DDA expertise from DORMA at Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust
 Hammersmith Hospital, part of the Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust, now houses the west London renal and transplant centre in a brand new £40 million purpose-built development. The 9000 square metre, five-storey building – which is not a PFI project – centralises inpatient renal services which were previously spread between Hammersmith, Charing Cross and St Mary's Hospitals. The unit, which comprises 182 beds, a rapid assessment area, offices and administrative space offers unrivalled patient care and is the largest renal centre in Europe.
As with all hospitals, the centre experiences high pedestrian traffic and the need for safe access and egress is paramount. In particular, people with disabilities, or those receiving treatment are likely to require a greater degree of assistance in moving around in and safely exiting the premises, making it imperative that the various door controls are consistently reliable and effective.
A combination of solutions
DORMA has a reputation for excellence when it comes to meeting the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act and Hammersmith features a combination of their automatic and manual door control solutions. There are two types of automatic systems installed at the new unit, the ES 90 and the FFT. The ES 90 sliding door operator can be fitted to virtually all types of sliding doors with opening widths up to 4000mm – including busy main entrances, emergency exits and escape routes. It is available in a range of finishes, has a quiet and smooth motion sequence and is exceptionally reliable and safe in high traffic areas. The drive is based on a modular system and facilitates speedy delivery and fast installation. The FFT is an automatic folding door, ideal for narrow door openings. They do not swing out when opened and have a depth only a quarter the width of the passage – ensuring maximum utilisation of the available space.
The manual doors at the new unit feature the unique DORMA TS 93 cam-action closer, along with BTS 80 floor springs – both supplied by Beaver Architectural Ironmongery Ltd. Specified by architect Chris Demain at Ansell and Bailey, the TS 93 cam-action closers were chosen for their low opening forces. Unlike conventional rack and pinion closers DORMA cam-action closers have a unique linear drive mechanism and heart-shaped cam. This design means that when the door is opened the opening force falls away rapidly after the first few degrees, resulting in little resistance throughout the opening cycle – and the same happens on closing. The opening forces of the cam-action range meet the requirements of Document M and BS8300: 2001, Incorporating Amendment No.1. The result is a much easier and safer door operation for children, the elderly, those pushing trolleys or equipment and particularly for people with physical disabilities.
Certifire approved BTS 80 floor springs are installed throughout with links to the fire detection system, providing an inconspicuous solution in meeting the diverse convenience and fire safety requirements. These electro-magnetic floor springs hold the door open during normal day-to-day use, however, in the event of the fire alarm being activated, or a power cut, the floor springs enable the doors to self-close. These reliable, fail-safe concealed springs are flush-fitted into the floor and can operate single and double action fire and smoke resistant doors up to 300kg in weight.
Charing Cross Hospital also fitted with cam-action closers
Other major work for the Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust where DORMA has been specified and supplied through both Yannedis architectural ironmongers and Beaver architectural ironmongers is the Charing Cross Hospital, just a few miles across west London. Under the supervision of HAMSON Partnership, the hospital has undergone a major fire upgrade including replacement of fire doors in corridors, operating theatres and day and stay wards. They have now has been fitted with new closers to meet both the fire safety requirements and the new opening force requirements of Document M and BS8300: 2001, incorporating Amendment No.1. The upgrade extends to the operating theatres and day and stay wards. Just as for its sister hospital, Hammersmith, Charing Cross is meeting both the aesthetic and heavy-duty technical considerations by fitting DORMA TS 93 cam-action closers. For ease of access on corridors a number of the closers feature electromagnetic hold-open devices which are connected to the fire alarm system. In the event of a fire alarm or a fault in the power supply, the hold-open is released and the door is closed properly by the door closer.
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