I have just visited a clinical site where fire emergency doors on an emergency route have now been fitted with bolts top and bottom to one side of the double doors, with a key pad access fitted for security purposes to the other side. Yesterday when visiting the premises during a busy clinical session I pushed one side of the door to enter into another part of the building to find the door bolted, creating a near miss incident. The premises are a podiatry clinic where training of undergradaute students takes place - the premis is on a one level with an area set aside on one corridor for staff and students, another corridor gives access to the clinical area and it is at these two entry pionts that the security devices have been fitted, but on main egress routes, clearly signed as such, with signage on the sets of doors as emergency Fire Doors. The clinical area has 27 clinical treatment areas usually filled with staff, students and patients of varying disabilities - so total of 58-60 people at any given time. With the new devices fitted the egress emergency route is now resticted to half width of the doors although I have been advised that during clinical times the bolts will not be down to bolt the other half of the door, so technically allowing full egress. However when I visited yesterday the doors were bolted during the clinical time. My main issue is that with this sytem the human factor is now high, with respect to ensuring bolts are not on doors, key pads are disarmed allowing unrestricted access and egress.Although I can see that security of the premises are increased I am concerned that this has now introduced a more worrying hazard of fire safety and I am looking for thoughts and guidance as I have said that the risk to the students is unacceptable with this and that other solutions should be sought for the security aspect and that fire corridors, fire doors should not be fitted with these devices restricting egress? Any thoughts appreciated Gordon Burrow Health and Safety University

I'm a little confused, are these internal doors or do the open to the outside? If they are internal doors why are they locked in the first place? External fire doors should be the last barrier to the outside world and should be fitted with panic bars or similar devise and never locked when anyone is in the building. As Chas has stated you need a system to release the doors if they are internal whenever the fire alarm is activated and these need an override button or similar devise. Interesting place 'Health and Safety University' where is that then????