Should Fire Doors Be Locked

If you don t already have fire doors in your home standard doors are fine.

Should fire doors be locked.

It does not have to be a fire door to accomplish this. 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. However if you wish to apply extra safety measures to keep you and your family safe then they are a great addition. Goods cannot be put down directly in front of or behind the door.

Above all equip doors with panic hardware and fire exit hardware. 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. For example this should not be less than 30 inches and not more than 44 inches above the floor. By enabling the swift passage of people to a place of safety the final exit door will have performed its function.

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. However if it is a fire door then access to both sides must be kept clear e g. Osha requires that the height of an exit must be seven feet. While it can be convenient to put a wedge in to keep a fire door open creating an easy exit or to let in a breeze an open door can defeat its fire protection capabilities.

Fire exits doors should open easily and wherever possible in the direction of traffic flow. 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. An applied force of 15 pounds should be enough to release the latch.

Hardware consisting of bars that extend to at least half of the width of the door leaf. Your fire risk assessment should highlight the risks associated with blocking a fire door and more importantly it should include the control measures that will prevent it from happening. 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. Fire safety can 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.