Does BS 7273-4:2007 need to be applied.

[Tom Sutton]

Please help. We have a maglock entrance door to our building. I have recently had an external company come in and carry out their maintenance. Their remedial works are to fit an interface to the door so in the event of a fire this becomes fail safe. This i understand, but is this a legal requirement to make the door fail safe. The door has a green push button to activate it, but this would not deem it fail safe. Please advise

I received the above inquiry the other day and it looks like the external company is applying BS 7273-4:2007 by requiring an interface with the fire alarm but no mention of a green Manual Release Control Box,  would you agree?

[jokar]

May not have to fail safe to the open position if it is required for security reasons.  Most people apply fail safe to open, on the fire alarm and a power failure and the green box.  However, that's a simple statement to make and the deatils of the classes of device in 7273 part 4 are not that simple as people have commented on before.  CT may give you chapter and verse.

[kurnal]

Tom I see the query from a different perspective.

Lets not forget that BS7273-4 only relates to the interface of the magnetic lock with the fire alarm system. if there is no such interconnection then BS7273-4 does not apply.

The fire risk assessment should consider whether a- a green emergency release unit is required and b- whether the magnetic lock is required to release automatically on operation of the fire alarm.

We would need to consider who would use the door- public or staff only, and how many people may need to use the door. We would also need to consider what other exit hardware was fitted and how it all works together, eg is it necessary to manipulate more than one device to open the door. If so is this a risk?

For say 10 employees in an office an interface to the alarm is most likely not needed, a green break glass box may be advisable (usually is- depending on the installation) but if members of the public are involved, or large numbers of people it would be advisable to have the door unlocked by the fire alarm before they get to  the door in an emergency. As soon as we connect it to the fire alarm BS7273-4 will apply.

[Tom Sutton]

Thanks Jokar and kurnal I will pass on your advice but I think the main problem is he doesn't fully understand what has been done and until he can provide a fuller explanation it is difficult to give a good response.

[Tom Sutton]

Another consideration has come to mind, what happens if the electric mains supply fails, most maglock devices will fail safe to open or closed. But for security reasons I would imagine in most cases they will fail to closed, because out of hours the premises would be open to intruders. That so, in the cases of mains failure during a fire how would the maglock be over rid assuming there isn't a mechanical override (thumb screw).

[AnthonyB]

To deal with the situation Tom gives, it is common for maglocks to have their own PSU so that on mains failure the batteries kick in  - with a fail safe lock this maintains security to the door, with fail danger it allows emergency override.