Powered Door - Closing Force & Duration It Should Remain Open

[Tadees]

In a sheltered housing scheme where the final exit doors are powered doors (electromagnet), is there a time that they should remain open for, or is this based on the slowest person evacuating the block?  The doors in question open remain open for a duration of time and then automatically shut on a timer.  If the door starts closing whilst the person is going through it, is there a maximum force that should not be exceeded when going through the door.

[nearlythere]

In a sheltered housing scheme where the final exit doors are powered doors (electromagnet), is there a time that they should remain open for, or is this based on the slowest person evacuating the block?  The doors in question open remain open for a duration of time and then automatically shut on a timer.  If the door starts closing whilst the person is going through it, is there a maximum force that should not be exceeded when going through the door.

Is the not some info in BS EN 1154 about the closing speed and force of self closing devices for different environments?

[colin todd]

If they are final exit doors, what does it matter.  They will not be FR anyway.

[wee brian]

There's nothing I can find in BS 8300.

[Fishy]

A couple of references spring to mind - BS 9999: 2017 see 32.1.6.1 (Self-closing devices).  Also Approved Document M clauses 2.9 and 2.26 (if this building is in England).

Assuming that this door is part of the normal circulation routes, then I'd have thought timer settings / closing forces etc should have been sorted as a general H&S issue - you wouldn't want frail occupants knocked off their feet if the door closes on them? If it's OK in normal use, then it should be OK as a fire exit.  

Obviously if there are electronic security locks on the doors then you'd need to consider BS 7273-4.

So long as the closing force is no more than is recommended, then I'd suggest that the timer setting is pretty immaterial.   As Colin rightly points out, if there's no need for the door to be F/R then it can stay open for as long as you like, in an evacuation.  

[Tom Sutton]

Check out BS 7036-0:2014 Power operated pedestrian doorsets. Safety in use. Code of practice for risk assessment and risk reduction, may be some use.