Posted By Brando
All,

A couple of questions for all our fire experts out there:

We have a number of offices with keypad locking systems. If you are on the inside of the office and need to get out you have to turn a small latch and, at the same time, use the door handle above to open the door. The latch mechanism is small and difficult to grasp - hence the need to use the handle at the same time. My concern here is that in a panic people may find the handle but not the smaller release latch below. Is this OK - I can find nothing saying it is not and I have seen similar in other premises - but my gut instinct is to say that normally people only use one hand when opening a door?

We also have a first floor office with an emergency escape ladder - the ladder is a fixed metal ladder leading out into a factory area. This is not the primary route of escape but I have not seen this in any other office building.

Comments??

Brando

Posted By Ashley Wood
to open a door in an emergency should only require one operation. This is detailed in the RR(FS)O. The ladder into another area would be non compliant as an escape exit as it takes the escapee into another potential hazard area. Ideally final exits need to be along sterile and protected routes directly to outside.

If your door latches are electronic, all should deactivate when the fire alarm is operated.

Posted By shaun mckeever
Oops! that should have read Stewart not Brando.