When the batteries are running low, an audible warning will be sounded every 17 minutes in the form of a series of beeps and a red LED will flash to warn of the depleting batteries until they are fully exhausted, removed or replaced. it was just a simple point simply made. I accept that perhaps I did not make the best choice of words. Perhaps I could learn a lot from Wee B who made the same point but more briefly. Perhaps I should have said detection not detectors. Oh well. Fire doors are an important part of any building's fire safety strategy as they enable movement throughout a building while stopping the spread of fire to allow occupants enough time to evacuate safely. However, fire doors can only function if they are closed or close automatically if a fire occurs. This is the reason why it is dangerous and illegal to hold fire doors open with a wedge or extinguisher. The operation of the Dorgard, or the ability to hear the fire alarm, should not be affected provided the sound level stated in BS5839 is adhered to throughout the building. Dorgards can be adjusted if the sound level does drop slightly within performance limits. The guidance in BS 7273-4:2007, Annex A of the previous standard is now normative and, therefore, the standard includes recommendations (in tables in Annex B of this version) as to which category of actuation is appropriate for a particular application.

I have asked fire officers why they have a policy against dorgards. The only arguments I have been given are these: So why do fire officers / assessors constantly offer and accept watered down compromises on the basis that "something is better than nothing" when "something" - as in detectors either side of the door in this case is clearly non compliant and in practical terms does nothing for the safety of the end user and is therefore a waste of money?? Anthony Burd, Head of the Construction Sector at BSI said: “Until the development of BS 7273-4 in 2007, there was no code of practice with recommendations governing the interface of fire doors and the fire detection /fire alarm system, although there was guidance for the devices themselves.” Employees should be informed about Dorgard and instructed on its use and operation and include it in the workplace fire routine.BS EN 1634-1:2008 Fire resistance and smoke control tests for door, shutter and, openable window assemblies and elements of building hardware. Fire resistance tests for doors, shutters and openable windows Provide clear instruction for the operation of the door retainer, install either a Fire Door Safety Release Sign or Nite-Glo Fire Door Safety Release Sign to ensure the device can be used easily in an emergency Previously, a device local to the doors effectively switched the doors to fail safe mode and released electrically secured fire exits and closed fire doors held open on magnetic door retainers. However, this is not always the case and a truly fail safe mode is not achieved. In the event that you discover a Dorgard that did not automatically release after a fire alarm activation of a minimum of 30 seconds, the issue should be reported to the maintenance helpdesk. BSI, the business standards company has revised BS 7273-4:2015 Code of Practice for the operation of fire protection measures – Part 4: Actuation of release mechanisms for doors. The new document has been developed with the FIA and other bodies.

The Dorgard is a safe and legal solution that allows you to hold your fire doors open for improved ventilation, wheelchair access, and general convenience. In the event of a fire, the device will automatically release to close fire doors, responding to the sound of a fire alarm. This fire door retainer by Fireco uses an easy foot-operated setting and release system, which unlike magnetic fire door retainers, can hold the door open in any selected position. The Dorgard is one of our most popular products. It helps our customers to stay legally compliant and at the same time keeps fire doors open when there are periods of high footfall or when the temperature gets stifling during the summer. The Dorgard comes with a very handy and thorough manual. Nevertheless, we do get asked a few questions and to help our customers, we now have compiled an overview of all the questions asked and the answers to them. No. Dorgard listens for a continuous sound and will verify the alarm over a 20 second period and then release the fire door. School bells generally last for a couple of seconds so this shouldn’t affect your Dorgard. - Should I use a particular type of battery and can I use rechargeable ones?In situations where the ambient noise level is above 80 dB, Dorgard has a safety feature that allows it to release automatically to all sounds above 65 dB as you would probably not hear a 65 dB fire alarm over the noise level in this situation. Dorgard only listens for a sound every 4 seconds and the sound has to be continuous for 10 seconds for it to operate. This helps to preserve the battery life of the unit and means the operation should not be delayed by any more than 14 seconds.

If the end user wants doors held open then his fire detection system needs to be up to scratch, it goes hand in hand and is not an "either or". These door holders can be powered by batteries, from the mains, or from nearby power supply units (PSU) rated at 12V or 24V DC. It is generally recommended to install them at the top of the door to prevent warping caused by the door closer pulling against the electromagnet. Battery-powered versions typically use an acoustic sensor to listen for an alarm sounder while wired models will often be connected directly to the fire alarm panel. The Dorgard can hold a fire door open to maintain the functionality of the building by allowing an uninterrupted flow of people through the building during the day and releasing the fire door to close in the evening. You can also adjust the Dorgard to automatically close at night. The Dorgard is operated through a foot-operated plunger and release mechanism. Proper usage of the Dorgard can be achieved by following the procedures listed below: Employees should be informed about Dorgard and instructed on its use and operation. It should also be included in the workplace fire routine.

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Other operation of The Dorgard will retract its plunger and automatically release every 7 days as part of its preset self-testing routine. One weekly release of the Dorgard to no apparent noise should be accounted as normal routine function of the device.

BS EN 61000-6-3:2007 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Generic standards. Emission standard for residential, commercial and light-industrial environments. In situations where the ambient noise level is above 80dB, the Dorgard has a safety feature that allows it to release automatically to all sounds above 65dB as you would probably not hear a 65dB fire alarm over the noise level in this situation. The Dorgard is also capable of being adjusted to operate to the sound of an individual fire alarm making it adaptable to any particular environment. Dorgard’s react to a sound level adjustable between 65dB and 85dB, so all sounds in excess of 65dB will activate the Dorgard. This complies with BS5839 which gives 65dB as the minimum sound level for fire alarms.

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a) Smoke detectors should be provided in the section of corridor that forms the route to the stairway. Easy-to-install in under 5 minutes, simply fix to your fire door with 4 screws and insert the batteries – no wiring or mains power required Therefore in some circumstances fire doors fail to satisfy enforcers that recommendations of BS 7273-4 are being met. BS 7273-4:2015 will help to clarify the expectations of users and match it to the technology available to the fire safety industry.