Panic & Emergency Exit Devices

Experience relating to escape from buildings and general safety has shown the importance of fitting doors on escape routes with suitable exit devices to enable the occupants of the building to escape quickly and easily in the case of fire or some other emergency.
Factors to consider include:
• Different groups of users will have differing requirements to enable them to make an effective escape and this has to be reflected in the type of device chosen. For example, in buildings frequented by the general public it is important that doors can be released easily by people who might have no training in emergency procedures or the use of the exit device, and might therefore panic in the rush to escape.
• Other buildings might be occupied predominantly by authorised personnel, who have been trained specifically in the procedures for escape, and who are therefore unlikely to panic in the case of an emergency.
• Where escape route doors are part of the final exit from a building, there will be some additional requirements for security of the door against intrusion and burglary. In this case there can be a conflict between the requirements of building users to be able to escape easily and the requirements of building owners to secure their building and its contents against crime
• Where escape route doors are part of the fire compartmentation of the building there will be additional requirements to ensure that the escape hardware fitted does not compromise the fire-resisting performance of the doorset.
Therefore, exit door hardware is divided into the following categories:
• Panic exit devices (for use where panic situations may be envisaged)
• Emergency exit devices (for use by trained personnel where panic situations are not envisaged)
• Exit devices for use on fire-resisting doorsets
• Accessories for exit devices.

We at City Fire can offer the expertise and skills to advise on all of the above factors and to arrange installation in your premises.

Fire doors offer a barrier to the spread of fire, at the very least delaying that spread if not preventing it completely. A fire door must not only be fire resistant but it is also important that it acts as an effective seal to combustion gasses and prevents further oxygen from feeding the fire.

 Consequently, they should also be fitted with intumescent strips and fire seals. Where fitted these should be checked periodically as they can suffer deterioration over time particularly if the doors are frequently accessed.

Once again, we at City Fire can both advise and implement any necessary steps.