In order to remain compliant with building and health &
safety legislation and the Disability Discrimination Act
(DDA), the correct specification of ironmongery is
paramount, explains Wayne Lysaght-Mason
There are sevIn order to remain compliant with building and health &
safety legislation and the Disability Discrimination Act
(DDA), the correct specification of ironmongery is
paramount, explains Wayne Lysaght-Mason
There are several key areas for
consideration when specifyig
ironmongery, including:
Fire doors and door closers
Doorsets have two important functions in
a fire: when closed, they form a barrier to
fire spread and when open, they provide a
means of escape. Be sure to check what
type of rating your fire door has, as this
will affect the ironmongery you will need
to fit.
Fire doors in public buildings have to
adhere to the DDA and Part M of
Building Regulations, which states that
there has to be ease of access throughout
the entire building. The use of automatic
door opening devices or door closers
combined with an electromagnetic holdopen
function is recommended.
Door closers are typically graded by
power size. You will need to check your
individual fire door specification and
make a note of the weight, and width of
the door. This will help you determine the
correct power size. If the door is for a
public building, it will need to be DDAcompliant
to satisfy BS8300.
Smoke seals
Firstly, please remember that adding a
smoke seal, or a fire and smoke seal to
any door doesn't automatically make it a
fire door. Make sure that you have a
properly tested fire door construction.
Check the manufacturers' test
information and fit the same seals as the
door was tested with. If your fire door is a
fire and smoke door (denoted FD30S),
then you need to remember that a fire seal
alone will not be sufficient - you need to
buy a fire and smoke seal.
Escape Doors
Panic and emergency exit hardware needs
to cater for the individual's familiarity with
their surroundings. Public buildings need
to cater for people who are potentially
unfamiliar with the building. The BS
requirement specifies that doors need to
easily open in a panic situation, which is
particularly important in buildings where
people won't have been briefed on the exit
strategy. BS EN1125 sets the standard for
these environments. This panic hardware
consists of an exit device that is operated by
a horizontal bar.
Where occupants are familiar with the
escape routes and with the hardware used,
a horizontal bar is not required. These
products fall under British Standard BS
EN179. Push pad panic bolts and escape
locks are ideal for these types of locations
and provide optimum security, as well as
being easily operable in an emergency.
Document E and acoustic seals
Approved Document E, which took effect
in July 2003, outlines the minimum
requirements needed to comply with
acoustic performance regulations.
Changes made to Document E, resulted
in a new requirement for the acoustic
performance of a door assembly, making
requirements more specific.
It is now harder to achieve sufficient
acoustic performance than it is to meet
fire or smoke requirements, which puts
additional demand on the acoustic seal
system used. This is because doors must
have gaps between the leaves and the
frame, and between the bottom of the
door and the floor. These gaps allow
doors to be opened and closed easily and
accommodate normal building
movement. However, they also allow the
passage of cold smoke, hot smoke, fire
and sound known as 'unwanteds'.
For doors positioned in a location where
they double up as a fire door, acoustic seals
need to be able to prevent these unwanteds
from entering a room. By using an acoustic
seal which is fire rated, the door will be
compliant with Approved Document B,
which states that fire doors should also be
smoke-control doors.
Signage
All entry routes, facilities, and
information should be clearly defined and
indicated by appropriate signage, as stated
by Part 3 of the DDA. Since 24 December
1998, text-only fire exit signs should have
been supplemented or replaced with
pictogram signs. Fire safety signs
complying with BS 5499: Part I: 1990
already contain a pictogram and do not
require changing.
Creating a compliant premises legally,
safely and effectively should be
straightforward and hassle free with the
right advice and today's innovative
products.
Wayne Lysaght-Mason is the managing
director of IronmongeryDirect, a supplier of
architectural ironmongery.
