Door Wedge Fire Code

There has been some confusion and controversy at unlv over what constitutes a rated door.

Door wedge fire code. You fire folks is it really a violation. The use of kickdown devices or door wedges is prohibited on all doors. The following are selected requirements of the life safety code and referenced standards. So i received notice from the city that the door stop i m using on my classroom door is a fire code violation.

The rating requirements for each type of door and wall in a building are set by a fire marshal or by building codes. As far as code requirements go is it rated doors only or does it include any door with a closer. Mdtaylor forum crew member. California building code section 715 4 7 states.

Fire doors are designed to be closed at all times. The door stop looks like. Fire rated doors must be automatic or self closing and latching in common terms this means that the fire rated doors cannot be held open by. Building codes for exterior doors.

Fire rated doors and wedges risk management environmental health and occupational safety. Exterior doors in homes and businesses not only provide security but they also serve as a vital means of egress during a fire or other emergency. It applies to any fire rated door assembly any non rated door assembly that is required to be self closing and all corridor doors regardless of their fire rating and regardless if they are self. The problem is that the life safety code requires existing corridor partitions to be fire rated for 1 2 hour the doors you describe sound an awful lot like they would be considered corridor doors and doors required to be fire rated have to have self or automatic closing devices which means propping them open is on the excluded list.

Determine that smoke and fire doors close properly the fire department notification device functions smoke dampers close etc. Fire doors and other opening protectives such as shutters and windows must be operable at all times. In general terms fire rated doors are ones that separate an office or area from an exit way or exit. Overall a fire rating can range from 20 minutes to three hours but keep in mind that 20 minute doors are designed to block smoke rather than flames.

It has been our practice to not allow door hold open wedges on any door within the hospital. Propping the door open with a bucket of sand a concrete block or a wedge between the floor and the bottom of the door are unacceptable methods to hold open a fire rated door. The nevada state fire marshal strictly prohibits the use of any object to prop open a fire rated door. Nfpa codes and standards such as nfpa 1 fire code nfpa 101 life safety code and nfpa 80 standard for fire doors and other opening protectives govern the installation inspection testing and maintenance of fire doors.

Documentation of monthly testing is required.