New Fire doors with Escape locks
A mid Devon residential care home for the Elderly, had 2 issues. First, the Fire Risk Assessment had highlighted the need for new bedroom doors to FD30(S) specification, secondly the inspection body recommended lockable doors. The Proprietor was not keen on lockable doors as a number of his clients were frail and or suffered from arthritis so might struggle with a locked door. I recommended an escape mortise lock, fitted with an internal thumb turn lock on the inside of the door along with being on a master key system. If a client wished to lock themselves in their room, by operating the door handle, this would unlock (only from the inside) the door as well. The doors were fitted with the approved for fire door escape locks all to FD30(S) specification and to make the doors easy to use for his client group, the Proprietor had electric door closers fitted by his Fire Alarm Company so that the doors would be swinging free unless the Fire Alarm activated, which would then activate the closers and ensure the doors closed and latched shut. thus satisfying all requirements.