Welcome Guest! The IOSH forums are a free resource to both members and non-members. Login or register to use them

Postings made by forum users are personal opinions. IOSH is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any of the information contained in forum postings. Please carefully consider any advice you receive.

Notification

Icon
Error

Options
Go to last post Go to first unread
SBH  
#1 Posted : 14 January 2021 15:14:31(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
SBH

Our director against alll advice wants to fit existing doors - including fire doors with digi-locks, we are saying that this would invalidate the fire doors, does anyone know of an accreditted door manufacturer that would do this. Please say you dont

Thanks

SBH

Roundtuit  
#2 Posted : 14 January 2021 15:20:26(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Just for clarity operating this digital lock would then allow access to use the push bar OR is the digital lock being used to open the door from the other side and push-bar use remains unimpeded?

Roundtuit  
#3 Posted : 14 January 2021 15:20:26(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Just for clarity operating this digital lock would then allow access to use the push bar OR is the digital lock being used to open the door from the other side and push-bar use remains unimpeded?

Kate  
#4 Posted : 14 January 2021 15:21:28(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Kate

I have never heard of anyone even thinking about doing such a thing to fire doors

chris42  
#5 Posted : 14 January 2021 15:29:13(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
chris42

I have seen them in a bank, but the keypad is the opposite side to the direction of travel ie used to get into office / behind the counter, but push pad to get out.

Chris

HSSnail  
#6 Posted : 14 January 2021 16:00:21(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
HSSnail

The majority of door in our building are activated either by our ID badge (entry) or push button (exit) execpt for dedicated fire doors. All these locks deactivate immediatly with the fire alarm. Great fun on practice says as we have to station marshals at all entry points to stop people gaining entry to the building.

Messey  
#7 Posted : 14 January 2021 16:53:03(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Messey

Do you mean:

A) mechanical digital locks where a hole is required to be drilled through the door to fix it? or

B) electrically locked doors with a digital key pad or swipe pad?

Both are fine on means of escape as long as the keypad is on the 'safe side' of the door and the side you appraoch when escaping has an override of some description (to be decided by a RA)

But drilling a blooming great hole in a fire door might be more problematic, especially if its protecting a staircase or other critical escape route (eg a singel escape route or in sleeping accomadation). For this task, you will need a competent fire door carpenter 

John Murray  
#8 Posted : 15 January 2021 08:26:57(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
John Murray

Originally Posted by: Kate Go to Quoted Post

I have never heard of anyone even thinking about doing such a thing to fire doors

I worked at one place where the fire doors were routinely chained and padlocked at night.....with a night-shift working.....because the guy doing the locking only worked days.....I'm quite sure there are many other places where the same thing happens.

A Kurdziel  
#9 Posted : 15 January 2021 10:11:23(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
A Kurdziel

Originally Posted by: John Murray Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: Kate Go to Quoted Post

I have never heard of anyone even thinking about doing such a thing to fire doors

I worked at one place where the fire doors were routinely chained and padlocked at night.....with a night-shift working.....because the guy doing the locking only worked days.....I'm quite sure there are many other places where the same thing happens.

I once used to attend evening classes in a school that used to do that! 

RVThompson  
#10 Posted : 15 January 2021 10:55:25(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
RVThompson

Same here - I was studying the Gen Cert at the time, and we were inspecting the college engineering workshop; the fire doors were chained shut.

andybz  
#11 Posted : 15 January 2021 11:27:03(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
andybz

Most people (not Messey) seem to be answering as if this concerns fire exit doors and hence the concern is whether this will be a problem for evacuation. But the original question seemed to me to be related to the passive safety role of a fire door (not exit). However, I am not an expert on fire safety so maybe I am confused?

It would be useful if SBH could clarify, but I am concerned that others reading this thread would be confused like me.

thanks 1 user thanked andybz for this useful post.
Messey on 15/01/2021(UTC)
stevedm  
#12 Posted : 17 January 2021 11:03:00(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
stevedm

We have used these in the past but we had to seek approval from the insurers for fitting...and they work in just the same way for a non-fire rated door...

https://www.codelocks.co.uk/security-vs-fire-safety-choosing-the-right-lock-for-your-fire-doors

jodieclark1510  
#13 Posted : 18 January 2021 10:22:13(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
jodieclark1510

Yes their integrity could be affected with aftermarket changes, but the doors would/could be treated as notional fire doors in this case.

If you have digilocks on designated exit routes with fire signage above them, this will very likely flag in your fire risk assessment as an issue unless there is a form of override in an emergency such as automatic release on activation of the fire alarm.

Users browsing this topic
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.