Is locking fire exit door illegal for pubs ?

spongebob89 · 19-02-2018 10:17AM #1

Is locking fire exit doors illegal for pubs ?

Basically I went for a drink the weekend when I noticed the band member was tapping the fire exit emergancy door for me to let him in and when I went over to try let him in the fire exit was locked. The bar man had to come out with a set of keys and on top of that spent about 5 minutes finding the right key and wrestling with the door to get it open.

This really shocked and angered me, imagine there was a fire and people need to use that fire exit and its locked.

Have we not learned anything from the stardust disaster.

Anyway, is this illegal and if it is who can I go compain to ? I have a photo of the bar man trying to open the fire exit with his keys

sydthebeat · 19-02-2018 10:20AM

It is illegal yes.

Are you 100% sure it was a fire door?

Dr_Bill · 19-02-2018 10:22AM

If it is a fire door it must not be locked. In terms of lodging a complaint it would be your local fire officer (I believe).

Captain_Crash · 19-02-2018 10:26AM

Regulation 12(f) of the The Workplace Chapter of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 state the following;

(f) emergency doors and gates are not so locked or fastened that they cannot be easily and
immediately opened by any person who may need to use them in an emergency

Del2005 · 19-02-2018 01:51PM

spongebob89 wrote: »

Is locking fire exit doors illegal for pubs ?

Basically I went for a drink the weekend when I noticed the band member was tapping the fire exit emergancy door for me to let him in and when I went over to try let him in the fire exit was locked. The bar man had to come out with a set of keys and on top of that spent about 5 minutes finding the right key and wrestling with the door to get it open.

This really shocked and angered me, imagine there was a fire and people need to use that fire exit and its locked.

Have we not learned anything from the stardust disaster.

Anyway, is this illegal and if it is who can I go compain to ? I have a photo of the bar man trying to open the fire exit with his keys

Was there a emergency exit sign above the door? If yes contact the local fire station if not its just a door.

ED E · 19-02-2018 01:54PM

The local fire officer will take this VERY seriously as will the HSA.

spongebob89 · 19-02-2018 03:19PM

Great.

Yes OP in my photo it clearly states emergency exit only and it was locked. I am going to lodge a complaint and hope they get a serious fine or something.

Victor · 19-02-2018 03:26PM

Note that some emergency doors will only open when the fire alarm is triggered.

BattleCorp · 19-02-2018 05:25PM

Victor wrote: »

Note that some emergency doors will only open when the fire alarm is triggered.

This shouldn't be the case. They should open independently of the fire alarm.

What would happen if there was a fire and the fire alarm was defective?

Victor · 19-02-2018 05:29PM

BattleCorp wrote: »

This shouldn't be the case. They should open independently of the fire alarm.

What would happen if there was a fire and the fire alarm was defective?

I imagine it is designed to fail safe - that the alarm will self-report as defective and the door locks (the bolt on the bush bar will still work) will deactivate, as they can't detect the fire alarm system.

fishy_fishy · 19-02-2018 09:07PM

Victor wrote: »

Note that some emergency doors will only open when the fire alarm is triggered.

But they're emergency exits, not just fire exits. There could easily be an emergency that doesnt trigger the fire alarm so i cant see how that would be allowed. Is there a provision in the building regs/whatever governs this to allow for fire exits that are not emergency exits?

L1011 · 19-02-2018 09:12PM

Victor wrote: »

Note that some emergency doors will only open when the fire alarm is triggered.

I have never heard of this and I really suspect they would be illegal. There is no way your supposed failsafe is in fact safe.

The direct opposite - doors that trigger the alarm when opened - are quite normal.

Sleeper12 · 19-02-2018 09:13PM

spongebob89 wrote:

Is locking fire exit doors illegal for pubs ?

It's always been illegal but since the Stardust tragedy its really enforced. Quite a few of the 48 people that died that night would be alive today if the doors were unlocked

spongebob89 · 19-02-2018 09:14PM

I cant find any sort of email address to report this if anyone comes across one please post it

Sleeper12 · 19-02-2018 09:16PM

Victor wrote:

Note that some emergency doors will only open when the fire alarm is triggered.

