Fire Safety & Security
How to safely hold open fire doors
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NICK GODDARD , RESEARCH AND Development Manager at Geofire has been in the fire safety industry for over 20 years . Here he talks about the importance of fire doors and the technology available to hold open fire doors safely and legally .
Fire doors are designed to prevent the spread of smoke , flames and toxic gases throughout a building in the event of a fire . However , when a fire door is held open , fire , smoke and toxic gases can quickly pass through the building , blocking escape routes and endangering lives .
Building regulations require that , a building ’ s fire doors must therefore be selfclosing to ensure the door closes to act as a barrier to stop the fire from spreading .
Due to the level of protection a fire door provides , the placement and weight of the doors is often restrictive for example in a care home setting for residents , for pupils in a school or for guests in a hotel .
It is recognised that in these cases it is necessary to hold fire doors open for practical reasons . In this instance the fire door must have a device installed to release the door , so that it will close upon activation of the fire alarm system .
HOLDING OPEN FIRE DOORS LEGALLY
Making sure fire doors are closed when the fire alarm sounds is extremely important . The British Standard 7273-4:2015 Code of Practice for the operation of fire protection measures - Part 4 : actuation of release mechanisms for doors , gives guidance on the installation , commissioning and maintenance of fire door holding systems . The system / hardware used to hold the doors open should be CE marked under the Construction Products Regulations , using the relevant European standard ; EN 1155 .
Fire door retainers , also known as fire door holders , use a magnet to hold open heavy fire doors that will release in the event of a fire . Stand-alone door retainers are suitable for doors that already have a closing device fitted , however fire door closers with a built in hold open function are also available .
Depending on the installation and level of protection required , there are a variety of fire door retainers readily available which react to different triggers in the event of a fire .
HARD WIRED FIRE DOOR RETAINERS
Geofire is the largest manufacturer in the UK of hard-wired fire door holding magnets . Hard wired fire door retainers are used all over the world and are ideal for new buildings as they have a direct wire connection to the building ’ s fire detection system . In a normal condition , power ( usually 24 V dc ) is supplied to the door retainers so that they can hold the doors in an open position . When a fire is detected by the fire panel , power is cut releasing the doors so that they can close . A fault in the wiring or power supply to the door retainers will cause them to fail safe and release the doors .
Hard-wired fire door holders are available in many shapes , sizes and finishes to suit all applications . UL listed versions are available from Geofire encased in steel or thermoplastic polymer housing .
RADIO CONTROLLED FIRE DOOR RETAINERS
Radio controlled fire door retainers are triggered wirelessly by radio waves from a controller connected to the building ’ s existing fire panel or interface unit . As minimal wiring is needed , these are often used for fitting into large , existing buildings but still offer high levels of protection . The Salamander system manufactured by Geofire is suitable for installations BS7273-4 critical actuation ( category A ), the highest fire standard in the UK . A typical radio controller unit can manage up to 99 fire door holders and closers within a 50 meter range , with the option to add boosters extending the range by 50 meters per booster .
These systems are installed by an approved , trained professional as a site survey has to be carried out prior to installation .
SOUND ACTIVATED FIRE DOOR RETAINERS
Sound activated fire door retainers react to the noise of the fire alarm and some devices can learn the sound of the building ’ s specific fire alarm , so they will only release when the alarm sounds . This is a cost effective solution as there is no need for wiring to a fire panel . The Agrippa sound activated fire door holder , in particular , records the sound of the building ’ s fire alarm onto the device during installation . This means that the holder will only close the fire door if the specific alarm tone sounds .
Sound activated fire door retainers are battery powered and can be installed quickly and easily . They are wire-free , so installing them won ’ t affect a building ’ s infrastructure .
USING DOOR CLOSERS AS HOLD OPEN DEVICES
Most fire doors are fitted with a standard door closer which creates a mechanism to allow the door to be opened and closed . This does not hold or automatically close the fire door .
Fire door closers can be used as a mechanism to enable fire doors to be held open ( often at any angle if ‘ free-swing ’), to ease access whilst ensuring that the door will automatically close in the event of a fire .
Fitting a fire door closer eliminates the need for a standard closer and a fire door holder . As long as the closer has a ‘ free-swing ’ mode , it will hold the door open in any position . A fire door closer will also make heavy fire doors feel light and easy to move , where as a fire door holder will not ; the door will be held back to the wall , fully opened .
A fire door closer may be more suitable in environments where it is necessary to have the door slightly open to reduce feelings of isolation ( care homes or residential properties ) or where users find internal fire doors heavy and hard to open .
Fire door closers can be bought in radio controlled or sound activated versions .
INNOVATORS OF FIRE TECHNOLOGY
Geofire has been designing and manufacturing electromagnet fire door holders and closers for 45 years from its factory in County Durham . Established in 1972 , the company is still continuing to invest in research and development to be able to offer cost effective and innovative fire technology .
enquiries @ geofire . co . uk
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