Door Industry Journal - Winter 2014

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 78 THE door industry journal winter 2014 building hardware feature There’s more to door closers than performance Anyone concerned with the design, construction or management of buildings will be aware of the critical role that door closers play in assuring the safety of a building’s occupants in case of fire. They ensure that fire doors close automatically, either at all times or when initiated by fire warning systems, and are held shut against their fire/smoke seals, allowing the door to perform the function for which it is designed. Whilst performing this vital function reliably is a key factor in product selection, specifiers and managers are becoming increasingly aware of the added benefits that concealed door closers can provide in areas such as safety, risk reduction, reliability and maintenance costs. Professionals will also be aware of the requirements imposed by the Equality Act to assure unhindered access to facilities for the physically impaired. Choosing the right door closer for a given application relies not only on assessing the product’s suitability against recognised regulations and performance standards, but also on considering a number of other factors that can have a bearing on the safety, comfort and well-being of the building’s occupants. Performance requirements The key areas of fire safety and accessibility are governed by a plethora of building regulations, performance standards and best practice guides. Where fire safety is concerned, various requirements come to bear when selecting a door closer, including Approved Document B of the Building Regulations (Technical handbook E in Scotland and Part E in Northern Ireland), BS EN 1154, which governs the performance of controlled door closing devices and BS EN 1634-1, the fire door testing standard. Door closers that are suitable for use on fire doors must carry the CE mark. With accessibility, parliamentary instruments such as the Equality Act and the Special Education Needs and Disability Act apply in conjunction with Approved Document M of the Building Regulations (Section 3 in Scotland, Part R in Northern Ireland) and BS 8300, which stipulates maximum opening forces for doors on accessible routes. Finding a door closer that meets relevant fire and accessibility criteria should not be difficult for the majority of applications as most commercially available products will, at the very least, be able to meet the mandatory minimum performance criteria covering the size and weight of doors for which they have been designed.