More detail on what you need to think about when installing school doors
In our last article we introduced some of the key problems we face when thinking about installing school doors, namely:
- Fire resistance
- Fingersafe doors
- Security
- Safety
- Noise
Like we said, to a greater or lesser extent these factors apply to all doors – but the challenges are exacerbated by the fact that the children are so young and therefore potentially unable to act as adults would.
So let’s look at some of these factors in a little more detail.
Fire resistance
To help you get started, here are some links to useful government sources of information:
Fire safety risk assessment – educational establishments
The legislation and building regulations are (necessarily) complex, and include considerations such as:
- the provision of clear and effective access within the building
- the weight of the school doors
- glazing options, taking into account the required light and vision levels
Every year there are over 1,000 fires in schools that are attended by the emergency services – that’s an awful lot of fires involving such vulnerable potential victims, so clearly it’s absolutely vital to get it right. Fire doors for schools come in different specifications, as we’ve seen previously, with ratings from 30 to 240 minutes. You can examine some of the options by visiting the fire doors page .
Fingersafe doors
Every year, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA,) around 30,000 children trap their fingers in doors which may be at home, in school, at a nursery or in shops. In more than 1,500 of these accidents their fingers will be crushed, and the children will need surgery – sometimes ongoing reconstructive surgery, while some injuries fortunately can be as mild as soreness and bruising, and can therefore be treated with ice and cuddles.
A closing door can exert up to 40 tons per square inch of pressure along the gap between its hinges.
Hand injuries, although unlikely to be life-threatening, can be life-altering. An injured hand can make everyday tasks difficult and tiresome, if not impossible.
Thankfully there is a solution, called Safehinge – a brilliantly clever design that eliminates any chance of fingers being trapped by using a specialist pivot set that removes the gap at the hinge when opening and closing the door. Here’s an image so you can see how it works.
There are other advantages of Safehinge too:
- Ease of installation. Since both of the pivots are adjustable using easy access mechanisms, there is significant flexibility in the design, and as a consequence the doors can still be quickly and easily installed even when there are building imperfections and/or discrepancies (as there so often are!) between the architectural designs and reality
- No need to replace. With so many things to worry about, what you don’t want to worry about is replacing doors that are doing the job that they were designed to do. In the nicest possible way, you want to forget about them safe in the knowledge that they will continue to perform outstandingly for years to come. And that’s exactly what you can do with Safehinge They have been classified as ‘Severe Duty’ under British Standards, meaning that they are suitable for environments where they will undergo “frequent violent usage”. And what better example of such an environment is there than a school? The doors have also undergone cyclic testing to over 1.5 million cycles without any sign of failure. This reliability is down to the quality of materials that they are made from – 316 Stainless Steel and anodised aluminium – and the excellence of their design
- Huge lifetime cost savings. Traditionally, retro-fitted hinge covers were used to provide something approaching the protection that Safehinge now offers; these are renowned for having durability issues, breaking on average every 6 – 24 months. Being expensive to replace, the lifetime cost is substantial.
Security and safety
It’s a big and important topic, and covers a lot of areas. Here’s another useful government link for starters: School security
As we said last time, it works in both directions – protecting the children and school equipment and assets (e.g. computers) from unwanted intruders, while ensuring that the children and staff can evacuate safely should an emergency arise.
All external door locks and window catches need to provide a level of security. Some fire exit doors with push bars may need to be upgraded, but (of course) fire escape routes should not be locked off. Exit doors can be fitted with alarms to warn of unauthorised use during normal hours. It may be worth fitting locks to windows as well as doors. There should be strict control of keys with key storage boxes in alarmed areas. Regular checks ought to be in place to confirm the whereabouts of keys. Main school keys should never be given to pupils or parents.
Doors fitted with push button combination locks and self-closers can give additional security to offices and staffrooms used by large numbers of staff, where constant locking and unlocking by key would be a nuisance. As the combination can be compromised at any time, these locks should not be used to protect secure areas.
Noise
Educational establishments – especially schools for younger children – can be very noisy places! Quite apart from the general desire to keep classrooms as quiet as possible to keep concentration levels high, there are music rooms, chemistry labs (perhaps with the odd explosion!), and screams and shouts from playgrounds to contend with!
This is where acoustic doors, sometimes called soundproof doors, come into their own.
Again, there are various options, many of which we’ve covered before. Note that there are some circumstances where a door with a lower overall rating will block a particular frequency better than a higher rated door, so you will need to talk to experts who specialise in acoustic doors and who can give you excellent advice and guidance.
Special Needs schools
Please be aware that special regulations apply to Special Needs schools, such as the Part M regulations which require a white fire strip on the leading edge of all doors (even if they’re not fire rated) to help the visually impaired.
We’re here to help you
Here at Enfield Doors we have been manufacturing and installing school doors for many years – and we can give you expert advice and guide you through all of the regulations and complications that you need to be aware of.
If you would like further information on our company please visit our home page or go directly to our contact page when we will respond as quickly as possible.
As always we’ll be delighted to help and advise you.
