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.

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. If you don t already have fire doors in your home standard doors are fine. Osha requires that the height of an exit must be seven feet. For example this should not be less than 30 inches and not more than 44 inches above the floor.

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. Fire safety can fire doors be locked. You have a fire escape door leading from one of your warehouses which is also used as a goods inwards door. 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.

Above all equip doors with panic hardware and fire exit hardware. 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. By enabling the swift passage of people to a place of safety the final exit door will have performed its function. Should fire doors be locked.

Fire exits doors should open easily and wherever possible in the direction of traffic flow. It does not have to be a fire door to accomplish this. An applied force of 15 pounds should be enough to release the latch. However if it is a fire door then access to both sides must be kept clear e g.

For security purposes the door is kept locked at night even though staff remain on site. However if you wish to apply extra safety measures to keep you and your family safe then they are a great addition. 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. 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 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.