Security and fire safety can pull in opposite directions. A door that keeps intruders out must still let people out fast when the alarm sounds, without a key, a code or special knowledge.
What to check
- Can it be opened from inside in one simple movement, without a key?
- Panic bars or push pads are common where many people use the door. Check they move freely and are not damaged.
- Keypads and magnetic locks: do they release when the alarm sounds and if the power fails?
- Padlocks and chains: these should not be on an exit while people are in the building.
- Signs: is the door clearly signed and is the sign lit or visible in poor light?
- What is outside: is the area beyond the door clear, safe and leading to open air?
- Obstructions inside: stock, furniture or deliveries blocking the way.
Make it routine
Include a quick check of every exit in your opening routine, and test any electronic release regularly. Write down what you check in your fire safety register.
Security without risk
If you worry about break-ins or theft, talk to a competent person about solutions that keep the door secure but safe, such as alarmed exit bars or controlled release, rather than locking it.
Your duties
Under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003, a person in control of premises must take reasonable measures to protect people from fire. Working exits are a core part of that.
Why exit doors need more than a quick glance
The purpose of an exit door is simple: anyone inside should be able to get out quickly without a key, a code or special knowledge. In practice, doors get changed over time for security, deliveries or convenience, and the changes are not always checked against the fire plan.
Common problems an assessor looks for
- Doors that need a key to open from the inside. Keys can be mislaid or kept elsewhere.
- Keypads and magnetic locks with no reliable way to release them, including if the power fails.
- Bolts, chains and padlocks added at night and not removed afterwards.
- Doors blocked or partly blocked, by storage, bins, deliveries or parked vehicles outside.
- Doors that are hard to open, because they are heavy, stiff, swollen or fitted with the wrong hardware.
- Doors that open into a dead end or a locked yard.
- Doors propped open with wedges or extinguishers, which defeats their purpose where they are meant to hold back smoke.
Panic bars and push pads
On doors used by larger numbers of people, panic bars or push pads are widely used because they let people open the door by pressing the bar, even in a crowd. Which type of hardware is suitable depends on the building, how many people use the door and the work done in it, so it is best agreed with your risk assessor and a competent installer.
A quick monthly check
- Walk every exit and open it from the inside, exactly as a visitor would.
- Look outside each exit to make sure the route beyond it is clear.
- Check signs and emergency lighting are in place at each exit. See our fire risk assessment checklist for the wider list.
- Note any new locks, keypads or alterations and tell your risk assessor.
- Record the check and fix faults straight away.
Why it belongs in your risk assessment
The Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 place duties on those in control of premises to take reasonable measures to guard against fire and to protect people. Exit doors are one of the first things we look at during a fire risk assessment. For lone workers, see our article on out-of-hours fire safety. We cover Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Galway.
Get in touch
A fire risk assessment checks every exit and escape route. Call 086 275 9728 or email info@safersolutions.ie. See our fire risk assessments in Ireland page and our guide to fire doors.