fire and smoke from moving throughout a building. Not including fabric fire safety curtains, this standard covers devices that have been the focus of a standardized fire test. Fire doors are designed to stop or slow down the spread of fire, smoke and toxic fumes from one part of a building to another, giving the building's occupants a chance to exit safely. The doors help protect the contents and structure of the building by limiting the fire spread

NFPA 80-2019 addresses information on swinging doors with builders hardware, swinging doors with fire door hardware, horizontally sliding doors, special-purpose horizontally sliding accordion doors or folding doors, vertically sliding fire doors, rolling steel doors, fire shutters, service counter fire doors, and host of others. The document can be used as a means to give guidance to authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), so they can see if assemblies have met and maintained appropriate standards.

NFPA 80-2019 addresses information on swinging doors with builders hardware, swinging doors with fire door hardware, horizontally sliding doors, special-purpose horizontally sliding accordion doors or folding doors, vertically sliding fire doors, rolling steel doors, fire shutters, service counter fire doors, and host of others. The document can be used as a means to give guidance to authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), so they can see if assemblies have met and maintained appropriate standards.

Here are some of the key features to look out for in terms of both domestic and commercial use:

•      Fire doors are made up of various components. The door itself is usually made from a solid timber frame, but they can sometimes be covered again in fire-resistant glass.
•      Around the edges of the door will be the intumescent seal, which is designed to expand when temperatures reach beyond 200°C to seal the gaps between the door and frame.
•      For a private premises, it is advised to install fire doors where the risk is most imminent, for example the kitchen, or rooms which house lots of electrical devices. If your property is a new build, it should have been subject to regulations ensuring certain doors are fire doors – check this with the developer.
•           For commercial or non-domestic properties, liability lies with whoever is deemed the ‘responsible person’ for that property or the employer. For example, the owner of the property, or the person in control of the property for trade reasons would be responsible.
•      Thorough risk assessments must be carried out and it is advisable to get professional help with all fire-safety-related regulations. There is more to fire safety than just fire doors; escape routes, lighting, warning systems and equipment checks are also required.
•         When you’re choosing a door it’s important to know what the different specifications mean.
•           Around 42% of deaths during house fires are not from direct contact with the flames, but the consumption of smoke. With this in mind, keep an eye out for a doorset with cold smoke seals. These should be within the intumescent seal.

The same requirements as above will apply to a fire exit door. There are also additional requirements where the door is the final exit point of a building:

1.   The door should open in the direction of evacuation.
2.    There should be no locks or catches. Many use a push bar system that will open the door when pressed down. If the door is also a secure entrance, the lock/catches must self-open when the fire alarm sounds.
3.    The final fire exit door must lead to a place of safety.
4.    It must have a self-closing mechanism so that the door will shut behind people evacuating in order to contain the fire and smoke. This will also limit the oxygen going in to the building which will feed a fire.
5.   The signage will need mandatory fire exit signs that are illuminated. Situated above the door. 

The following requirements must be complied with in respect of premises where necessary (whether due to the features of the premises, the activity carried on there, any hazard present or any other relevant circumstances) in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons -

a.  Emergency routes and exits must lead as directly as possible to a place of safety;

b.  In the event of danger, it must be possible for persons to evacuate the premises as quickly and as safely as possible;

c.  The number, distribution and dimensions of emergency routes and exits must be adequate having regard to the use, equipment and dimensions of the premises and the maximum number of persons who may be present there at any one time;

d.  Emergency doors must open in the direction of escape;

e.  Sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended as emergency exits;

f.   Emergency doors must not be so locked or fastened that they cannot be easily and immediately opened by any person who may require to use them in an emergency;

g.  Emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs; and

h.  Emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in the case of failure of their normal lighting.”

The “responsible person” is the landlord, employer, owner, and occupier. Anyone who uses or would require the use of the fire exit will have a responsibility to ensure that it remains clear, free from damage and that any contravention to this is reported to the employer, owner, occupier, landlord as soon as possible.

