Posted By Brian McMillan Having just moved into Facilities Management in a large Secondary School I am trying to get my head around the practicalties of running the school whilst ensuring that safety is not compromised. I have a specific problem with fire doors being propped open in a number of areas. Most of the problems will be solved by routine maintenance, encouraging good practice and education. However, there are a couple of areas (Laboratories and Food Technology) where it is essential for doors to be held open for relatively short periods whilst technicians transport materials and equipment from place to place within their areas of work. I would like to know if anyone has practical experience of a hold open device I have been told of that will temporarily hold open a door for relatively short periods. I believe the device works on a vacuum type system (like some types of light switches on stairs and landings) which allows the door to close when the vacuum in the unit is exhausted. Are these devices programmable for delay? Are these devices a solution to a problem or do they create yet another (like "letting go" just as someone is passing through them)? I need something efficient that will allow safe passage without compromising safety, yet do not want to go down the route of interlinked magnetic hold open devices or local management systems that could all to easily fail. Your comments would be most welcome.

Posted By John Webster Regarding the sudden and unexpected release of doors just when somebody is passing through (this applies to electromagnetic releases as well). The solution should be simple. Most door closer arms have a hydraulic damper inside, controlling the rate of closing, often in 2 stages. The first stage adjuster should be set so that initial closure is slow.