Table of Contents
- 1 What are the requirements for a fire exit?
- 2 Can a fire exit be used as an entrance?
- 3 What is the difference between fire exit and emergency exit?
- 4 Should fire exit doors be kept closed?
- 5 Are Fire doors supposed to be kept closed?
- 6 Where are fire exit doors required to be fitted?
- 7 Do fire doors have to have locks and catches?
What are the requirements for a fire exit?
What is a fire exit?
- Lead directly as possible to a safe place, such as outside or into a protected stairwell.
- Be quick and easy to open and never locked or fastened in a way that prevents an immediate evacuation.
- Open in the direction of escape.
- Not be a sliding or revolving door.
Can a final exit door be locked?
Final fire exit doors should never be blocked from the inside or outside. Equally, the internal escape routes must not be blocked.
Can a fire exit be used as an entrance?
We’re sometimes asked, incidentally, whether a designated fire exit can also legally be used as a regular entrance/exit door i.e. for every day use. The answer is yes it can – indeed the fact that it is in daily use makes it ideal as an escape route as its location is well known.
What is the difference between a fire door and a fire exit?
Certified fire doors of solid timber construction are designed to resist the smoke and flames of a fire for a minimum specified length of time, typically 30 minutes (FD30), when closed. A fire exit door on the other hand, is an external door; it can be left open and does not have to be fire resistant.
What is the difference between fire exit and emergency exit?
As the title of this article suggests, the Standard did not and still does not acknowledge the phrase ‘Emergency exit’. Signs leading to and denoting the door that is only used in the event of an emergency (usually with a push bar or push pad on them) should be marked as ‘Fire exit’.
Are panic bars required on exit doors?
It is usually only installed on doors that are required by law to have panic hardware. International Building Code IBC only requires this type of hardware on buildings: with specific high-traffic or high-hazard occupancy, such as educational or assembly facilities with more than 50 people.
Should fire exit doors be kept closed?
Fire doors should be kept shut because they need to be closed in order to prevent the spread of fire and smoke. Propping or wedging them open compromises the safety of the building’s inhabitants, putting them at serious risk, should a fire occur.
Are final exit doors fire doors?
A final exit door is a door through which persons can escape to an area of total safety. A fire door is provided as part of a safety system, usually within a building, designed to resist the effects of smoke and fire for long enough to allow persons to escape safely and to limit fire damage.
Are Fire doors supposed to be kept closed?
Fire doors need to be closed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke. Legally, if you wedge open a fire door and it is judged that this puts someone’s life at risk, you could suffer penalties, including a fine or even a prison sentence.
Are fire exit doors fire doors?
Fire exit doors are found on the outside of buildings while fire doors are located inside buildings. There is also a difference in the materials that these doors are made from. Fire exit doors are made from strong but light materials so they can repel intruders yet still open easily from the inside.
Where are fire exit doors required to be fitted?
In multiple occupancy buildings they are required to be fitted on the entrance to each individual dwelling, often leading into a communal hallway. Fire exit doors are the final door on an emergency exit route that must lead to a place of safety.
Why is it important to have emergency exit doors?
This ensures the highest level of safety for a building’s occupants. The NFPA emergency exit door requirements code states there is a maximum travel distance allowed to find an exit. If there is a fire in the area where occupants are, they are already being exposed to smoke, fire, and heat.
Do fire doors have to have locks and catches?
There should be no locks or catches. Many use a push bar system that will open the door when pressed down. If the door is also a secure entrance, the lock/catches must self-open when the fire alarm sounds. The final fire exit door must lead to a place of safety.
How do fire doors open when fire alarm sounds?
Many use a push bar system that will open the door when pressed down. If the door is also a secure entrance, the lock/catches must self-open when the fire alarm sounds. The final fire exit door must lead to a place of safety.