Sources:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/485420/BR_PDF_AD_B1_2013.pdf
http://firecode.org.uk/Code_of_Practice_hardware_for_fire_and_escape_doors.pdf

Fire Exit Door Alarm

Fire Exit Door Alarm

Are you wondering what hardware you should fit to your emergency exit doors?

In many buildings there is often unauthorised use of Fire Exit Doors and Emergency Exit Doors.  The Safety Centre now has a product in it's portfolio which is designed to reduce the chances of unauthorised use of these doors.

What the law says

In the Regulatory Fire Safety Order 2005, article 14 covers “Emergency Routes and Exits,” and states that, “In the event of danger, it must be possible for persons to evacuate the premises as quickly and safely as possible”.

Depending on circumstances, this normally involves emergency doors opening in the direction of escape, no sliding or revolving doors used as emergency exits, and emergency doors not being locked or fastened in a manner that they cannot be easily and immediately opened.

The need for outward opening doors

Official guidance to the Communities and Local Government department recommends that that all doors on escape routes should open in the direction of escape, but states that this is particularly important if more than 60 people use them or they provide an exit from a high fire risk area.

Push bars and pads

Security fittings on fire doors should be thought of as a hierarchy:

·         Nothing at all — the safest option;

·         Panic bar/ pad;

·         Emergency exit devices (the smaller pads and levers);

·         Turn knob, single bolt, or other simply operated, single device;

·         Glass bolt.

In buildings used by the general public, the usual hardware on final exits is a horizontal push pad or bar, unless the door is completely free-moving, such as the front door (once unlocked).

For this category of occupant, doors need to be operated easily and obviously. If there are more than 60 persons likely to use an exit, and that group includes those unfamiliar with the building, a degree of panic must be assumed. In this case, panic bars are essential. These fittings are long horizontal bars or pads which operate by body pressure. The relevant standard is BS EN 1125 — “Panic exit devices operated by a horizontal bar”.

There’s an alternative type of a smaller push pad or lever, which seems to be mistakenly put onto doors for use by the public. These “emergency exit devices” conform to BS EN 179 instead, and are generally not suitable as more force is needed to operate them, i.e. there needs to be a deliberate action, not just pressure against the device. These may be selected for doors to be used by staff, the benefit being that along with higher operating forces, there is the opportunity for higher security levels.

Both BS EN 1125 and BS EN 179 include specific tests depending on whether the device is intended for single or double door use. One approved for single door application might not work effectively on double doors, so it’s important that the one used is suitable for the circumstances.

Locking devices

BS9999:2008, “Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings,” gives further advice on the subject of locking. It states that in general, doors on escape routes shouldn’t be fitted with locks, latches, or bolts unless these are simple fastening, which can readily be operated. The operation of the fastenings should be “readily apparent without the use of a key and without having to manipulate more than one mechanism.”

Although it’s preferable not to fit any secondary locking devices to fire exits, it’s accepted that security needs may make it a necessity.

Where this is the case, the old glass box with the key in it is generally discouraged, even where the door is for use by a small number of staff. If you feel it’s the only way, and can be justified in the risk assessment, make sure there’s a process for regularly checking that the key is present.

A simple step up from this is to fit a lock that needs a key on the outside, but which is operated on the inside of the door by simply turning a knob. These can then be labelled “turn to exit,” if instructions are needed.

Glass bolts can be useful for discouraging casual use of a route — where a door passes through the premises of an adjoining occupier. To operate these, the glass tube is smashed with a hammer, allowing a bolt to be slid across. Staff will need training to understand how to use these, and encouragement to use the exits even if they think it’s a drill or false alarm. Bear in mind that this shouldn’t be fitted as an additional device — a person escaping through the door should not have to “manipulate more than one mechanism.” In general, they tend to be plagued by abuse, so they have limited application.

Electromechanical and electromagnetic locks (EM Lock) can be fitted, which can be released manually or automatically. However, these should be set up to be overridden by the operation of a push bar, loss of power, and/or the activation of the fire warning or detection system.