Dry riser inlet boxes

[Big T]

According to BS9990, BS 5051 pt 5:1974 is still current and I have to use a wooden door or a door with a glazed section to allow a fire fighter to utilise his boot or an axe to access the dry riser inlet. The door must have a spring cylinder lock releaseable from the inside without a key or the outside with a key.

I want to put a louvred steel metal door on the front of a Dry riser inlet box for security purposes. I want to paint it red. Have Dry riser on the front in a contrasting colour and secure it with an FB padlock.

Is there any reason this isn't suitable? The kids are kicking the hell out of everything I manage.

Surely with modern equipment. Ie Keys. This is acceptable? If someone fills the lock with glue or some other equally vandalitic material, an angle grinder or a bolt cropper would deal with an FB padlock right, even a 14?

Cheers

[Pip]

Discuss it with the local fire safety office-they may be prepared to accommodate you.not much point having an easily assessible outlet/inlet if it has been vandalised.much better to up the 'security' in aggreement with the local fire4 service

[val]

Big T

Pip is right and this sort of arrangement was alluded to in the FSO Guides (Page 62). Even those fire services who are reluctant to carry keys are likely to think that it is an acceptable compromise to wreck the door on those occasions when there is a need to charge the DR.

Just don't make it too secure!

[messy]

Big T

Like all other fire safety 'rules', you have to ask why were they introduced and what do they hope to achieve by them?

Obviously in this case, it's to allow easy access - at all times- to the dry riser inlet using lightweight tools available to fire crews (ie carried on appliances).

It seems to me that your solution totally fits this description as I cannot envisage any FRS not having bolt croppers or similar light tools to do the job if keys were not available. Gaining access ould pose little difficulty

However, it must be a FB padlock (and not a security padlock) as the angle grinder solution though is a non starter. The time delay caused by perhaps a lone FF (in the early stages) setting up and cutting a padlock using this method would be unacceptable (assuming a grinder is available)

[val]

Messy,

You london boys!

Many FRS, (in those provinces outside of the M25) do not carry keys or support the FB padlock approach.
You'll be recomending GARDA boxes next!

To be really fair, I thought the FB padlock was a good idea.

[Richard Earl]

may i say that the idea is good i recommend this to some clients but also recommend the garda key lock to be fitted as most if not all fire units carry this key.

and for the record garda pib boxs are very very good and have helped my clients (sheltered housing) really well

rich

[afterburner]

Big T, rather than speaking to the local fire safety officer, talk to the local operational managers, the people who actually come to the fire and ask them what you can do, what they can actually work with and what compromises can you reach betweeen you. This is like your 'doors' question, what's the point of the riser inlets if you can't defend them? Society has changed since the original standards were written. The standards need to change too.

[Pip]

I would expect the local fire safety officer to talk with his 'Ops' colleagues before responding-normal practice where I come from.