Fire safety breaches can result in hefty fines and jail sentences. ASSA ABLOY UK, a division of the global leader in door opening solutions, offers advice on door closers in relation to fire safety.
According to Atomik Research, 45% of people responsible for fire safety in their organisations say they would not know how to spot a suspect fire door.
Door closers play a critical part in fire and smoke protection. ASSA ABLOY UK’s DC700G-FM Free-Motion® door closer is the first door closer for door widths up to 1400mm that combines a free-swing function with Cam-Motion® technology, allowing users to operate fire doors with the same low forces as non-fire doors. This replicates the absence of a door closer, but offers reliable closing in the event of a fire.
Ideal for providing barrier free access, the DC700G-FM Free-Motion® door closer satisfies BS8300, helping towards meeting the requirements of Approved Doc M and The Equalities Act 2010 for building owners, users and visitors. The product is also suitable for use in schools, hospitals or residential homes where the young, elderly or infirm may struggle with the forces associated with conventional door controls.
David Hindle, Head of Door Closer Sales at ASSA ABLOY UK, said: “Shaftesbury Care Group Ltd has recently been hit with a hefty fine and costs totaling £410,000 due to fire safety failings at a care home. This serves as stark warning to businesses that failing to carry out fire safety responsibilities can have detrimental consequences.”
“It is essential that those responsible for fire safety within organisations ensure the correct door closers are installed. Door closers on fire and smoke protection doors can be a complex matter, since they must present the user with the lowest possible opening forces, whilst still retaining a high closing force in line with legislation. Both of these requirements are met with the DC700G-FM Free-Motion® door closer, which makes a controlled fire door as easy to use as an uncontrolled free-swing door.”