Fire Exit Door Alarm

Fire Exit Door Alarm 

Fire Exit Door Alarm has proven to be a highly effective way to deter personnel and visitors from making unauthorised exits or entry through emergency exit doors or fire exit door. This versatile exit alarm can serve as an extremely inexpensive security device and also deter theft. Arming delay allows unit to arm following authorized exits.

How It Works
If the protected door is opened, the Electronic Exit Alarm emits an ear piercing alarm. Once the door is closed, it can be programmed to automatically reset or continue sounding the alarm until manually reset.

In exit alarm mode, alarm can be set to sound for 30 seconds, 3 minutes or indefinitely (unless disarmed with key supplied or until battery is drained).

A variety of alarm duration and automatic reset features are available. A key operated override facility will silence the alarm and allow authorised exits.

It can be integrate with local addressable fire detection & alarm system to get info at BMS / FACP, if your programmer enable logic program then you able to operate Strobe / Hooter accordingly.

It can be integrate with local access control system.

Easy to install
The battery provided with the exit alarm should be inserted into alarm unit. This red octagonal unit is then easily attached on the inside of the exit door using the four screws supplied. The small, corresponding magnetised piece is then attached to the door frame. When the door is in the closed position, the alarm unit remains silent. However, when the door is opened and the contact broken, the alarm will sound, thus deterring any unauthorised door use.

Being red, it is highly visible. As such, it also acts as a visual deterrent as well as an actual deterrent once the alarm is activated (unit also available in green) This product also comes with a strobe light so it can be easily identified in low-light areas.

You may need one or both types of system on the different doors within your building. Hopefully, this post has provided you with the information you can use to determine if the current system use for fire exit door monitoring are adequately meeting those needs and are compliant with all the relevant codes. You can not use EM Lock in Fire Exit Door with Access Control System. Panic bar is mostly use to protect unauthorized entry / exit.  If you’re not sure, SSA Integrate can help. We have Certified Access Control & fire experts that can help you determine the best solution to meet your security needs while keeping you compliant with all the relevant codes. Contact SSA Integrate today to learn more.

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.