Electric Locking: Which is the right solution for the application? Article #1 - The first step to achieving compliance

Article one: The first step to achieving compliance

There are a multitude of different electric locking solutions available to provide and control movement of people through a door, in conjunction with some form of access control system or door entry system.

The appropriate solution for any individual application will be defined by specific factors, such as:

• The door construction (Aluminium, Timber, Steel or Composite)
• The level of physical security required
• Aesthetics
• Who will be using the door
• Whether or not the door is fire rated and/or defined as an escape door
• The volume of traffic passing through the door

Careful selection is required to ensure specification of the correct solution that meets all the functional and regulatory requirements, and the following should be considered to assist this process:

•  The first step is to identify the doors design function, why is the door there, is it for convenience or is it to provide security, fire compartmentation or for privacy or heat retention? Understanding why the door is there in the first place is key to understanding whether there are any regulations that must be complied with.
  
  
•  If a door is not defined as an escape door and is not fire rated, then there are no regulatory requirements that must be met to ensure correct application of the electric locking hardware on the door. The choice simply comes down to aesthetics, function and security.
  
  
• However, any door that is defined as an escape door must be fitted with escape compliant hardware. This will need to be appropriate to the risk for the specific application it is to be used in, which is governed by who will be using it, and the number of users likely to need to escape through the door.
  
  
• The requirement for any normally locked door on an escape route is described in Approved Document B (ADB) England and Wales, and the Scottish Building Standards Technical Handbook – Non-domestic: Fire. These use a very similar description:
  

“In general, all doors on escape routes, should either not be fitted with locks, or they should only be fitted with fastenings that can be readily operated from the side approached by occupants making an escape. The operation of these locks should be readily apparent, without the use of a key (or access control token) and without having to manipulate more than one mechanism.”

This is usually understood to mean that the operation is by a single hand movement, with no need to read instructions and no need to use a key, token or know a code to unlock the door. For example, an appropriate solution in this case could be a push bar.

This is the first stage to achieve compliance.