Tenants have to remove mats from the front of their doors!

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Permalink Reply by Cowboy on February 7, 2010 at 10:16am

Margaret - you have hit it on the head. People interpret things too literally. I still think mats in the main corridors are dangerous but if it is a wide landing, as we have with corridors leading off, then the flats on the landing effect no one as there is a lot of space.
Where does it stop as we have tables and armchairs on the landings and in the recess outside my door. Some people leave containers for the milkman in the corridors and I think it would be very easy to trip over those as the corridors are not that wide, as one stops if someone is coming in the opposite direction. --- Hank.

Margaret Goodwin said:

Hi David - I don't find fault with H&S - in my experience the rules they make are sound, if a little pedantic, at times (but that is the nature of H&S). My complaint is against the dimwits who apply the rules as they think fit and go completely over the top in doing so. People like this should not be put in a position of authority as, it is self evident, they are incapable of exercising good judgement and hide behind 'H&S gone mad' when their lack of ability is exposed. Does anyone take responsibility for anything any more? - Marg

david alan moore said:

Hi Margaret, i think health and safty have gone mad, last year we had our front doors fitted with stainles
steel hinges, and sealant material around the door frames, also a stainless steel letter box with magnetic
fittings to keep the letter box closed, so smoke cannot get in, also they fitted a door spring, so when you
entered the flat the door slamed closed,i did ask the workmen why they were fitting new letter boxs and
they told me the old metal letter boxes could melt in a fire, my reactions to this was it would have to be an
inferno for this to happen, the sealant they put around the door frame, is a waste of time, as youm can still
see daylight through the door, so smoke could still get in.
as for the door springs, a lot of the resident have dismantled the arm, as they found it difficuld to push the
door open, i did complain about this work, but as usual got no satisfaction repy from Hanover.
to me and most of the residents this was a complete waste of money.
David Moore.

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Permalink Reply by brian winchcombe on February 7, 2010 at 12:54pm

David Alan Moore

Hi David
Steel hinges, are more resistant to higher temperatures.
Sealant, is an intumescent paste, it expands with heat to several times their original size and fill the gap between the door and the frame door edges and so prevents penetration by smoke.

If you have a surface overhead door closer it is designed to close a door slowly but firmly against the stop, and to latch, it should have a swing speed and latching speed control and a back check adjustment.

Swing speed - adjusts how fast the front door closes.
Latching speed - adjusts how fast the front door closes for those last few inches.
Back check - adjusts amount of resistance to opening the door.

If the front door slams, it needs adjusting.
If the front door has excessive resistance to open, it needs adjusting.
If the front door does not latch, it needs adjusting.
If you have disabilities or a wheelchair user, or frail, ask to have your overhead door closer replaced with one with delayed action controls to hold the door open for a longer period.

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Permalink Reply by Cowboy on February 7, 2010 at 1:02pm

Brian that was very interesting - but I bet the EM's weren't advised because I'm sure ours would have put a notice on the board. Again lack of communication on someones part and I don't know who should be blamed. My neighbour was knocked over by that last minute closure of her door. --- Hank

brian winchcombe said:

David Alan Moore

Hi David
Steel hinges, are more resistant to higher temperatures.
Sealant, is an intumescent paste, it expands to several times their original size and fill the gap between the door and the frame door edges and so prevents penetration by smoke.

If you have a surface overhead door closer it is designed to close a door slowly but firmly against the stop, and to latch, it should have a swing speed and latching speed control and a back check adjustment.

Swing speed - adjusts how fast the front door closes.
Latching speed - adjusts how fast the front door closes for those last few inches.
Back check - adjusts amount of resistance to opening the door.

If the front door slams, it needs adjusting.
If the front door has excessive resistance to open, it needs adjusting.
If the front door does not latch, it needs adjusting.
If you have disabilities or a wheelchair user, ask to have your overhead door closer replaced with one with delayed action controls to hold the door open for a longer period.

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Permalink Reply by John E Pallister on February 7, 2010 at 5:00pm

I think you'll find they are adjusted using alan keys.
Cheers
John

david alan moore said:

HI Brian thanks for your comments on the door springs, this is not a job that elderly residents
can do themselfs, i have looked at the door spring and found it to be a sealed unit, so there
is no way to adjust the spring ourselves, other than disengaging the connecting arm that i have
done for residents who found the doors to hard to open.
David Moore.

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Permalink Reply by brian winchcombe on February 8, 2010 at 4:04pm

Hi David
My post refers to Overhead Door Closer and possible problems, and if you have any I mentioned it can be adjusted, not by residents, you report it to your EM which is the correct procedure, if EM's say it cannot be corrected, you know different.

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Permalink Reply by brian winchcombe on February 8, 2010 at 4:20pm

You are right JP there are three seperate adjusting points accessed by al/key. Can be a daunting task, as adjusting kitchen cabinets doors....drives one mad!!!


John E Pallister said:

I think you'll find they are adjusted using alan keys.
Cheers
John

david alan moore said:

HI Brian thanks for your comments on the door springs, this is not a job that elderly residents
can do themselfs, i have looked at the door spring and found it to be a sealed unit, so there
is no way to adjust the spring ourselves, other than disengaging the connecting arm that i have
done for residents who found the doors to hard to open.
David Moore.

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Permalink Reply by Roy Telfer on February 11, 2010 at 4:04pm

Margaret, our walls betwwen next door flats are simply two layers of thin board. So any fire next door or in my kitchen would burn through the walls in sixty seconds flat. No matter, I would be safe clinging like a bat to my fire door whilst my lungs fill with toxic smoke. Nice hey.

Margaret Goodwin said:

.......and another thing: our flat entrance doors may be fire proof but it's mostly smoke that kills and there are huge gaps under and around the doors (to make sure we suffocate mercifully quickly perhaps?). We are advised to stay in our flats (on our site) but my first instinct would be to 'leg it' rather than sit, waiting to be rescued, with smoke pouring under the door and windows that only open wide enough for a cat.

Health & Safety? What a joke.

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Permalink Reply by Margaret Goodwin on February 15, 2010 at 11:25am

Ha,ha - Roy, you conjure some incredible mental images!!! I know what you mean. though, and I'm glad I live in a modern flat with block walls and concrete floors for that reason.
I was grateful to Brian for explaining some of the mysteries of draughtproofing foam and door closers but, surely, EMs should be reassuring us about these things. I am often met with a blank look when I ask what seems to me to be a reasonable question. It's not their fault, they have woefully inadequate training, in my opinion, which takes me back to my contention (months ago) that there should be a nationally recognised qualification for EMs and a proper career structure for them to progress, should they wish. - Marg

Roy Telfer said:

Margaret, our walls betwwen next door flats are simply two layers of thin board. So any fire next door or in my kitchen would burn through the walls in sixty seconds flat. No matter, I would be safe clinging like a bat to my fire door whilst my lungs fill with toxic smoke. Nice hey.

Margaret Goodwin said:

.......and another thing: our flat entrance doors may be fire proof but it's mostly smoke that kills and there are huge gaps under and around the doors (to make sure we suffocate mercifully quickly perhaps?). We are advised to stay in our flats (on our site) but my first instinct would be to 'leg it' rather than sit, waiting to be rescued, with smoke pouring under the door and windows that only open wide enough for a cat.

Health & Safety? What a joke.

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