We recently received the following question from a lot owner about apartment fire regulations. Peter Berney, Solutions in Engineering has provided the following response.
Question: What are the rules on fitting a security door to the front entrance door of a unit? Does this breach apartment fire regulations?
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What are the rules on fitting a security door to the entrance door of a unit? Does this breach apartment fire regulations?
A while ago in our NSW strata building, another owner and I got permission to fit security mesh doors to our balconies. However, the other lot owner also had one fitted to their entrance door which was not part of the permission.
The fire safety inspector objected but somehow this owner (who happens to be on the committee) and the Strata Manager, buried the issue. That Strata Manager has now left. My query is whether that’s legitimate in NSW?
In case of a fire, doesn’t that hamper firefighters entering the unit? Will that affect the insurance of the building in any way?
Answer: The NSW Fire Brigade recommend against security doors being fitted and for good reason as they would hamper the fire and rescue services.
The NSW Fire Brigade recommend against security doors being fitted and for good reason as they would hamper the fire and rescue services. Also the ‘ideal’ of compartmentalisation would be lost as the fire could either start in the unit and then easily spread as it’s not being contained within the unit it started and/or enter the unit because the fire door may not be shut resulting in what could have been a preventable disaster. I can’t think of any legitimate reason to fit a security door in front of a fire door, other than to allow ventilation meaning the fire door is open meaning it is now rendered ineffective.
However in saying that and with the EP&A Regs 2000 Division 7 in mind, I do not know of any specific regulation that states unit security doors are not to be installed and I do not know if this would affect the building insurance but if this was my scheme that is the first question I’d be asking the insurers before fitting any door in front of a fire door.
Please see this FactSheet from NSW Fire and Rescue: Safe living in high rise buildings:
“The front door of your apartment should be a certified fire resistant door. Making alterations to the front door can make it unsafe in the event of a fire. Check with your building management before making alterations.”
This post appears in Strata News # 173.
Read next:
Peter Berney
National Business Development Manager
Solutions in Engineering
T: 1300 136 036
E: [email protected]
This article is not intended to be personal advice and you should not rely on it as a substitute for any form of advice.
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Hi Nikki
My question was more in relation to what are the fire safety requirements on a building that was built in the early 1970’s, in terms of unit doors, fire extinguishers , smoke alarms etc?. What are the legal requirements for an Owners Corporation? Or is this still a grey area?
Thanks
Nick
Our building was built in the early 1970’s and we are a self-managed Strata Corporation, as such we have tried to engaged the services of a ”Fire safety Company”, who could not advise specifically what we needed or did not need to be compliant to the NSW Environmental Planning & Assessment Regulation 2000 Part 9, regarding the initial Fire Safety Installation Certificate and the Annual Fire Safety Certificate each year after.
I was advised by them to call my local Council to get further information about our building fire safety requirements. The council had no information on this whatsoever and advised they had no staff that specifically looked after this area (Fire Safety). They then referred me to another website.
The questions remain is do we as a Strata Corporation have to do something or not regarding the initial Fire Safety Installation Certificate & Annual Fire Safety Certificate given our building was built in the early 1970’s? and if so what are the scope of works required?
Thanks
Nick
Hi Nick,
We have received the following response from Peter Berney, Solutions in Engineering:
Firstly there is no simple short answer to this question, and I hope to not bore too many with this response.
When looking at screen doors the strata needs to consider the need or desire for them and if there are not better ways to achieve the same result. This decision ideally should be made in advance of an owner making a request as this will ensure uniformity through the building.
Most owners will want screen doors for either improved airflow or improved security or both.
When considering this the strata needs to take into account the following issues both positive and negative.
· If the unit entry door is fire rated the strata must consult with their fire door maintenance company. The reason for this will be evident from the point below.
· The overall ‘look’ of the property if screen doors are installed particularly if some owners have them installed and some don’t. Consider that the Strata may need to specify the type and colour of the door to gain some uniformity.
· Who is paying for the door and any ongoing maintenance considering it is being installed on common property but is for the sole benefit of a single unit?
· Safety to others in the building having due regard for the width and shape of the corridor or walkway at all unit entries, not just the unit making the request. Can others pass safety past this door if it is left open particularly in the event of an emergency? Remember that at least some screen door closers can be set to hold open, others could fail and not self-close or the closer not be installed or be removed. As the door is fitted to the outside on the door frame the handle will protrude into the corridor and may cause a safety issue even if the door is correctly closed.
· Emergency services may have increased difficulty accessing the unit in the event of an emergency.
· Noise both from the door opening and closing and noise radiating onto the common property if the entry door is held open.
· Cooking odours, or smoke from cooking radiating onto common property affecting the comfort of others or triggering common property smoke detection equipment. Depending upon the fire detection equipment installed at the building it could result in unnecessary brigade callouts, and increased costs for owners, occupiers and Strata.
· If the door is needed for security, is it a type that offers better security than the existing entry door? Generally better security comes at a higher cost.
· Can the existing door be fitted with an additional lock to improve its security? In this the Strata will need to consider if the existing entry door contains Asbestos, and that the correct type of lock is fitted by the correctly licensed tradesperson if the door is fire rated.
· Can the Strata reasonably improve security into the building or site so that all occupiers receive the benefit over the entire building?
· If the door is fire rated having a screen door is an inducement to wedge or hold open the fire door. If this occurs an offence has been committed, and should a fire start in the area smoke, heat or fire could spread through this doorway. Fire doors can only be held open with an approved device which will not be possible in some buildings and will come at a high cost in one where it is possible.
· If the door is fire rated so is the door frame. Penetrating the frame for hinges and locks, adding door jams or seals, etc has the potential to affect the certification of the opening and may make it non-compliant.
· If the frame is fire rated only correctly licensed tradespersons can do alterations. The Strata must ensure that the tradesperson is correctly licensed and insured to work on fire rated installations.
From this most will have gathered that it is a difficult if not impossible process and in most cases, this is so. However, it may well be feasible and beneficial in some strata particularly low rise townhouse developments where most doors are not fire rated and the unit opens directly onto an open space.
Are all units required to have a fire door? our block is a 1960’s and only have ordinary wood doors that actually do not fit correctly, our body corp[orate are very loath to spend any money on anything if they can avoid it. Is the fire door the owners or strata’s responsibility?
Hi Beverley
Thanks for the question. We have received the following comment back from Peter Berney, Solutions In Engineering:
The requirements or otherwise of fire doors is clear. They must be maintained as approved at the time the building was passed for occupation. Either at the time of construction or renovation, unless the council has issued an improvement order at a later date.
In this case, if the building was approved without fire doors and no council improvement order exists, there is no requirement for them to be installed now. We would however strongly recommend that the existing doors fit and operate correctly. If any need to be replaced they must be replaced like for like.
Entry doors are generally the responsibility of the Strata as they are considered an essential part of the building.
Our building in Sydney dates from 1964, and our fire review in 2007 required every fire door to the units to have the closers. Civil Fire are very assiduous in ensuring all the closers work as directed in order to issue the annual certicate!
My building dates from 1972. Are the doors to each Unit, which are fire rated, obliged to have automatic door closers on them?
Hi Owen
We have received the following reply back from Peter Berney, Solutions In Engineering:
Yes they need to be self closing as detailed in AS 1851 Section 12 Table 12.4.3.1.
” I can’t think of any legitimate reason to fit a security door in front of a fire door….””
Really? How about security? Not being allowed to improve the locks etc. on a fire door (most entrance fire doors belong to the Strata) means that the only way to get additional security is to install a security door. Of course, this may or may not be objected to by the fire officer, but no legitimate reason? I don’t think so.
Tony Page