What we do in Hertfordshire
- Door openers at home. Automatic openers for front, back and internal doors in homes across Hertfordshire, arranged around the person using them and their carers. The survey is free and the quote is fixed. See home door openers.
- Schools, councils and public buildings. Entrances for schools, libraries, leisure centres and civic buildings across Hertfordshire, planned around term dates, opening hours and public access. See public buildings.
- Safety inspections. A documented check of each door's safety functions and a site-specific risk assessment with reference to BS EN 16005, for employers, landlords and building managers in England. See safety inspections.
- Healthcare and care settings. Automatic doors for surgeries, clinics, wards and care homes, set up for gentle opening and closing where vulnerable people use them. See care homes and healthcare.
Towns we list in Hertfordshire
- Watford
- Hemel Hempstead
- Stevenage
- St Albans
- Welwyn Garden City
- Cheshunt
- Hatfield
- Bishop's Stortford
- Borehamwood
- Hitchin
- Hoddesdon
- Letchworth
- Harpenden
- Bushey
- Hertford
- Rickmansworth
- Potters Bar
- Berkhamsted
- Ware
Automatic doors and the law in England
Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, which can include altering a physical feature such as a heavy entrance door.
Building regulations guidance in England (Approved Document M, Volume 2) says a powered opening system should be used where a self-closing entrance door would need more than 30 N at the leading edge to open, or more than 22.5 N between 30° and 60°, and expects external doors used by the public in new buildings to give at least 1000 mm of effective clear width.
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 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. In England, fire safety law says sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended as emergency exits.
Questions from Hertfordshire
Can work in Hertfordshire be done outside opening hours?
Yes. Early mornings, evenings and weekends can be arranged for shops, surgeries, offices and schools that need their entrance during the day. Tell us your preferred times when you enquire. Any extra cost is set out in the written quote or the agreed visit price before the work is booked.
How often should automatic doors in Hertfordshire be serviced?
There is no fixed legal interval. We recommend a trained engineer checks the safety functions at least once a year, with service intervals set by the manufacturer's instructions and how heavily the door is used; busy doors are often serviced more often. Each service visit is priced in writing first and ends with a written record.
How long does an automatic door installation in Hertfordshire 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.
What information helps when I contact you about a door in Hertfordshire?
The address, the type of building, photos of the door from both sides and a rough size of the opening. For a fault, add what the door is doing and a photo of any label on the operator. For a new door, tell us how the entrance is used and by whom. That lets us book the right visit and agree the price in writing.
Do you cover all of Hertfordshire?
Yes. Specialist automatic door engineers working under our management travel to addresses throughout Hertfordshire, including smaller towns and rural sites. We are the contracting party for every job, so you arrange the work, agree the price and receive the paperwork through us.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in Hertfordshire?
In England the guidance is Approved Document M (Volume 2) for access, Approved Document B for fire safety and escape routes, and Approved Document K for glazing and powered doors. A new entrance can count as building work, so building control should be involved before it is ordered.