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5.3 Commentary

5.3.1 General
The Building Regulations 1991 Approved Document B 2000 Edition require that all fire doors (with the exception of locked cupboard/duct doors) be fitted with an appropriate self-closing device. This applies equally to pairs of doors (double doorsets) with rebated meeting edges and therefore requires the use of a door co-ordinating device for these doorsets.

Within the framework of the Construction Products Directive
(98/106/EEC), door co-ordinator devices have been identified as
playing an essential role in the safety of buildings in the case of fire. Compliance with BS EN 1158 is deemed to satisfy the requirements of the Directive in this regard, and it is therefore strongly recommended that proof of compliance be obtained for any door co- ordinator device before it is specified or used.

Door co-ordinator devices are available in a range of sizes which relate to the available closing power of the door closers fitted and/or
the rebate depth, whether the co-ordinator is separately mounted or integral with the closing device. The minimum performance
requirements are laid down in BS EN 1158, and include manipulation, durability and abuse resistance tests.

The following extract from BS EN 1158 shows the range of co-
ordinator sizes and related maximum recommended door leaf widths, together with some of the relevant test parameters:

Table 1 BS EN 1158

From the above table it can be seen that co-ordinator sizes are related to the door leaf width and the mass of the door to be controlled, in exactly the same manner as door closing devices (see
3.3.1, Table from BS EN 1154). This is important not only to ensure that the co- ordinator size is matched with the power size of the door closers that are to be fitted, but also to make sure that the co-ordinator is able to withstand the normal forces and mechanical stresses experienced in daily use.

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Section 5 - Door Co-ordinator Devices