Designing Accessible Buildings: The Equality Act 2010

1. DORMA – The Equality Act 2010 The Way Forward To Designing Accessible Buildings A RIBA Approved CPD Seminar • Date: Thursday 12th April • Venue: University of Brighton • Presenter: Dick Watts

2. Core Equality Act legislation • DORMA, the company • Common access issues • Detailed specifications • The Equality Act: Building Regulations - • Standards • Case studies • Details & support DORMA – The Equality Act: The Way Forward

3. A family owned company • Founded in 1908 • First products – double action door hinges • 1950’s began production of closers • 1960’s first automatic door operator • 1970’s Glass door hardware • 1980’s global expansion • 1990’s Security products • 2000’s Movable walls The Company

4. Automatics Division • Door Controls Division • Glass Division • Movable Walls Division • Service Division DORMA UK

5. 1995: DDA bill passed • 1996:- unlawful to discriminate against disabled employees - unlawful for service providers to treat disabled people less favourably • 1999: service providers must alter practice or provide alternative means of providing the service • 2002: SENDA bill passed • 2004: October 1st - service providers must make reasonable adjustments to physical features of their premises • 2005: DDA amended and updated • 2005: September 1st - (SENDA) education providers must make reasonable adjustments to physical features of their premises • 2006: from December 1st Private Clubs must make reasonable adjustments to physical features of their premises • 2010: DDA was incorporated within and superseded by the Equality Act The Equality Act: Chronology

6. Commercial • Retail • Financial • Residential • Education • Healthcare • Transport The Equality Act applies in all these areas

7. Where a physical feature makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use a service, service providers since October 2004, have had to make reasonable steps in order to: • Remove the feature • Alter the feature • Provide a reasonable alternative means of avoiding the feature OR • Provide a reasonable alternative method of making the service available to disabled persons New buildings should therefore be designed to provide access to services The Law

8. Anyone who provides a service to the public or a section of the public • Local councils and government departments • High street outlets - Banks & Shops • Leisure facilities - Cinemas, sports stadia, pubs and restaurants • Hospitals, clinics public utilities and places of worship Who is a service provider?

9. The Equality Act 2010 is civil legislation, relating to access to services rather than access to the building– buildings & products cannot therefore be “Equality Act compliant”! • What they can comply with are: • Building Regulations – provide guidance to ensure minimum acceptable standard of construction for new buildings and existing buildings • British/European standards - provide recommendations in the design of new and existing buildings to meet the needs of disabled people Pic of building site How can the Equality Act be “complied” with?

10. BS 8300:2009 + A1:2010 • (Latest guidance July 2010) • Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people code of practice • Building Regulations • Access to and use of buildings • Part M England, Wales • Part R Northern Ireland • Section 3 Scotland The Equality Act: Best Practice

11. Commercial reasons • - if people have difficulty in entering your business premises, they will seek alternatives • Legal reasons - Building Regulations Part M - The Equality Act is LAW - Breach of the law could result in court, fines and bad PR for any business • Moral reasons- Why should any individual be discriminated against? • Life or Death • - If specified solutions are wrong this may create a ‘life threatening’ scenario Why follow this guidance?

12. Planning and Design • Entrances • Internal doors • Fire doors • Room access doors • Clear door widths – access • Accessible toilet doors • Escape doors • Common sense approaches and simple solutions for: • New build • Refurbishment including historical buildings Where do you begin?

13. Fire doors • - Corridor doors • - Room access doors • Accessible toilets • Escape doors • Overhead door closers • Concealed door closers • Hold-open door closers • Low energy door closers • Lever furniture • Locks • Panic hardware Internal Doors

14. Opening Forces BS 8300:2009 + A1:2010 (Latest guidance July 2010) & Building RegulationsApproved Document Part M 2004 (New guidance 3rd March 2005) Agree that: The force required to open the door should not exceed 30N between 0°-30° and must fallbelow 22.5N between 30°- 60° All Doors Design Issues

15. It is critical to achieve both the desired maximum opening force as described in BS8300 & ADM while still maintaining the required closing force (BS EN 1154) to effectively close the door. Door closers of high efficiency and with rapid drop off of opening resistance should be specified to ensure compliance Design Issues – Specification of door closers

16. Conventional rack & pinion closer with scissor arm Opening moment Closing moment Door closing moment [N] Door opening angle ° Conventional rack & pinion closer with scissor arm (solid lines) Cam action closer with slide channel (dotted lines) 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 Opening/Closing comparisons

17. Opening/Closing Comparisons

18. Other considerations affecting opening forces • Locks • Seals • Hinges • Air Pressure Design Issues

19. 72mm min • Critical specification issues • Force required to activate the latch • Independently sprung handle & latch Locks and latches

