Fire Exit Door Locked On Both Sides

[Butoot 0]

Hi

I stay in a penthouse of a relatively new condo. The upper level is a roof terrace. From the roof terrace, I can walk out to the roof maintenance area where there is a FIRE EXIT door. Previously this door was locked on the staircase side but could be open by us on the roof. This is logical - to prevent trespassers who have no access to the roof from getting on to the roof common area, and to allow the residents in the penthouses to escape in the case of an emergency.

However, someone in the management council decided to change the lock of the FIRE EXIT door and now it is locked on BOTH sides, ie the residents cannot use the door to escape. The reason given was flimsy - to prevent unauthorised access to the roof!!! How asinine! The fact that the previous lock was locked on the staircase side was for that precise purpose, wasn't it? The residents SHOULD be able to open the door from their side to escape! The estate manager even had the cheek to say that the lock could be opened upon request as and when needed by the security guards! How stupid can people get?

I would humbly appreciate any view here and any advice on what I could do about this. I do not wish to have to resort to contacting the SCDF and asking them to come down to check.

Thanks a lot for your time. Really appreciate it.

[therat 18]

Fire exit door cannot lock on both side.

Can call SCDF

General Enquiries / CD Shelter / Fire Safety Consultation / SCDF Emergency Information 1800 286 5555

read http://internet-stg.scdf.gov.sg/downloads/...n/hb_v2_ch2.pdf

And this

http://www.scdf.gov.sg/content/scdf_intern...re-hazards.html

Fire Hazards

Get approval for any alterations to buildings

- Any alterations should be approved by SCDF (Fire Safety & Shelter Department) as it may jeopardise the original fire protection systems of the building

- Avoid erecting unauthorised structures which hinder access to escape routes and fire safety equipment.

[JeanL 0]

If the area of the upper penthouse (including roof terrace if applicable) does not exceed 60sqm and the distance from the most remote area in the house (upper penthouse in this case) to your escape / main door at the lower penthouse does not exceed 20m, no alternative escape on the upper penthouse is required. In this case, if an alternative escape in the upper penthouse is required, and if the common staircase door is locked, then there is a violation of the fire safety requirements.

[bepgof 20]

I stay in a penthouse of a relatively new condo. The upper level is a roof terrace. From the roof terrace, I can walk out to the roof maintenance area where there is a FIRE EXIT door. Previously this door was locked on the staircase side but could be open by us on the roof. This is logical - to prevent trespassers who have no access to the roof from getting on to the roof common area, and to allow the residents in the penthouses to escape in the case of an emergency.

Get you right first.

1. You can exist(assume there is a one-way day, owner access only) from your roof terrace to the "roof maintenance area"?

2. Then, there is an other door(you called fire exit door) built in between the staircase and access to this roof maintenance area?

3. Before change, you can "unlock" and open this door from "roof maintenance area" thus allow you go "down" and escape?

4. How can maintenance guy access to roof maintenance area if BOTH sides are locked?

4-1. Only authorised personnel can access to this door.

If answers to Qs 1,2 & 3 are yes, then go to 4-1.

Q4, if what you said is true -locked from both sides - violation the rule of having a door - ask BCA to check. Send them pictures first.

Note: A door not necessarily to be a "FIRE EXIT" door. The "roof maintenance area" is a restricted area, it is not a COMMON AREA.

Edited October 29, 2010 by bepgof

[hermes76 0]

Do make sure the doors are manually locked & not magnetically locked coz usually fire exits are magnetically locked & there should be a Green-coloured 'break-glass' switch to unlock the doors in an emergency. If the doors are locked in these arrangements, then I believe they should not violate any rules.

[jimmy2leftfeet 0]

From my limited understanding, Fire Exit Doors and Emergency Exit doors are demarcated as doors that are one way.

Management choosing to lock off door poses a concern whether or not the nearest exit in case of emergency is less than 20sqm away.

Thats why it is always recommended to have at least 2 ways of escape: (In this case)

1) Emergency Fire Escape

2) Normal entry exit to and from your own place (resident's access)

In the case that there is a fire that is cutting off the resident's regular stairway access out of the building on their level, they'll all have to be trapped?

That doesn't make sense. Any building plan drawn up with their emergency evacuation exit doors usually use that as a main route or alternative route of escape.

Check with them what the fire evacuation plan is, clarify that that particular exit door will not be used in case of an emergency.

Get them to confirm in writing then you check with SCDF.

my 2 cents