Can automatic doors be fire exits?

Author: Prof. Donnie Schmitt DVM  |  Last update: Sunday, October 5, 2025

The break-out automatic doors provide a mechanical evacuation with sudden manual pressure on the leaves. They transform and open as swing doors. Both sliding and fixed leaves function as break-out doors, ensuring efficient and safe evacuation through the whole opening width.

Can automatic doors be fire doors?

Automatic self-closing fire door solutions

In the case of a double-leaf door, an integrated closing sequence control feature ensures that the leaves close correctly. This fulfils the purpose of a fire protection door by stopping the spread of fire and smoke.

What are the rules for automatic doors?

Doors with closers should take at least 5 seconds to move from the open position at 90 degrees to 12 degrees from the latch. Doors with spring hinges should take at least 1.5 seconds to close from the open position of 70 degrees.

Can any door be a fire exit?

Put simply a fire exit door does not have to be a fire rated fire door, whereas a fire door, must have proven a fire rating that is at least as high as the rest of the building's structure.

Are self closing doors fire doors?

All fire doors in all buildings used to require automatic closers. That requirement was relaxed for private dwellings (except between the house and an integral garage, as your BCO requires), but in all other respects a fire door is a fire door.

Emergency Exit Door

Do emergency exit doors need to be self-closing?

Exits are permitted to have only those openings necessary to allow access to the exit from occupied areas of the workplace or to the exit discharge. Openings must be protected by a self- closing, approved fire door that remains closed or automatically closes in an emergency.

Why are some fire doors held open by automatic devices?

Hold-open systems instead of wedges

They disable the self-closing function of a fire protection door in a controlled way. This means that they keep fire protection doors accessibly open, but automatically release them in the event of a fire so that the door closers can do their job.

Can you make any door a fire door?

Most modern, normal internal doors cannot be upgraded to achieve 30 or 60 minutes Fire Resistance due to them having a hollow core, being very thin or lightweight and liable to warping shortly after installation.

What is considered a fire exit door?

Fire exit doors are non-fire-resistant exterior doors that can be left open. While fire doors are intended to keep fires from spreading within the structure, fire exit doors are designed to provide a quick and safe exit from the facility. Any area in a building must have at least two emergency exits.

Can a sliding door be used as a fire exit?

1. Is any door leading to the outside potentially a fire exit, including your normal entrance? Not all doors leading to the outside can be used as a fire exit, sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended to be used as fire exits.

What is the difference between a power assisted door and an automatic door?

Power-assisted doors require a user to begin to open the door before the automatic opener engages. Fully automatic doors open upon approach. This type of door can typically be found at entrances to grocery and retail stores.

What triggers automatic doors?

Motion/Infrared Sensors

The most common types of automatic doors utilize motion-sensing technology. As the name implies, the automatic door sensor detects when something in its range is moving, triggering the mechanism to open the door.

Do automatic doors need signage?

As part of the risk assessment and where powered pedestrian doors are used by the general public, warning signage is recommended along with safety sensors and other protective devices and guards.

Which doors need to be fire doors?

Any domestic dwelling that is three storeys high or over must have fire doors installed. All doors between habitable rooms and stairwells must be fire doors. If there is an internal garage or a converted loft, these areas also need to have fire doors installed as entryways to the house.

What is the purpose of automatic fire doors?

Fire doors come with a clever retainer system that uses an electromagnet to hold the heavy door open during daily use. When a fire alarm is triggered, the electromagnet system releases the door to allow it to close and protect inhabitants from fire.

Can you put a door closer on a fire exit?

Door closers are particularly popular for use in commercial and public buildings, such as offices, schools and shops, where fire safety regulations must be met. They are often fitted to fire doors to ensure that they stay shut at all times when not in use.

Can a normal door be a fire exit?

Sometimes fire exit doors are, under normal circumstances, part of the usual route of traffic, such as a front door. Fire exits can also be for emergency use only, and not used during normal operation. Sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended as fire exits.

How do you tell if a door is a fire exit?

A fire exit door is typically found on the exterior of a building, acting as the final door of an escape route. In contrast, fire doors are usually located internally, on stairwells, between rooms and on front doors for apartments in a residential block.

What is the difference between a fire door and a fire exit?

A fire exit door is usually situated on the exterior of a building and marks the final door of an escape route. In contrast, fire doors are typically found internally, such as on stairwells or between rooms.

Can an external door be a fire door?

External Fire Rated Door – CE Marked – BS EN 1634

They are subject to more stringent regulations than internal fire doors and must comply with BS EN 1634 requirements, including CE marking. An external fire door is typically constructed from timber or steel and is designed to resist fire and its spread.

What is the alternative to a fire door?

Fire curtains are heat-activated barriers that descend automatically to contain a fire. These curtains can be installed in place of walls or doors to prevent fire and smoke from spreading.

Can fire doors be opened manually?

The door can be released manually at all times

If the door should not be open, people can intervene at any time and trigger the hold-open function manually.

Do fire doors open automatically?

In general, they will unlock automatically if the fire alarm is activated. Should this fail, there will always be a break glass or lever override door release available to use. All doors with electronic mechanisms will unlock (or 'fail open') in the event of power loss.

Why do automatic doors open on their own?

Obstructions

One of the most common reasons for an automatic door to open and close on its own is an obstruction in its path.

Do fire exit doors need to be self-closing?

Do all fire doors need to be self-closing? The short answer is no, but how do we determine what does and does not require a self-closing device? According to ADB volume 2, a self-closing device is required on a fire door if: subdividing escape routes to separate two or more storey exits.

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