Coverage across Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles
Coverage for break-out escape route doors extends across all of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, including addresses some distance from the towns listed below. We are the contracting party, the engineers work under our management, and the price is agreed in writing first. If your town is not among the 4 we list, contact us anyway; the process and guide prices do not change.
Towns listed in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles: Stornoway, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Stromness.
What to think about for break-out escape route doors in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles
- Older entrances on high streets in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles may have uneven thresholds or sloping pavements. Break-out leaves need a level floor and solid fixing for the bottom pivots, and correcting that can add a day to the work.
- Supermarkets and large stores in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles see trolleys, pallets and cleaning machines through the entrance. Those knocks can stiffen or loosen break-out fittings, so set service intervals with that traffic in mind.
- Think about night security alongside escape. A lock that stops a leaf breaking out while people are still inside causes problems, so choose one that releases on the fire alarm where the strategy calls for it.
- If a canopy, ramp or steps sit close to the door, measure how far a broken-out leaf will travel. A leaf that clips a handrail or step edge will not give the escape width the strategy assumes.
- Hospitals and clinics in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles often want break-out entrances tied into the building management and fire alarm systems. Allow time for the alarm contractor to provide a signal and for the estates team to approve the interface.
Break-out escape route doors in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. For island addresses the survey is still free; travel and accommodation for the installation itself are shown as a separate line in the quote. Guide price: from £7,995 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Break-out sliding door set for an escape route | from £7,995 | installed, ex VAT; typically up to £16,995 |
| Converting an existing sliding door to break-out | Priced on survey | depends on the frame, leaves and operator |
| Battery backup for power-cut operation | £395 – £695 | per door, ex VAT |
| Touch-free switch or push pad, fitted | £145 – £395 | per switch, ex VAT |
Standards and rules in Scotland
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. Whether a break-out door is suitable is decided by the fire strategy for the building and the person responsible for fire safety under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.
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.
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.
How it works
- Get in touch. Call, email or use the form with the address and what you have in mind. If you are not sure which type of door suits, describe the entrance and we will suggest the options worth considering.
- Survey and advice. The survey costs nothing and carries no obligation. The engineer checks the site and explains which options suit the entrance, the people using it and the budget, before anything is priced.
- Quote in writing. You receive a fixed, itemised quote for break-out escape route doors in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, covering equipment, installation, testing and handover, with the lead time and payment stages set out clearly.
- Install, test, explain. The engineer installs and commissions the door, tests the sensors, safety functions and emergency behaviour, and walks you through the controls. The handover pack records what was installed and tested.
Tell us about the building in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, its footfall and its fire alarm, and we will plan a break-out door around them, starting with a free site visit.
Break-out escape route doors in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles: questions
Can you look after break-out doors in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles once they are fitted?
Yes. We can arrange planned servicing, with the break-out fittings, alarm release and power failure behaviour tested at each visit and a written record left on site. Each visit is priced in writing before anyone attends, and the interval is set by how hard the door works.
What is the guide price for break-out escape route doors in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles?
Our guide starts from £7,995 excluding VAT (per door set), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Our shop in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles is inside a shopping centre. Can you still fit a break-out door?
In most cases, yes. Centre management usually sets rules on contractors, working hours and connections to the centre's fire alarm. We work within those rules, provide the method statements and insurance details they ask for, and plan the fitting so the unit can trade for as much of the time as possible.
Will a break-out door in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles need building regulations approval?
It can. Replacing an entrance, especially one on an escape route, may count as building work that needs approval, and the rules differ in each UK nation. We tell you at survey when approval or landlord consent looks likely, so it can be arranged before the door is ordered.
What is the lead time for break-out escape route doors in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles?
Lead times depend on the door type and what has to be made to order. As a guide, operators and accessible door kits are typically two to four weeks from order, and complete sliding entrances typically four to eight weeks from drawing approval. Curved, revolving and hermetic doors usually take longer. The expected lead time is stated in your quote.
Can you cover island addresses in Scotland?
Yes, by arrangement, and the survey is still free. Visits are planned around ferry timings so the survey and the installation each take as few trips as possible, and travel and accommodation for the installation are shown as a separate line in the quote. Photos and measurements sent in advance help with the planning.
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.