Question: Residents in my building continually wedge a fire exit door open so they can re-enter the building. What are the regulations?
I live in a residential apartment building that was originally a retirement home. There is a fire exit door on my level. Residents continually wedge the door open so they can re-enter as it is locked from the outside.
The exit leads to an outdoor stairway onto the carpark and has a security camera and intercom installed by the original owners. The door has also been fitted with some type of magnetic release mechanism with a switch next to the door. None of these functions are operational.
I proposed we provide a key to the door and repair the security camera. This will prevent the current security and fire safety hazards, while allowing residents access to the building. What are the regulations for this situation?
Answer: Fire exit doors are required to be unlocked in the direction of travel – e.g. anyone can escape the building safely, but the residents are free to chock it open.
The first thing to note here is the difference between a “fire door” and a “fire exit door”.
If it is a fire exit door, the key requirement is being unlocked in the direction of travel – e.g. anyone can escape the building safely, but the residents are free to chock it open. Security concerns are unrelated to fire and should be dealt with via strata.
If it is a fire door (has a metal tag stating this on the edge of door & frame), the key requirements are being fire rated, automatically closing and latching to prevent fire spreading through the opening and it may not be chocked open (unless you have magnetic hold-open devices fitted that release upon fire alarm).
This is quite hard to answer definitively without the exact location and context, but hope this helps!
This post appears in Strata News #574.
Rob Broadhead
2020 Fire Protection
E: rob.broadhead@2020fire.com.au
P: 1300 340 210
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