What we do in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles
- Residential blocks. Communal entrance doors for housing providers and managing agents in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, linked to door entry or fob systems where needed and serviced to a written record. See residential blocks.
- Automating existing doors. Where a door and frame in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles 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.
- Door openers at home. Automatic openers for front, back and internal doors in homes across Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, arranged around the person using them and their carers. The survey is free and the quote is fixed. See home door openers.
- 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.
Towns we list in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles
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 Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles
Do automatic doors in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles open when the fire alarm sounds?
They can, if they are linked to the fire alarm. Doors on escape routes are set up to open, break out or be openable by hand, as the fire strategy for the building requires, and fire doors that are held open must close automatically when the alarm operates. We set doors up to match the strategy you give us.
Can you repair an automatic door in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles that you did not install?
Yes. Engineers working under our management repair most makes of automatic door, whoever fitted them. Tell us what the door is doing and send a photo of any label on the operator. We agree the visit price in writing before anyone attends, and quote any parts before fitting them.
Can you work with schools, hospitals and care homes in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles?
We can. Healthcare, care and education buildings need doors that are gentle, reliable and safe for vulnerable users, with work planned around patients, residents or the school timetable. We provide written prices and records suited to organisations that buy through procurement. See sectors for more on each type of building.
How often should automatic doors in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles 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 Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles 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.
Is a building warrant needed for a new automatic entrance in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles?
Often, yes. Most building work in Scotland needs a building warrant before it starts, and the non-domestic Technical Handbook sets out what an accessible entrance should provide, including a clear opening of at least 800 mm. We tell you at the survey if your job is likely to need one.