They are actually called emergency doors. Fire doors actually close when there is a fire. Their job is to help contain a fire. Emergency doors need to be open for all emergencies & not just fire

GoProGaming · 19-02-2018 09:18PM

spongebob89 wrote: »

I cant find any sort of email address to report this if anyone comes across one please post it

What county are you in? Fire services are ran by each county council. I'm sure they all have general enquiry numbers which can point you in the direction of your local fire prevention office.

GreeBo · 19-02-2018 09:18PM

L1011 wrote: »

I have never heard of this and I really suspect they would be illegal. There is no way your supposed failsafe is in fact safe.

The direct opposite - doors that trigger the alarm when opened - are quite normal.

Those doors are actively closed by the alarm, in the event of alarm failure or alarm sounding the doors unlock.
At any time you can open the doors by smashing the door release (green box) on the inside.

If this is not the case then it's just some random door being used as an emergency exit and I would raise it.

He may have been using keys to open it without sounding the alarm to avoid panic.

Gaillimh1976 · 19-02-2018 09:18PM

spongebob89 wrote: »

I cant find any sort of email address to report this if anyone comes across one please post it

Check the website of the relevant county council

Should have name and contact details of the Fire Officer for the county

wakka12 · 19-02-2018 09:18PM

Thats really sickening and yes illegal

Sleeper12 · 19-02-2018 09:19PM

spongebob89 wrote:

I cant find any sort of email address to report this if anyone comes across one please post it

Ring your local fire station. They will have a fire officer there within the hour.

Del2005 · 19-02-2018 09:22PM

spongebob89 wrote: »

I cant find any sort of email address to report this if anyone comes across one please post it

Call your local fire station and ask for the fire inspector. If the pub wasn't local they should be able to get you in contact with the correct station.

IMO safety issues should not be dealt with by email, especially when our infrastructure for the emergency services is so obsolete.

GoProGaming · 19-02-2018 09:24PM

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Ring your local fire station. They will have a fire officer there within the hour.

Keep in mind, if this pub is located in an area that doesn't have a full time station there may not be anyone to answer the call. Most station lines are internal, call your local council office and they will put you in touch with fire prevention.

TheChizler · 19-02-2018 09:28PM

GreeBo wrote: »

He may have been using keys to open it without sounding the alarm to avoid panic.

+1

Was the door bolted or chained OP? Worth reporting to be safe if you're unsure

Sleeper12 · 19-02-2018 09:31PM

GoProGaming wrote:

Keep in mind, if this pub is located in an area that doesn't have a full time station there may not be anyone to answer the call. Most station lines are internal, call your local council office and they will put you in touch with fire prevention.

Council office is closed at this hour. Locked emergency exit you ring your local fire station as its dealt as an emergency. If station is closed phone will obviously be automatically transferred to the nearest open station. Fire officer is stationed in the fire station. There are no fire officers at the council office

fritzelly · 19-02-2018 09:44PM

Wonder if someone is getting confused with magnetically held open doors that release when the fire alarm is activated

Victor · 20-02-2018 12:53PM

fritzelly wrote: »

Wonder if someone is getting confused with magnetically held open doors that release when the fire alarm is activated

No, it's the reverse. Some doors are held closed until the fire alarm is activated. Otherwise you would have people in shops, etc. running off with expensive items or people entering nightclubs by their friends opening the fire escape.

seagull · 20-02-2018 02:52PM

We have a number of doors in our building that automatically unlock if the fire alarm is triggered. They can be also be unlocked and opened manually with no key required.

Dr Brown · 20-02-2018 03:30PM

I've seen alot of bars/clubs lock their fire exits over the years especially on harcourt street.

sydthebeat · 20-02-2018 08:20PM

No escape or fire door should be lockable by a key.

GreeBo · 20-02-2018 08:33PM

sydthebeat wrote: »

No escape or fire door should be lockable by a key.

We have yet to determine if it's just unlockable by key.

fritzelly · 20-02-2018 08:40PM

seagull wrote: »

We have a number of doors in our building that automatically unlock if the fire alarm is triggered. They can be also be unlocked and opened manually with no key required.

The fact that you say unlocked and opened goes against all regulation about a fire exit door

emergency doors and gates are not so locked or fastened that they cannot be easily and
immediately opened by any person who may need to use them in an emergency

Cannot also believe that fire exits would rely on a system where they automatically unlock when the fire alarm goes off - any kind of mechanical malfunction and you've got hundreds of dead people

Is locking fire exit door illegal for pubs ?

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