Hi robngail, Registered homes usually adopt fire regimes based on either guidance. The most commonly adopted guidance would view a hairdressing salon as a fire hazard room, and as such it would need to have a fire door. There are option though which could make life easier. It is possible to fit fire doors which are held open by magnets, which will release automatically if the fire alarm is tripped. These cost some hundreds of pounds to fit but are effective and are widely used in residential care. One of the formative events in fire safety in residential homes is the Rosepark fire in Scotland in 2003, which caused the deaths of 13 elderly people. One of the causes of death (though not of the fire) was fire doors being wedged open. It's unlikely that a fire officer would allow a door to a hairdressing salon to be left open without the kind of door closer I mentioned in the first paragraph. Just to give you some context, I was Head of Health and Safety for a care charity for 10 years, and I have worked for four organisations which have or have had care homes (my current employer recently sold its only residential home), John

The dorgard is a good idfea, but to answer your question yes it is a fire door as the fire exit should lead to a safe place (away from the fire). Fire doors are internal and don't represent the last / final exit. I assume your salon is internal and basically a room? If so, it does represent a fire hazard from the electrical appliances and possibly any solvent-based products you keep there too not to mention hydrogen peroxide which is a strong oxidising agent ! Hope this clarifies.

The simple answer is when it is wedged open, doorguard are ok but it is as easy to have it linked to the alarm and this will release on activation of the alarm. I also add good on them for ensuring that fire safety is observed.

Thanks for the reply's but I'm still not sure. Is the only means of exit classed as a fire door or fire exit? I cant see them fitting any extra equipment so please simple answer must it be kept shut?

A door can be a fire door & a final exit door (think of a final exit door that discharges under an external escape staircase for example) But these are just words. Whether the door can be left open or not has nothing to do with how you describe that door. Frankly - and I am sorry to be controversial here, but whilst some posts on this thread are providing options & suggestions (which is fine), others appear to be making definitive statements. How the hell anyone can give definitive advice on the details provided is beyond me. We know its a 'home for the elderly' - so perhaps high risk sleeping accommodation for vulnerable persons. We know nothing of the layout, fire separation, alarm system, whether there's a staircase (even a single staircase conditions) from the reception - or the escape strategy (stay put, phased, progressive horizontal evacuation or simultaneous). Frankly there are too many variables and unknowns to be certain about anything I would add, be careful about Dorgards. They are useful but not in all situations. Some will release the door at night to relax the door and prevent warping. A great idea in an office which is closed at night, but maybe not so great where older persons may be up in the night and having to face heavy doors. Having warped doors isn't good for a sleeping risk either so keeping a door on a dorgard 24/7 can be poor practice - especially for high risk premises Plus, dorgards do not fail safe in a power failure. This may be a useful control measure in an elderly care home To answer the question in hand, why not ask the managers of the home? They should share the findings of the FRA with your wife as she seems to be running a business within the home so (if in England and Wales) Article 22 of the fire safety order would apply (re cooperation between Responsible Persons). However, if she is staff, the RP must share the findings with them, so she can still ask Managing fire safety involves taking a holistic approach which takes into account the size, layout and use of the premises, plus what FS measures are in place and the nature of the occupancy. Guessing whether dorgards would be useful or not is a dangerous game unless you have seen more than a few lines on a discussion forum

When is a fire door not a fire door? When it's ajar... Sorry, but in my defense it is a Friday.

Would a fire R/A be suitable if it states 'wedge the fire door open' you could still be prosecuted if the fire authourity entered.

You can have an SSOW for the task, but wedging or agreeing to allow wedging the 'fire door' if it is one should not be a control measure. I am sure if you told the Fire rescue Service during a visit that you only do it for ventilaion then they would still issue a notice. You cannot create another risk to solve another one.

Pretty sure there are loads of real world examples of creating a risk to solve another one. Chlorine in a swimming pool. Installation of a fall arrest system. Climbing on a ladder to install a smoke alarm. I could go on....

Well I don't when you bring in a control measure that is subject to human error then that is here the problem is. Having them held open and linked to the fire alarm is totally different. And I am not getting into we climb on ladders to do this and that just not worth the time or effort. We have been pulled up recently because there was a wedge that wasn't being used but the fact it was there meant it had been. Once you start allowing one door to be wedged open noone will look at that as an isolated case and doors will be wedged open and it will become part of the culture.

Tryt looking at tesco, £20.000 per door wedged open, they didn't have a fire the FRS just arrived and checked, Morrisons, Home in runcorn, ill fitting doors £40.000 and you think if the FRS entered a residential service with elderly or young people sleeping they would say 'great stuff at least you have an SSOW in place' We should be insisting that the job is completed properly not allow them to break the law because it's cheaper.

When it is not the problem - as Kate indicated the "room" assigned to be a hair salon is not been suitably assessed for the intended purpose. Equipment dryers, tongs etc. (on top of the general heating / weather) is creating heat distress. Then there are the chemicals tints, perming solution, bleaches, lacquers etc. being used in what is effectivley a confined space (the OP stated no ventilation, single access/egress door - had there been a window to open the debate would not have commenced).

Invictus Constant supervision of the door s the key, an unsupervised wedge creates an issue or a similarly wedged door without the same, also it should be noted that the OP makes no mention of wedging so this is an assumption. Poorly fitting doors and unsupervised doors wedged open a la Tesco & Morrison's totally agree with these Enforcement's, it's just how well you manage your safety provision Pete

Just do what many buildings do. Hold the door open with the fire extinguisher. Simples ;-)

No need for the insults 'blue nose'

Proud to be a bluenose but don't you agree it is a stupid comment on a serious subject, and, can't he defend himself.