Sliding door in disabled toilet

[Guest ChrisPog]

Hi - I'm a volunteer with a charity. We need to instal a fire door in a disabled toilet , and it must be a sliding door or any other design that does not block the fire exit route. Have you any advice, especially about the ease with which wheelchair users can open such a door. Thanks and regards Chris

[Tom Sutton]

Sliding doors may be fitted where it is not possible for a side hung door to swing either in or out. It must achieve an effective clear width as stipulated in BS 8300, current addition. The effective clear width is the available width measured at 90 degrees to the plane of the doorway for passage through the door opening, clear of all obstructions, such as handles and when a sliding door is opened to its full extent.

The current British Standard is BS 8300:2009+A1:2010 and to the best of my knowledge the preferred effective clear width is between 800mm – 850mm depending on how you approach the door and the minimum sizes are 750 mm to 800 mm.

To be certain you need to study the current standard to gain a full understanding of the situation.