I live in a block of sheltered housing flats which are in the process of having a massive renovation, one upgrade is our Flat front doors, to a new higher fire prevention and are installing a integrated spring to close the door automatically. Unfortunately you have to be a strong fit person to use the door, which I am not, because of the strength required to physically open the door. It is so severe that I have just returned from having spent two days in an emergency visit to hospital after opening the door just twice and because of this the contractors disconnected the spring.
The contractors hired by our council are now being reprimanded and told that they shouldn't have disconnected it and to reconnect the spring, which will basically lock me in my flat!
I know that Health a& Safety rules are there for our protection but surely this is going too far as my Flat door opens out onto a landing which has a fire exit with a properly fitted fire door which opens onto the exit stair well.
If it has to have a spring closure fitted can it be one that doesn't require any strength? I would appreciate your prompt advice as I am being put under a lot of pressure, thank you.
