apartment fire exit door fail safe or fail secure electric strike ?

[Guest davey]

Hi

 

Were having a new main entrance / only fire exit door fitted to our block of 12 flats.

Were also having a new fob operated acess control system fitted.

We have a hard wired fire alarm system that is fully maintained and tested as it should be.

do we spec a fail safe or fail secure electric lock strike ?

any advice appreciated ?

cheers Davey

[Tom Sutton]

Electronic door locking systems should fail safe in accordance with BS 7273-4:2015 Code of Practice for the operation of fire protection measures - Part 4: Actuation of release mechanisms for doors.

[AnthonyB]

If it's a means of escape Building Regulations doesn't usually allow electro-mechanical locks such as electronic keeps, but prefers electromagnetic locks.

If however there is an internal means of unlatching the door without operating the keep/strike (tumbturn operated deadlock latch or a night latch [Yale lock]) then it's OK as releasing the door does not rely on the electromechanical part of the access system.

[Tom Sutton]

I agree with AB and if building control prefers electromagnetic locks then you need to consider BS 7273-4. 

[Guest Nathan]

Sorry to jump on an old post, however, I have a similar situation.

 

The exit door has a thumb turn on the inside so that the residents are able to escape in the event of a fire alarm trigger. Is there any legislation that says about access for the fire brigade. The door is fitted with fail secure and a firemans switch and in the event of a power failure, residents will be able to exit, however, the fire brigade would be either reliant on someone opening the door or they would have to force entry.

 

Thanks,

 

Nathan

[Tom Sutton]

There is no legislation, the FRS should arrive during the evacuation or soon after and you would be able to let them in failing that they would have to force entry.