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Colm O'Keeffe
Member - 4 posts
We have recently installed new access control doors in our offices. We have one employee who suffers from MS and is finding it difficult to open the doors due to the fact they are full height and heavy. We have adjusted the door closures to make the doors as easy to open as possible. If the employee is still struggling to open the doors are we obliged to modify all doors so they open automatically?
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Alan Cox - First for Fire & Safety
Online advisor - 53 posts
This is a factor that you should have considered before you installed the new doors, but unfortunately, is something that most people forget. I assume that you did this to improve security and one thing that companies do when considering security is to install more secure doors which are invariebly heavier ans of course they want them to close quicker to stop tailgateing. This often causes access problems for some people as you have found out and to put it right can be expensive. One solution is to install automatic doors and if there are a lot of doors this can be very costly but you may wish to consider this solution first:
1. Is it possible to relocate the person to another part of the building which does not involve automatic doors, if not
2. Consider door closing devices that have a negative opening force.
But remember you still have to allow time for the slowest person using the door to pass through before it shuts.
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Jim Taylor - MPH Accessible Environments
Online advisor - 14 posts
Questions to consider are: Can the employee be easily relocated to avoid using the doors? Could you allocate the duty which requires navigation through the doors to another employee? If the answer is no and employee must use the doors then they may be covered by the DDA and therefore you have an obligation to make reasonable adjustments. Generally full height doors have floor mounted springs which are problematic to adjust when compared to overhead door closers & may fall foul of Fire regs even when forces are adjusted as low as possible or to comply with Building Regs ADM. You may have to consider power assistance – type will depend upon the force required at the leading edge to get the door started and the type of access control used. E.g. consider power-assisted opening so that the doors open automatically when the leading edge has moved say 5mm, unless the force to do this is excessive. Fully automated doors are an alternative, possibly linked to the control system. Have you considered emergency escape for this employee? If they use these doors to escape you may also need a Personal Emergency Escape Plan in place to cover eventualities.
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Andrew Sutton
Member - 5 posts
If you don't need the doors closed (due to drafts, noise etc) you could hold the doors open with a device like Dorgard. This keeps the door open until a fire alarm is triggered at which point it releases the door allowing it to close.
Your member of staff then wouldn't have to wait for the door to be opened and it would be much cheaper than installing new doors
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Pasc Ruggiero CFIOSH, FIIRSM
Member - 42 posts
Dogard type closers are not hard-wired to the fire alarm system. Hence, these are less reliable than conventional magnet door release devices. BS7273-4 defines three Categories, acceptable conditions for their use and the need to undertake a risk assessment. They also contain batteries which will present ongoing maintenance requirements. In the majority of situations, I would say that it is worth installing a couple of meters of cable and using a conventional door release.
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Mark Shuttleworth
Member - 45 posts
I assume a PEP (personal evacuation plan) is in place for this person, but if they are not assisted in an evacuation please just remember that in the event of a fire alarm activation the door could close trapping them inside!
I don't know if this is the main entrance to your office Colm, but if there are no other entrances to the building that could be used you will need to consider installing an electric door opening device; especially if you have clients/ public regularly visiting you.
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Michael Floyd
Member - 6 posts
Another possibility for these doors to behave correctly in a fire, but not impede your MS staff in normal access, is a free swing device. As Jim Taylor stated above you need to be careful in adusting any closer out of its normal range as it may not hold the door shut before fire seals kick in during a fire. Fire doors should have relatively low opening forces if correctly installed, as they should be useable by most people without needing a full shoulder charge.
A free swing device would allow the door to behave like a door without a closer until the fire alarm cuts in the mechanism.
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Colm O'Keeffe
Member - 4 posts
Thank you to all for taking the time to reply. I was unawre the replies would be posted in the forum section hence the delay in my reply.
The doors were installed because we have recently sublet part of a floor and now need to secure our demise from the new sub tenants demise. Previously our space was secured by autmoatic sliding doors leading from the lift lobby, we know have to share access trough these doors with the subtenant.
The doors are not fire doors this was cleared with the District Surveyor before ordering them.
We are currently investigating the options for installing automatic door openings on the doors.
Michael - I have not heard of a free swing device can you advise where i can find out more about this?
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