What we do in the Edinburgh area
- Automating existing doors. Where a door and frame in the Edinburgh area are sound, adding a sliding or swing operator can cost far less than replacing the entrance. The free survey checks whether it will work. See automating an existing door.
- Upgrades after an inspection. Work that closes the gaps a safety inspection finds on older doors in Scotland, from extra safety sensors to clearer signage, quoted item by item. See safety and compliance upgrades.
- Schools, councils and public buildings. Entrances for schools, libraries, leisure centres and civic buildings across the Edinburgh area, planned around term dates, opening hours and public access. See public buildings.
- Planned servicing. Service visits at intervals set by the manufacturer's instructions and how heavily each door is used, with a written record left after every visit. See automatic door servicing.
Towns we list in the Edinburgh area
Automatic doors and the law in Scotland
Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers in Scotland must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, which can include altering a physical feature such as a heavy entrance door.
Scottish building standards guidance (the non-domestic Technical Handbook) expects an accessible entrance door to give a clear opening of at least 800 mm, says powered doors improve accessibility as long as they add no new hazard, and expects signage, sensors that hold the door open long enough, and guarding against collision or entrapment.
In Great Britain a new or converted powered door must meet the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 before it is first used, and can carry the UKCA or the CE marking. Workplace law (the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992) expects powered doors to have suitable and effective features to stop them trapping anyone and, where needed for safety, to open by hand unless they open automatically if the power fails. Doors at work must also be kept in efficient working order under a suitable system of maintenance.
Doors on escape routes and fire doors are covered by the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. In Scotland, fire safety regulations say sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended as emergency exits, and Scottish guidance allows automatic and revolving doors on an escape route only where they fail safely to outward opening, or have a monitored fail-safe system that opens them on power failure, sensor failure and fire alarm.
Questions from the Edinburgh area
How long does an automatic door installation in the Edinburgh area take?
Fitting an operator to an existing door often takes a day, and a complete sliding entrance typically takes one to three days on site once the door has been made. Lead times before that are typically two to eight weeks, depending on the door type. Your quote sets out the expected lead time and the time on site.
Who actually carries out the work in the Edinburgh area?
Specialist automatic door engineers working under our management. We are the contracting party: we arrange the survey or diagnosis, provide the written price, book the work and deal with any follow-up, so you deal with us throughout. We do not have premises in the Edinburgh area; engineers travel to each address.
Do you fit automatic door openers in homes in the Edinburgh area?
Yes. We arrange automatic openers for front, back and internal doors for wheelchair users and people with limited strength or mobility. The survey is free and looks at the door, the person using it and how carers come and go. Councils can sometimes help with the cost of adaptations, so check with yours before work starts, as approval usually comes first.
Is the site survey in the Edinburgh area free?
For new automatic doors, upgrades, retrofits and home door openers, yes: the site survey is free and comes with a fixed, itemised written quote and no obligation. Repairs, servicing and safety inspections are different. For those, the visit price is agreed in writing before an engineer attends.
What happens to an automatic door in a power cut?
That depends on how the door is set up. Some doors open and stay open, some can be pushed open by hand, and some have a battery that keeps them working for a time or opens them once. Workplace health and safety law expects powered doors to be safe if the power fails. The right setting for a building in the Edinburgh area is agreed before installation.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in the Edinburgh area?
The person responsible for fire safety under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 for those premises. Scottish guidance allows automatic doors on escape routes only where they fail safely to outward opening or have a monitored fail-safe system that opens them on power failure, sensor failure and fire alarm.