What is this standard about?
Based on A&E data, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has suggested that around 40,000 serious accidents happen each year in the UK when fingers, mainly those of children, are trapped in doors. These high figures indicate that child safety at mechanically operated and automatic doors is paramount.
Therefore this standard specifies requirements and test methods for the durability, strength and effective functioning of finger protection devices fitted at the hanging stile of pedestrian doors in public spaces, with the main purpose being to prevent accidental injury.
NOTE: This standard is applicable to finger protection devices fitted to side hung and pivoted doors with single or double swing. It is not applicable to devices fitted to sliding and revolving doors and it does not specify requirements for products intended to be fitted by the consumer for use in dwellings. Such products are covered by BS EN 16654.
Who is this standard for?
Anyone with an interest in pedestrian doors in public spaces. This includes:
- Test houses
- Manufacturers
- Specifiers
- Designers/architects
- Trade associations
- Building safety inspectors
- Distributors
- Regulators
- Childcare facilities and schools (Local authority and private)
- Supermarkets and shopping malls
- Health and safety managers, consultants and inspectorates
- Facilities managers
- Risk assessors
- Indoor play and party centres
- Family entertainment centres
- Theme parks
- Care homes
Why should you use this standard?
BS 8613 has been produced to give guidance on the best finger protection devices for doors. There are a variety of products already on the market, however there is no guidance as to what works well, what fails easily, what is durable and what is truly safe in use.
This standard answers these questions and provides a benchmark of safety to help manufacturers design fit-for-purpose products. It will also help specifiers select devices on the basis of known performance values, thus fulfilling their duty of care.
BS 8613 also forms the basis of a BSI Kitemark scheme. Manufacturers who can demonstrate compliance with the standard, and who are certified as ISO 9001 compliant, can use the BSI Kitemark to differentiate their product in the market place and give specifiers and users confidence in the consistent quality of their product.