Miss

[Guest Gil93]

I am the designated H&S Officer for a soft-play centre for children with additional needs. Our fire doors are push pads or a bar and are alarmed to notify us of any children leaving the building. 

Would it be acceptable to put bolts on the door or to put the bars/pads further up the door to prevent children from escaping? Weighing it up, there's currently more of a risk posed by this than fire. 

Thanks

[AnthonyB]

It depends on the numbers involved and whether that requires panic proof exits - the law simply says "(f)emergency doors must not be so locked or fastened that they cannot be easily and immediately opened by any person who may require to use them in an emergency;"

so in some cases you see Redlam Bolts used with push bars or access control maglocks linked to the fire alarm. These do move away from accepted guidance, but have been justified in some fire risk assessments.

Incidentally panic bars were invented after a fatal crush of children over 100 years ago - putting bars too high up defeats the main reason they were developed.