Should Fire Doors Be Locked

Chaining the doors shut or blocking them in any way is dangerous and may be a violation of fire safety codes.

Should fire doors be locked.

Finding the doors. If dramatic security measures like chains padlocks or steel bars are required the first person entering the building in the morning must remove all of these. Fire exits doors should open easily and wherever possible in the direction of traffic flow. Openings into exits must have self closing fire doors that remain closed but not locked or automatically close at the sound of an alarm the door frame or hardware must be listed or approved by a national testing laboratory.

Any lock can be fitted onto a fire door because it s made of metal and metal doesn t burn in a fire. If it is a security door that is usually kept locked but will be used by members of the public in an emergency situation it will have to be fitted with a panic or push bar. Official guidance to the rro from the communities and local government department recommends that that all doors on escape routes should open in the direction of escape but states that this is particularly important if more than 60 people use them or they provide an exit from a high fire risk area. Metal gets extremely.

By enabling the swift passage of people to a place of safety the final exit. Using anything other than fire rated fail safe or fail secure hardware can lead to injury or even loss of life in an emergency requiring quick evacuation. Fire exit doors must not be locked whilst a building is in use however when a building is unoccupied it can be locked as securely as required. The need for outward opening fire exit doors.

Don t block it or lock it. This locking option requires designated and trained staff to respond to the activation of a fire alarm by proceeding directly to any of these locked doors and if necessary using a key card or.