Double fire doors one locked.

[Tom Sutton]

On exit that leads from my office block to the top of the main stairwell and on the ground floor exit to the same area there are double fire doors. One half of the door is linked to a magnetic push button release. The other side is permanently locked closed.

There are two other emergency exits but are not the commonly used doors and would not be the primary route for persons in an emergency as they would go out the way they came.

Should these doors be locked (bolted / thumb bolts - no key required) or should both fire doors be linked to the magnetic release?

An enquiry received recently any comments?

[Golden]

Really depends on the numbers - I've had similar situation where architects have designed schools (other types of building are available with the same issues) with one and a half leaf doors onto stairs to make the numbers calculations work then they bolt the half leaf without fitting a self closer.

[kurnal]

Golden is right. It entirely depends on the width of each leaf and the number and characteristics of the people who may need to use that route. If the doors were single leaf of the same width as one half of each pair would a competent fire risk assessor ask for them to be widened?

[Mr. P]

Often, double doors are fitted to allow wider acces for equipment moving. As long as occupancy calcs are satisfactory with minimum door widths...

[Tom Sutton]

Really depends on the numbers - I've had similar situation where architects have designed schools (other types of building are available with the same issues) with one and a half leaf doors onto stairs to make the numbers calculations work then they bolt the half leaf without fitting a self closer.

Thanks guys but why fit double doors when a single door would suffice?

I fully accept in these days of risk assessment if the the risk is low and the numbers compute then it is acceptable but it goes against the grain to reduce the MoE when there is a simple solution to maintain the status quo before the bolts were fitted.

[kurnal]

Ease of moving furniture and equipment is one  common reason for fitting double doors.

[colin todd]

Another is so that portly  ex fire officers who have enjoyed too much of the good life can get through.

[Tom Sutton]

Ease of moving furniture and equipment is one  common reason for fitting double doors.

Double doors on the staircase, most likely single doors on the classrooms or offices, some what defeats the purpose, except for MoE.

[Davo]

Tom

as has been stated by others more competent than I, H & S is the likely reason for this

davo

[Phoenix]

If you look at the video of the Russian nightclub fire, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxCU0o4WtpE, at about 56 seconds, on this version, you briefly see one person then another try to unbolt the second leaf of the door then you see, at about 1 min. 8 seconds, another door that is half bolted shut.  I think less people might have died if these second door leaves had been open.

Stu