Continuing Professional Development Door systems and accessibility • Specifying door controls • Fire safety and designing for disabilities • Access for All railway scheme

Open and shut cases: how to tame the door

Doors can be a barrier for many people with disabilities, but innovations are making it easier for the industry to comply with regulations and make buildings accessible to all, says Graham Hulland

SPECIFYING DOOR SYSTEMS is a crucial task for every construction project, from extensions and refurbishments to new builds. And with government statistics indicating that more than 11 million people in Great Britain have a limiting long-term illness, impairment or disability, access needs to be addressed across all public buildings. Meeting the needs of people with disabilities is a moral and legal duty for those responsible for buildings, from retail and fi nancial sectors to residential, education, healthcare and transport. The Equality Act 2010, which replaced the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and several other pieces of legislation, states that all public buildings must be accessible to those with disabilities.

Although the Equality Act does not

offer specifi c targets or guidance to achieve compliance, it does set out clear and transparent demands. The specifi c performance of door closers in meeting this requirement is detailed within the Building Regulations: BS 8300:2009 + A1:2010 and Approved Document Part M in England and Wales, Section 3 in Scotland, and Part R in Northern Ireland. So which type of door control will

best help to achieve the strict requirements of the Equality Act and fi re regulations? Specifi ers should consider automatic doors, such as Dorma’s range of operating systems, which can offer suitable and effi cient solutions.

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Below: The Dorma TS 93 cam action door closer from the Contur range

that is both enticing and unique. The doors can be designed as outwardly or inwardly curved semi-circles and segments, as full-circle confi gurations, as oval and double-segment units or as tailored constructions using any combination of these basic shapes. They can be manufactured as either concave or convex assemblies. Automatic curved sliding doors can be designed either as noticeable features or architecturally co-ordinated to harmonise with the façade. They perform draught exclusion and airlock functions, guide the

Automatics for the people Automatic doors are the ideal way to ensure safe, reliable and easy access into and around a building. As they provide a means of opening and closing doors without physical effort, they can remove barriers for many people who lack physical ability or who are encumbered by shopping or pushchairs. In applications where space is limited, bi-parting sliding doors use adjustable operation settings to ensure that door movements can be tailored to specifi c requirements. Alternatively, automatic telescopic sliding door systems have leaves consisting of two sections that only require around one third of the structural width available for a door system. Automatic curved sliding doors are

another solution for creating an entrance

CPD