Good security locks for fire doors

[fei]

I am a director of flats development where we own our own freehold.  We are in the process of having FD30 doors installed to meet requirements of our most recent fire assessment.  The doors have gone in but the locks seem to be of the poorest quality for security ....possibly as low as 25 key variations  The lock and door handle are combined.  They have euro cyclinders.  Is it possible to get kitemarked for security eurocylinders that are also fire rated to 30 minutes.  and also can individual leaseholders fit a secondary deadlocking fire egress rim lock (what in old fashion days was called a yale lock).  Make life easy for me.  am happy to be directed to actual products that fit this need. 

[Neil ashdown]

Many fire doors have limitations about what products may be fitted in terms of security locks.  Often the lock is allowed only to be installed at a position between 800mm & 1200mm from the bottom edge of the door and there will be a limit to the lock-set dimensions.

For this reason many of the fire doors seen with a cylinder night latch rim lock are non-compliant to the door manufacturers' evidence of fire resistance performance.

So in terms of the door you have had installed and improving security, it will be necessary to check with the door manufacturer about what type of locks may be fitted and at what positions. Some door leaves do have evidence of fire resistance performance with additional mortice dead locks fitted, but many do not.

However, the fire door industry have been aware of this issue for some time therefore dual certification PAS 24 Secure By Design fire doors are available. So when specifying new fire rated flat entrance door-sets, one should add this where it is a requirement.