50 • FIRESAFETY&SECURITY
EMERGENCY ESCAPE
Pat Jefferies, Commercial Director at
Abloy UK, discusses the importance of
emergency escape system compliance.
» » ALTHOUGH EGRESS FROM A
building can be a matter of life
and death, the importance of
an emergency escape systems is
often underestimated because
emergencies and tragedies are only
highlighted when escape systems
do not work.
However, if a critical event such
as a fire or terrorist attack does
occur and the correct solutions
are not in place, it can result
in substantial fines, custodial
sentences, and most importantly
the loss of life.
Security products and systems
are always implemented to protect
some form of asset and the most
valuable asset is life, that’s why
adhering to the life safety standards
of BS EN 179, BS EN 1125 and now
BS EN 13637 is so important.
ESCAPE DOOR SYSTEM
With this in mind, security
expert Abloy UK has launched the
innovative Escape Door System
(EDS) that offers easy access and
egress while ensuring compliance,
security and the ability to implement
dynamic lockdown procedures.
With the EDS, it is now possible to
provide a compliant solution for an
escape door when read-in / read-out
access control is specified, combining
the three components required for BS
EN 13637 (electronically controlled
escape door systems for doors along
escape routes).
These elements must be tested
and certified together as a package
to ensure compliance and safety;
Blocking, Control and Trigger.
Blocking is provided by a fail-
unlocked locking element that does
not require any mechanical input to
operate.
The Intelligent Control within
the EDS allows connection to fire
alarm systems or other building
control systems to ensure escape
in an emergency, and the Trigger
unit incorporates a key-switch and a
push button that tells the controller
to release the locking mechanism to
allow safe escape.
The EDS also helps organisations
achieve dynamic lockdown, allowing
specific zones that may be at risk
within a building to be cordoned off,
while still allowing escape.
CASE IN POINT:
RHYMES NURSERY
Abloy UK supplied Rhymes
Nursery, Quinton, Birmingham
with an Escape Door System (EDS)
to provide a secure and compliant
access control solution for the
premises, which also ensures
occupants can safely escape in an
emergency.
Rhymes had previously used
fingerprint touch-ID to allow access
into the building, but this system
only worked for access and not
egress. Rhymes wanted to completely
eliminate the security risk of parents
being able to allow unauthorised
visitors into the building.
The EDS offers easy access and
egress while ensuring compliance,
security and the ability to implement
dynamic lockdown procedures.
The system also offers the ability to
quickly restrict access in response to
threats, enabling dynamic lockdown
by allowing specific zones that may
be at risk within the building to be
cordoned off, while still allowing
escape.
Abloy also tailored the door-alarm
feature, reducing the original 10
seconds trigger to 3 seconds, so
staff are promptly alerted when the
building is not secure.
Gemma Killion, Nursery manager,
said: “With the EDS we are able to
prevent parents who are leaving the
building from allowing access to
other unauthorised visitors. Now, a
member of staff is required to allow
anyone to leave the building.”
For further information on the full
range of Abloy locking solutions
available, Visit https://bit.
ly/2D5VhYL or email: info@abloy.
co.uk
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | NOV/DEC 2018