Temporarily locking a second fire exit door

[bvernon-clinch]

Hello,

We have a fire exit door with a push bar which is the main door for our offices. This door is also controlled by a keypad enabling access to staff, and visitors can be buzzed in. To complicate matters, we also then have a second fire exit door which doesn't have any security, but is the final fire exit door as this leads outside. This door doesn't have a bolt or catch, and can be pushed and pulled open freely. Between these two doors is a very small lobby area which we encourage the general public to enter to help themselves to free leaflets. When the office is unoccupied, we lock this final door using a chubb key.

We would like to be able to lock the final door during lunchtimes so that the general public are unable to access the lobby. We thought that one solution might be installing a small catch which can be opened/released and closed from the inside. In an emergency, the first fire exit door can be pushed open with the bar, and the final door would either be open or temporarily closed by the catch.

Please can you advise whether this is legal, or if there might be some other way of resolving this problem.

Thanks,

Becky

[Tom Sutton]

On the final exit door you could fit a panic bar with a Hold-back device (also known as dogging) allows the latch and bolts of an exit device to be held in the withdrawn or open position. This allows free access through the door from both sides and also prevents the latch or bolts from being damaged if the door should be thrown closed. The hold-back feature was designed for fire exit doors and should not be used on an internal fire door unless the door has been certified as a fire door with unlatched hardware.

 

Check out http://www.safelincs.co.uk/briton-378-panic-bar-with-latch/

 

I do not know who chose the word dogging obviously somebody who was not familiar with today's slang. :rolleyes:

[bvernon-clinch]

Hi Tom,

That's really helpful - I didn't know such a thing existed. This should solve the problem.

Thanks,

Becky

[Tom Sutton]

Glad I could help.

[Guest Jen]

Hi I live in a 3 storey block of apartments. We have 2 exits front and back.  The back has been secured with screws as it needs a new hinge and you cannot use this door.  Are the housing association allowed to do this as it is an exit route

[AnthonyB]

Single stair with just a front and back door? If so you would usually only need the one door, the second door is usually part of an accommodation route to access car parks, bin stores, etc as oppose to a required alternative.