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Posted By Dominic Smyth
Can somebody offer guidance please on the opening of fire exit doors leading from a plant room into a hospital corridor.
The doors at present do not open in the direction of travel but this could lead to a H&S hazard if they did (patients/beds/trolleys use the corridor etc) -
Is this therefore a breach of regulations or are there some circumstances where this is acceptable ?
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Posted By J.Morrison
Not aware of the existence of any regulation, but the guidance offered by Approved Document B, Section 5 General Provisions, has this to say:"The door of any doorway or exit should if *reasonably practicable*, open in the direction of travel.............
This suggests that it is open to a degree of risk assessment and , dare I say it, common sense.
John
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Posted By Barry Cooper
Since there will probably be only one or two persons inside the plant room at any one time, I would accept the door opening inwards rather than in the direction of travel.
If you want it to open outwards, you could install a vision panel in the door, provided it does not affect the fire integrity of the door
Barry
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Posted By Tabs
The main prinicple behind a fire door opening in the direction of travel is so that no-one is killed in a crush that prevents the door from being opened.
As implied above, only a few people in a plant room means it is highly unlikely that you would get a panicked crowd pushing against the door preventing it being opened.
The secondary principle is ease of use in smoke and panic. This could be protected by providing a barrier in the corridor for the door to open within - but this is unlikely to be practical in a hospital corridor.
The greater risk must therefore be mitigated - a person being unable to open a door inwards to escape a fire caught early by a sophisticated fire alarm (assumed) or a person/persons being struck on a day to day basis as the plant room is used normally?
Personally, I would leave the door as is but make sure there is a big "Pull" sign near the handle.
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Posted By Merv Newman
I would suggest that a plant room is a higher risk area than a corridor. If something goes wrong or just the bells ring, then I want out. Now. And a "pull" sign on the door does not do it for me. Doors in the direction of exit.
If I were really being as radical as I feel this afternoon then I could insert a few asterisks here.
Stuff the plant. Stuff the plant room. Stuff the building. You are what I want to protect.
Just get OUT. Now.
Sorry people but last week's fatal is still there. And the Y-fronts went to the tip yestereday.
Merv
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Posted By TBC
Yes! Usually doors opening in the direction of travel, but what about the door opening into the corridor already occupied with escaping personnel? Sounds a bit dangerous to me - leave it pulling inwards.
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