The importance of installing finger safe doors

The scale of the problem

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.

And that’s just children!  There is inadequate data for other sections of the population, but even conservative estimates suggest an additional 10,000 similar accidents as a minimum.  And the general consensus is that only about one in ten such accidents get reported.

So it’s a huge problem, in terms of the pain and suffering caused and also the cost to the NHS.

Did you know?

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.

The solution

Thankfully there is a solution – finger safe doors – and it’s called Safehinge.  It’s a brilliant 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 is an image which helps to illustrate 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.

How to get expert advice

It’s important that you talk to experts who specialise in the manufacture and installation of finger safe doors – and who can give you excellent advice and guidance based on years of successful installations and a large and satisfied customer base.

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.