20. P . A . w 2 Cm = • Seals • Hinges • Air • Pressure Cm = closing moment of door closer [Nm] P = air pressure [Nm2] {Pascals} A = door surface area [m2] w = door width [m] Design Issues

21. Seals • Hinges • Air • Pressure Design Issues – Adjustable Power Door Closers

22. Other issues Building RegulationsApproved Document Part M 2004 (New guidance 3rd March 2005) BS 8300:2009 + A1:2010 (Latest guidance July 2010) New Guidance

23. Critical specification issues • Physical shape of door handle & Location of locking device - Consider manual dexterity problems • Bolt through fixing – Handles used for support • Visual definition of handles – high contrast – Texture of handles - Consider impaired vision Handles

24. “In some locations in a building, a controlled door closing device incorporating a backcheck is sometimes used to prevent damage to adjacent walls or furniture and to the closer mechanism if a door is flung open with some force. However, when the door is opened slowly, the resistance effect is minimal. With some controlled door closing devices, the backcheck starts to become effective when the door is open at 70°”. • “thinking” backcheck – • The resistance developed by this backcheck system is directly proportional to door acceleration. New Guidance - Backcheck

25. “Without regular maintenance of all door fittings, the resistances to opening and closing can increase to an extent that the ability of disabled people to pass through the door may be affected. The opening force at the door opening angles described above should therefore be checked at regular intervals”. New Guidance - Maintenance

26. Other issues Building RegulationsApproved Document Part M 2004 (New guidance 3rd March 2005) BS 8300:2009 + A1:2010 (Latest guidance July 2010) fire safety must be considered Design Issues

27. Must be fully closed at the time of fire • Must close with the minimum forces as described in BS EN 1154 • Therefore it can present a problem with regards to accessibility Fire Doors – surface mounted closers

28. Electro–magnetic hold-open closers • Surface mounted • Concealed • Floor spring • Hold-open magnets with independent closers Hold-Open Closers @ Evalina Hospital, London Fire Door Systems

29. A universal ‘hold open’ for internal fire doors • Electro- mechanical tested to EN1155 • Hold open 800 - 1200 • The release force mechanism can be adjusted without tools Fire Door Systems – surface mounted

30. Inconspicuous solutions • Virtually invisible • Electro-Hydraulic hold-open unit • For fire and smoke check doors • Hold open 75° - 175° Floor Spring Hold-Open Closers @ Hairmyers Hospital, Hamilton Fire Door Systems – floor spring

31. Surface or flush mounted • For use with fire certified closers • Performance is dependent upon doors being closed at the time of fire • A CLOSING DEVICE IS NEEDED • Single swing doors require closing devices that conform with BS EN 1154 Independent Hold Open Magnets & Closers @ Baltic Mill, Gateshead Fire Door Systems – hold open magnets

32. Some sites demand a more integrated approach • Listed buildings • Change of use – new fire regulations • An aesthetically pleasing solution • DORMA systems can be integrated into the door leaf and frame Concealed closer @Penny Hill Park Hotel, Bagshot Fire Doors – concealed closers

33. Refurbishment – historical buildings

34. Low Energy Door Operator • Assistance on demand • The Low Energy system gives the user help ONLY when required • A low traffic solution • Can be retro fitted • Remote wireless push pads • Radio and Infra-red hand held controllers Room Access

35. Free Swing Door Closer • Closer is disengaged during normal use • Allows room occupant to leave the door ajar • On activation of the fire alarm the magnet releases and engages the door closer Room Access

36. 1. Wall partition or other obstruction 2. 300 mm clear (may be reduced if door is opened by remote automatic control) 3. Door hung from corner of room 4. Short return might enable the door to swing open beyond 90º 5. Doorset Room Access

37. Door Widths

38. Visual definition of the WC is important • Automatic outward swing door is best • Occupied sign and disabled push pad are essential Accessible toilets

39. Consideration must be given to those ‘less able’ in the event of building evacuation • Crash bars must be fitted at the recommended height • Alternative methods of opening escape doors must be provided Escape doors

40. Full door-width touchbars require less force to operate • Electrical operating functions for specialised applications • Can be fitted to low energy door operators. • Ensure people can leave unaided through emergency exit doors Escape doors

41. DDA Legislation • New build design issues - Opening forces required - Fittings • Overcoming problem areas within existing buildings • Maintenance programme • Security requirements • Best practice • Project specific issues can be reviewed with our specification team Summary

42. Q&A DORMA UK Ltd Wilbury Way Hitchin Hertfordshire SG4 0AB T – 01462 477 600 F – 01462 477 601 www.dorma-uk.co.uk Thank you

43. DORMA – The Equality Act 2010 The Way Forward To Designing Accessible Buildings A RIBA Approved CPD Seminar