THERE ARE FIVE BINDING REGULATIONS in force that cover the employer, who has a duty to safeguard the health and safety of their employees and visitors to their sites:
Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992 Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 Construction (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulation 1996 Regulatory Refore (Fire Safety) Order 2005
In essence, this means that doors should be subject to a regular maintenance regime that is recorded and preferably carried by competent or approved operators to suppliers standards.
PROLONG THE OPERATIONAL LIFE OF THE DOOR
As with any mechanical item, routine maintenance ensures that it is kept in good working order and identifies key faults in order to resolve them before they become a major problem.
KEEP THE DOOR IN A SAFE AND EFFICIENT CONDITION
Helping to prevent accidents, damage and loss of resources that usually occur as a result of this type of event.
HELP PREVENT POTENTIAL DOWNTIME
If your doors are not working and are important for access, delivery or loading, then you are likely to incur loss of revenue, and be operating reactively to a situation that could have been avoided.
HELP PREVENT PREMATURE REPLACEMENT AND IDENTIFY WHEN A PRODUCT SHOULD BE REPLACED
This could have cashflow and capital expenditure planning implications. It will also allow better budget plans as you can identify a fixed cost for planned maintenance rather than the variable cost of reactive repairs.
ALL TYPE OF DOORS
Regulation 5 of the Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992
"... the equipment, devices and systems to which this regulation applies shall be subject to a suitable system of maintenance."
This requires regular maintenance (to suppliers'/manufacturers' recommendation) is carried out at regular intervals, potentially dangers defects are remedied, and that suitable records are kept.
ELECTRIC AND POWER OPERATED DOORS
Regulation 6 of the Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
"Every employer should ensure that work equipment is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair."
"Every employer should ensure that where any machinery has a maintenance log, the log is kept up to date."
This not only restates the rules prviously coered in the Safety Regs, but also lays stress on the need for personnel carrying out the maintenance work to be adequately trained.
FIRE EXIT AND ESCAPE ROUTE DOORS
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety)Order 2005
"The responsible person must make and give effect to such arrangements as are appropriate... for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of the preventive and protective measure. The responsible person must record the arrangements made..."
For workplace or premises open to the general public, this requires regular maintenance (to suppliers'/manufacturers' recommendation) is carried out at regular intervals and that suitable records are kept.
ALL WORKPLACE DOORS
Regulation 5 of the Construction (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulation 1996
"... suitable and sufficient safe access to and egress from every place of work and to any other place provided for the use of any person while at work, which access and egress shall be without risks to health and properly maintained."
This is self explanatory, with additional emphasis on the need to ensure all disability access is also safe.
FIRE EXIT AND COMPARTMENT DOORS
Regulation 6 of the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997
"Where necessary. In order to safeguard the safety of employees in the case of fire, the workplace and any equipment and devices provided... shall be subject to a suitable system of maintenance and be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair."
This is self explanatory and is more specific because of the additional risk and danger allied to potential fire situations. |
