FIRE SAFETY & SECURITY • 55
However, even where fire doors
and their hardware meet the fire
regulations there is also a need to
comply with other building regulations,
specifically access requirements.
These stipulations under the building
regulations are detailed in Approved
Document M in England and Wales,
Section 3 in Scotland and Part R in
Northern Ireland. These regulations
state that “…a door set must produce an
opening force of below 30N between
0° and 30° degrees and below 22.5N
between 30° and 60° degrees.”
It is important to note that the
requirement is stated in relation to the
door ‘set’ and not simply the door closer.
While this accounts for a significant part
of the opening forces, the resistance
effect of other ironmongery should also
be considered. Manufacturers should be
able to provide Torque Curve data for
the products, this will show the forces
throughout the opening and closing
cycle in Newton Metres from initial
opening through to 60° and beyond.
From this the tolerances for resistance
from other fitted items – such as door
seals and hinges can be calculated.
However, a number of factors can
affect the installed efficiency of a door
set and a manufacturer cannot guarantee
that performance figures produced
during testing will be replicated on site.
For this reason, adjustable power door
closers are recommended by BS8300
to allow changes to be made on site to
offset the differences between tested
and installed performance.
An alternative approach to meeting
both areas of legislation is electro-
magnetic hold open door solutions.
These controls allow doors to be held
open during normal use and close
automatically upon activation of the fire
alarm, or in the event of a loss of power.
This helps to improve ease of access
through the building while still providing
protection in the event of a fire.
Finally, in addition to correct
specification and installation, it is
also vital that a regular maintenance
schedule is established to ensure that
the performance of the products and
the installation as a whole remains
compliant. Despite the importance of
fire doors, they are commonly misused
or mismanaged throughout their
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | NOV/DEC 2017
lifecycle. Aside from damage and poor
maintenance that would compromise the
door’s effectiveness, fire doors are often
propped open rendering them entirely
ineffective in the event of a fire.
Financial pressures can make it
tempting to postpone or cancel what is
perceived as non-essential maintenance
and servicing. However, when it comes
to door solutions, these planned services
will help to ensure continued compliance
and system longevity – providing long-
term savings in addition to peace of
mind.
When it comes to fire doors,
compliance with all relevant legislation
will help provide the essential protection
for the building and its occupants. The
recommended approach to achieving
this compliance is by ensuring that
doors and door hardware are correctly
specified, sourced from reputable
suppliers with clear test evidence and
a Declaration of Performance, and then
installed and maintained by specialists.
To find out more about achieving fire
and access compliance visit
www.dormakaba.com