Fire Exit as a door
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- jonsi
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Fire Exit as a door
A friend has a small industrial unit for light fabrication employing about a dozen people. It's not a particularly hazardous or risky operation. He's asked me whether he can use a fire door (leading to a path alongside the outside wall of the building) as an entrance/exit door for his employees. There is a main entrance door into a Reception area and a back door from the main part of the unit but he doesn't want his staff coming in and out through Reception. I don't think he's breaking any rules by using a Fire Exit as a general Entrance/Exit provided it's well lit, wide enough, unobstructed etc. etc. Am I correct?
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Re: Fire Exit as a door
That's why they manufacturer emergency exit door hardware that's a Pushbar on the inside and a handle on the outside....
- jonsi
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Re: Fire Exit as a door
when you put it like that Berni ...bernicarey wrote:That's why they manufacturer emergency exit door hardware that's a Pushbar on the inside and a handle on the outside....
Just wanted to make sure I wasn't giving him 'dodgy' advice
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- bernicarey
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Re: Fire Exit as a door
Nae problem jonsi
I've been in plenty of workplaces where the final exit 'Fire Door' is also a regular entrance/exit.
Especially aircraft hangars!
http://a-s.yolasite.com/resources/Jewer ... 9742795664" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The typical 1936-39 build RAF hangar (C Type for the airfield ) has a Fire Door in each corner, which are also used as regular entrances/exits (unless you're working in a really secure one with controlled access )
These days the original Steel Doors have usually been replaced by solid Wood ones; they often still tend to be painted Red though...
I've been in plenty of workplaces where the final exit 'Fire Door' is also a regular entrance/exit.
Especially aircraft hangars!
http://a-s.yolasite.com/resources/Jewer ... 9742795664" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The typical 1936-39 build RAF hangar (C Type for the airfield ) has a Fire Door in each corner, which are also used as regular entrances/exits (unless you're working in a really secure one with controlled access )
These days the original Steel Doors have usually been replaced by solid Wood ones; they often still tend to be painted Red though...
- Messy
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Re: Fire Exit as a door
You mean like one of these??????bernicarey wrote: unless you're working in a really secure one
- bernicarey
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Re: Fire Exit as a door
Nice one Messy.
We used to call those 3rd Generation HAS (hardened Aircraft Shelter).
Typical of those at UK bases and built in the early 80s.
Lots of different styles around as they experimented with different designs from mid 70's onwards.
Some very strange ones in Denmark with doors that lowered and lay flat for the aircraft to taxi over!
We used to call those 3rd Generation HAS (hardened Aircraft Shelter).
Typical of those at UK bases and built in the early 80s.
Lots of different styles around as they experimented with different designs from mid 70's onwards.
Some very strange ones in Denmark with doors that lowered and lay flat for the aircraft to taxi over!
- Messy
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Re: Fire Exit as a door
I worked on a project where some HAS's were converted to a different use.
I walked around the site with the PM on my first site visit saying how good it was that these WW2 buildings could be preserved and put to another use - especially the jet wash. He looked at me as if I was mad. Months later, I showed a DFRMO fire officer around and he told me he used to be based on site when they were built - The penny dropped. They weren't historic WWII artefacts after all, but some of Mrs Thatcher's legacy!! No wonder the Project Manager though I was mad!!!
I walked around the site with the PM on my first site visit saying how good it was that these WW2 buildings could be preserved and put to another use - especially the jet wash. He looked at me as if I was mad. Months later, I showed a DFRMO fire officer around and he told me he used to be based on site when they were built - The penny dropped. They weren't historic WWII artefacts after all, but some of Mrs Thatcher's legacy!! No wonder the Project Manager though I was mad!!!
- quality_somerset
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Re: Fire Exit as a door
I used to work in some T2 hangers that were taken from RAF Westonzoyland, these were taken down and reassembled for timber storage in Glastonbury (i dread to think of the health and safety violations committed during disassembly and reassembly). Didn't have to worry about the doors though, these were open at each end!!
Still standing after 75 years, although i'm sure the proposed lifespan has long passed.
QS
Still standing after 75 years, although i'm sure the proposed lifespan has long passed.
QS
- bernicarey
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Re: Fire Exit as a door
Ahhh, the 'T2'
Standard hangar (although there were some variations in the design) on the typical WWII expansion airfield, but also often used as supplementary hangarage on the established airfields.
So an airfield built in the mid 30s with the classic 4 or 5 C type hangars might have some extra T2 put up, many of them remaining in use even now, though often refurbished.
Many former RAF airfields have them as storage for industrial use, everything from bulk powders or grain to general vehicle garaging and just about anything else.
For anyone who's really interested here's a link to a Defence Estates publication from 1995 about ongoing maintenance of these buildings: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov. ... 0/fs16.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Very versatile and relocatable structures, but they were designed as temporary nearly 80 years ago! There's 10 of them at the old airfield near me.
Standard hangar (although there were some variations in the design) on the typical WWII expansion airfield, but also often used as supplementary hangarage on the established airfields.
So an airfield built in the mid 30s with the classic 4 or 5 C type hangars might have some extra T2 put up, many of them remaining in use even now, though often refurbished.
Many former RAF airfields have them as storage for industrial use, everything from bulk powders or grain to general vehicle garaging and just about anything else.
For anyone who's really interested here's a link to a Defence Estates publication from 1995 about ongoing maintenance of these buildings: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov. ... 0/fs16.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Very versatile and relocatable structures, but they were designed as temporary nearly 80 years ago! There's 10 of them at the old airfield near me.
- WillPool
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Re: Fire Exit as a door
Not sure of the type but at an old airfield I was stationed on, the Regiment wanted to tear down a hangar in order to turn the space into a drill square.
It was all done as per the regulations etc, After the asbestos had been removed the contractor said it took him more effort and time to dismantle the structure as it was essentially harder and more stubborn to take down than he had first imagined
Will
It was all done as per the regulations etc, After the asbestos had been removed the contractor said it took him more effort and time to dismantle the structure as it was essentially harder and more stubborn to take down than he had first imagined
Will
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- bernicarey
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Re: Fire Exit as a door
There's quite often modern underestimation of the strength of older designs and materials, or an un-appreciation of the skills of the older designers.
When I was at RAF Cottesmore in the 90's and the hard-standings between the hangars were to be replace, they greatly under-estimated the strength of the original mix. They got weeks behind on the job because they hadn't realised in their surveys that the hardcore in the original concrete was some form of granite chip. It was a complete swine to dig out.
That original concrete lasted some 50 years; the new stuff they laid had a life expectancy of 25!
When I was at RAF Cottesmore in the 90's and the hard-standings between the hangars were to be replace, they greatly under-estimated the strength of the original mix. They got weeks behind on the job because they hadn't realised in their surveys that the hardcore in the original concrete was some form of granite chip. It was a complete swine to dig out.
That original concrete lasted some 50 years; the new stuff they laid had a life expectancy of 25!
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Re: Fire Exit as a door
bernicarey wrote:There's quite often modern underestimation of the strength of older designs and materials, or an un-appreciation of the skills of the older designers.
When I was at RAF Cottesmore in the 90's and the hard-standings between the hangars were to be replace, they greatly under-estimated the strength of the original mix. They got weeks behind on the job because they hadn't realised in their surveys that the hardcore in the original concrete was some form of granite chip. It was a complete swine to dig out.
That original concrete lasted some 50 years; the new stuff they laid had a life expectancy of 25!
Sounds very familiar
It was mooted at the time that women volunteers built it during the build up to or during WWII
Will
It is better to be careful 100 times than to get killed once.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)