Health & Safety 

The following clarifies the legal basis for requiring proper maintenance of industrial and commercial doors: 

 

In the view of the DHF there are three relevant pieces of legislation 

 

 

All these regulations are binding on the employer who has a duty to safeguard the health and safety of employees and others. Specifically the reguirements are as follows: 

 

1) "...the equipment devices and systems to which this regulation applies shall be subject to a suitable system of maintenance." (Workplace regulations). This implies regular maintenance carried out at suitable intervals, potentially dangerous defects to be remedied and that suitable records are kept; the regulation applies to all types of door. 

 

2a) "Every employer should ensure that work equipment is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair." 

 

2b) "Every employer should ensure that where any machinery has a maintenance log, the log is kept up to date" (Work Equipment Regulations). These regulations apply to power operated doors and in addition to the points already mentioned, the code of practice lays stress on the need for personnel carrying out maintenance work to be adequately trained. 

 

3) "Where necessary, in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons the responsible person must ensure that the premises and any facilities, equipment and devices provided....are subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair." (Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order). this applies to doors provided as fire exits and to doors providing fire compartmentation. 

 

Customers should, therefore, be advised to ensure that maintenance is carried out as necessary and that appropriate records are maintained. In addition, the maintenance should only be entrusted to competent persons, both to ensure that the maintenance is carried out to the appropriate standard and to protect the safety of the maintenance staff themselves.