Advice needed thank you

[sherbertlemon]

Just come across this forum trying to find out about fire doors.

The story is my daughter was pushed in a night club and put her hand out to save her self.  She conected with a fire door  which opened and she fell onto a small landing area and then fell down the fire escape steps.  She suffered lots of cuts, brusies ect and concussion but is okay now.

The question l am trying to find out is how could this have happend, do the doors have to remain unlocked and 'swingin free' during opening hours, are they alarmed.  How come an accident like this could have happened.

Your thoughts would be gratefully received.

[Chris Houston]

Fire exits must be easy to open for (hopefully) obvious reasons.  I think the problem was that she was pushed, not anything to do with the door design, by the sounds of it.

[messy]

For places of entertainment (ie where numerous persons would be likely to want to escape simultaneously during an emergency) the fire exit doors are hung to open outwards and are fitted with devices which open the door if pressure is placed upon them, thereby reducing the risk of 'Hillsborough' type crush injuries or deaths.

So in the case as you describe, it sounds to me that the door and associated furniture was doing exactly what it is designed to do.

[Graeme]

I have fallen out of a few night clubs in my time and i always blamed dodgy Vodka.

Now i have a new one to try on the Wife next time i go out..

[sherbertlemon]

Tut tut Graeme !

Anyway thank you, l am still not quite the wiser but l see the door was doing its job, although l always thought there was a bar to press or in recent times a glass handle to break?.  

Seams quite dangerous to  to have a fire door on a narow landing area with steep steps behind amid a load of drunkards (not that daughte was drunk lol), but obviously the fire brigade must have okayed it.

I remember  Hillsborough , truly awful.

[Chris Houston]

The door was easy to open, that is the main criteria.

The problem is not the door, but the drunk people and the pushing.....

There is no requirement for the fire brigade to okay it, it is the management's responsibility to make sure things are safe.

[nearlythere]

Just come across this forum trying to find out about fire doors.

The story is my daughter was pushed in a night club and put her hand out to save her self.  She conected with a fire door  which opened and she fell onto a small landing area and then fell down the fire escape steps.  She suffered lots of cuts, brusies ect and concussion but is okay now.

The question l am trying to find out is how could this have happend, do the doors have to remain unlocked and 'swingin free' during opening hours, are they alarmed.  How come an accident like this could have happened.

Your thoughts would be gratefully received.

You would have to prove negligence by the owner/manager in some way which resulted in the injuries  As was said the door was doing what it was meant to do. There then maybe a issue of control of the patrons but again it is down to showing negligence.
What about assault by the person, if known, who pushed your daughter?

[Big T]

Sounds like assault first and foremost.

Realistically though this type of accident should have been risk assessed by the clubs management from a Health and safety point of view rather than fire safety perspective.

[wee brian]

The landing may have been too small - have a look at approved Doc K to the building regs.  www.planningportal.gov.uk