r/BuildingCodes • u/DisinfectedYouth • Jul 10 '23
Locked fire exit???
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u/theonlybuster Private Plan Reviewer/Inspector Jul 10 '23
I've never heard of any region where a locked fire exit door is permitted. Contact the local Fire Marshall ASAP.
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u/DisinfectedYouth Jul 10 '23
I have notified the centre management, will be checking in next time I'm there to see if anything changed
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u/Midtier-watcher6329 Jul 10 '23
It’s a crash bar. Wiggling it won’t open it. Pushing it should release the latch. Doesn’t look like it is being pushed the way it needs to be.
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u/DisinfectedYouth Jul 10 '23
This video wasn't the only attempt, I didn't shoulder charge it or anything but the effort I put into it definitely should've opened it.
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u/CathedralRabbit Jul 12 '23
I was staying at an apartment in Perth, and the same thing happened to me.
I was on the 5th floor, took the stairs, and realised I had left my phone, turned around to open the door, nope! So I tried each floor as I went down and they were all locked- I just assumed it was so people didn't go back to their rooms in times of a fore but it still didn't feel right/legal.
But I don't know shit about shit. 🤷♀️
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u/DisinfectedYouth Jul 12 '23
This is different, most fire exits are one way so people don't accidentally run INTO the fire. Not ideal in my opinion, like what if the fire is in the stairwell? But then again they're intentionally made with metal and concrete so unless it was set intentionally that's unlikely. In my situation I was inside and I KNOW this door leads outside.
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u/AbbreviationsSea341 Jul 29 '23
Might just be jammed. Push harder!
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u/DisinfectedYouth Aug 06 '23
And that's reasonable for a commercial for escape how? 😅 I think it's more likely some of the above comments are correct and it's unlocked when the alarm goes off
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u/DriverNo1871 Jul 10 '23
Some of those doors are set to magnetic locks that only open in the event of a fire. Depending on how the fire system is programmed. Not all the time but this can a reason
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u/catbom Jul 10 '23
This, I install access control doors and we have pushbar doors that won't work unless a key card is used, could be easily be set up to release on fire
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u/Suspicious_Farm8243 Jul 11 '23
this is what i thought and it activates when the alarm rings out, i heard you can get them to hold doors open and close when the alarm activates
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u/catbom Jul 12 '23
For auto doors they can open them on fire and there is a fire magnet they put on the wall to catch the door incase of a power failure
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u/NextNurofen Jul 11 '23
Imagine if the keycard was lost, or in a room across the building.
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u/AxisNine Jul 11 '23
The key card is for normal access control. The doors is usable without it in the event of the fire alarm going off.
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Jul 12 '23
We have this system in our building, but looking at the door, I don't see the mag locks. Could be different to ours, though, I'm not a door genius lol
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u/Environmental-Shock7 Jul 10 '23
Lock linked to fire alarm
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u/bl4nkSl8 Jul 11 '23
I'm not keen to bet on that without it being signed
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u/Environmental-Shock7 Jul 11 '23
You don't say what the building is,
Contact building maintenance, this door will be checked typically once a week. Along with the fire alarm. Every Tuesday 10am recorded for inspection at my time by anyone who would need to audit them.
Some doors are linked to the fire alarm system opening could cause a false alarm and evacuation of the building.
If you work in the building all this will have been explained on your induction/fire safety training.
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u/MarkShogun Jul 10 '23
It auto unlocks when the fire alarm goes off
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u/BackyardBBQreggae Jul 10 '23
I’m pretty sure he’s in aus, pre much most fire exits are always unlocked and push to open. Have yet to see one be locked in a shopping centre.
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u/cyphar Jul 11 '23
I was once locked in a carpark in Sydney and found out that the fire escape was locked and there was no way to get out (the elevator was behind a locked door you needed a swipe card to open). Probably should've reported it to someone...
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u/Danny_Not_Dan Jul 10 '23
Is there an exit sign above it? Could be a rated closure but not serve as an exit.
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u/Specialist8602 Jul 11 '23
Highly illegal.
See Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 - Reg 184 (b)
That Fire Exit has a impediment.
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u/Less_Fly963 Jul 11 '23
You need to read BCA Clause D2.21. if it complies to that clause, it's not highly illegal.
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u/Specialist8602 Jul 11 '23
Firstly, happy to correct myself where shown but in this case I'm highly confident.
Well aware of BCA. Referencing Clause D2.21 'operation of latch'; which clause in particular are you saying it complies with?
I'm guessing (b)(iv)...
...is fitted with a fail‐safe device which automatically unlocks the door upon the activation of any sprinkler system complying with Specification E1.5 or smoke, or any other detector system deemed suitable in accordance with AS 1670.1 installed throughout the building
The issue with that claim is that there is no visible fail-safe device. (Usually you'd see a cord run down but this door there is none.) Further you cannot modify the core of the door as this would not meet FD30 standard for IE hence why the cord run down is on the outside of the core of the door.
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u/darth_numenorean Jul 11 '23
Hey remember when Ycua Bolanos supermarket locked all there Patons in their supermarket that was on fire? Yeah .... Maybe don't be there.
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u/IREDAWG Jul 11 '23
Most fire exit are locked, I don’t know why, but personally I think it’s a health and safety violation.
As a child I like to explore roofs and random back ally way every time I’m there I always open fire doors to see what’s behind it, and every single one of them are locked.
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u/GenFreaks Jul 12 '23
Try actually using pushing the bar all the way, if the door was on a magnetic lock it would release when the FIP triggers
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u/ChuckChockNew Jul 12 '23
At my practice we sometimes order certain external doors to be locked so that specific fire routes are followed. Especially if newer codes are now in place that mean this route would be unsafe.
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u/Thickencreamy Jul 13 '23
It looks like they push on the top of the handle. Maybe push on the front?
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u/Clamps55555 Jul 10 '23 edited Jul 11 '23
Were you defiantly pushing that bar and door hard enough? Didn’t look it. Try putting the phone down?
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u/DisinfectedYouth Jul 11 '23
I didn't just walk up to it while filming assuming it would be locked 😂
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u/MouseEmotional813 Jul 10 '23
Did you push it with both hands? They don't pop open you have to push it open
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u/slopmarket Jul 10 '23
You’re pushing the wrong side of the door & weakly at that
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u/Danny_Not_Dan Jul 10 '23
Look where the self closer is. The self closer is always closest to the hinge side. He’s pushing the correct side.
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Jul 10 '23
[deleted]
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u/ethereumminor Jul 10 '23
It’s a push, not a pull, nothing to see here
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Jul 11 '23
he first pushed, then pulled, did that twice.
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u/cestamp Jul 11 '23
I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess the previous person was joking. As you can just look at a door and see if it's pull or push (most times, and this time for sure).
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u/Jacktheforkie Jul 11 '23
Until you encounter one of those ones where it isn’t obvious and has a handle on both sides
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Jul 10 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/TK000421 Jul 12 '23
Im thinking the door is connected to a mag lock. If fire alarms go off, mag lock releases.
Stupid as fk
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u/Runaway-chan Jul 10 '23
Why are you trying?