62 • FIRE SAFETY & SECURITY
PROUD SPONSORS OF THIS FEATURE
The ideal solution to holding open fire doors in schools
HOLDING OPEN SCHOOL FIRE DOORS WITH AGRIPPA
»»
A SCHOOL IN KENT HAS installed Agrippa fire door holders to protect teachers and pupils in the event of a fire .
When the school ’ s existing sound activated door retainers were becoming damaged by pupils , the Weald of Kent Grammar School decided to replace all of the units with the Agrippa door holders .
Completely wire-free , the holders can be installed in just ten minutes and are supplied with two C cell batteries . The Agrippa holders are also fitted to the top of the door to prevent damage to the door and floor . Accepted by the UK fire brigade , the Agrippa fire door holders are the perfect solution to holding open fire doors , whilst ensuring they are closed automatically in the event of a fire .
Mark Bacon , Facilities Manager said : “ The Agrippa units have been a revelation for us and have reduced my team ’ s workload as we constantly had to reset the old units to stop them from beeping each morning .
“ The Agrippa units were easy to install and have been hassle-free . We usually install a batch at a time and once they have been setup with our fire alarm , we have no issues at all . We have a policy of checking the batteries every school holiday and have noticed that the batteries last a good 12 months if not more .
“ We are so pleased we have made the decision to move to the Agrippa sound activated solution and now fit these to any new projects or builds .”
enquiries @ geofire . co . uk 01388 770 360
»»
ACCORDING TO THE ARSON Prevention Forum , there are , on average , 38 school fires per week in the UK creating over £ 80 million in insured damages each year . Here we examine what schools must do by law to protect staff and students and the problems they encounter , as well as the solutions available .
Fires can have a severe impact on the functioning of a school . They endanger lives , jobs , facilities and investment . Damage to coursework can cause a great deal of stress to pupils and affect exam results . Destruction of classrooms can mean temporary classroom accommodation and construction on-going on site .
THE LEGISLATION
Legislation and building regulations surrounding school fire doors are wide and varied . School building owners have a legal duty to comply with the Regulatory Reform ( Fire Safety ) Order 2005 and must appoint a ‘ responsible person ’ to ensure their school or college is compliant .
Compliance with the Fire Safety Order is compulsory and its requirements link closely with related parts of the Building Regulations – Approved Document B ( fire safety ), Approved Document M ( ease of access ), Approved Document K ( 4 ) ( glazing safety – England ), Approved Document E ( acoustics ) and Approved Document N Glazing Safety ( Wales ).
THE PROBLEM
Busy corridors result in the need to hold open school fire doors to ease access . However , the responsible person could be prosecuted if a wooden wedge or any other object is used , as the doors will not protect the building or its occupants in the event of a fire .
Good fire protection does not necessarily mean investing in an expensive detection system , which involves significant disturbance to the fabric of the building due to re-wiring . Fitting internal fire doors with a sound activated , wire-free fire door holder can ensure the building is protected in the event of a fire whilst improving ventilation , reducing wear and tear and long-term maintenance costs .
The reliability and performance of such systems has , however , in the past , been questioned . Known to be prone to false activations caused by extraneous noises such as vacuum cleaners or loud students , some devices have been associated with operational failures that could trigger a fire door ’ s unwanted closure , resulting in the door being illegally propped open .
THE SOLUTION
Door retainers such as the Agrippa fire door holder allow fire doors to protect the building and its inhabitants , without compromising compliance with fire regulations or causing disturbance to the fabric of the building .
The Agrippa sound activated products are triggered by listening to the building ’ s fire alarm and are standalone products , which can be easily installed by a handyman or caretaker when and where required .
It was in response to concerns about false activations which lead UK manufacturer , Geofire to develop its advanced technology that enables its acclaimed Agrippa range of wire-free fire door holders and closers to ‘ listen and learn ’ the sound of a specific fire alarm . This ensures the holder ’ s releasing trigger reacts only to the precise sound of the fire alarm rather than loud noises , so false activations are eliminated .
Geofire ’ s innovative Agrippa , sound activated range of fire door holders and closers is the perfect cost-effective , easyto-install solution . Easily retrofitted to any door , the Agrippa magnetic fire door holder is mounted behind the fire door at either floor level or at the top of the door . The products are accepted by the UK Fire Brigade , approved to EN1155 and EN1154 and CE marked .
For more information go to www . geofire . co . uk or call 01388 770 360 .
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL . CO . UK | NOV / DEC 2017