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Door Closer Speed - (AKA: Door Slices Achilles Tendon)

fj80

fj80

Sawhorse
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
230
Location
Virginia
I'll try to summarize this briefly. A lawyer college is defending a client of his who's Achilles tendon was severed by the bottom corner of a metal door. The lawyer has asked us to look into whether or not there are any code violations with the door closer.

My main question is: Does the building code, or another code, designate the maximum allowed CLOSING speed or force of a door closer? 2012 IBC 1008.1.3 provides maximum allowed opening force, but I see nothing regulating closing force or speed.

Here's the background info I know so far: This is a four-unit apartment building and the injury happened at an exit door from the building (not one of the individual apartment doors.) It's a steel door with window wire safety glass. There is a closer at the top inside of the door and the door swings out. There is a single step down immediately at the exterior side of the door, down to a landing. The concrete slab of the building interior floor protrudes beyond the exterior side of the door by approximately a couple inches, then steps down to the landing.

Second question: Does the code allow a step immediately outside an exterior egress door for this type of building? From what I understand so far, it appears the injured party's heel was caught between the door edge and the concrete step.

Any suggestions on relevant code sections are much appreciated.
 
I guess someone has tested and videoed the door, closing speed, force, time??

Any insight to that??
 
cda said:
I guess someone has tested and videoed the door, closing speed, force, time??

Any insight to that??
Click to expand...
Yes, they sent several videos of the door closing from a 90 degree open position. I timed the closing time at approximately 2 seconds. I found ANSI A117.1 Section 404.2.7.1 says it should be a minimum of 5 seconds closing to an open position of 12 degrees. However, because this door has step down to the exterior landing, it does not qualify as an accessible route, so I believe ADA and ANSI regulations do not apply...
 
Well not into slip and fall cases, except for once, and learned from that.

With no info on the person or medical conditions,

Yes if you find something written saying close the slow, I go back to a reasonable person ,,

Not Me,but I hold the door open normally till I felt I have cleared it.


You might find the brand and model of the device ,,, than see what factory specs were out of the box????
 
I called the ADA directly and they said because the apartment building is privately-owned, it is not required to meet ADA requirements.

In that case, I think the only applicable code issue is whether or not the step down at the door is code compliant. I thought a landing was required on both sides of the exit door but I don't see that requirement in the code section 1008.1.6 Landings at doors. Is it mentioned elsewhere?
 
cda said:
Well not into slip and fall cases, except for once, and learned from that.

With no info on the person or medical conditions,

Yes if you find something written saying close the slow, I go back to a reasonable person ,,

Not Me,but I hold the door open normally till I felt I have cleared it.


You might find the brand and model of the device ,,, than see what factory specs were out of the box????
Click to expand...
Yes, this is our next approach- get the manufacturer specs for the closer and see if it was installed and adjusted according to them.
 
fj80 said:
I called the ADA directly and they said because the apartment building is privately-owned, it is not required to meet ADA requirements.

In that case, I think the only applicable code issue is whether or not the step down at the door is code compliant. I thought a landing was required on both sides of the exit door but I don't see that requirement in the code section 1008.1.6 Landings at doors. Is it mentioned elsewhere?
Click to expand...

Duh, found it at 1008.1.5 Floor Elevation
 
Consider:
1. Maintenance of the closing speed by building owner.
2. How old is the building (may justify why no landing if old enough)
3. How many exits required? Does it have more that 2?
4. What code and when was it enforced in Virginia?
5. Record of prior accidents on site?
 
I can only speak for the 2009 and 2012 IBC for accessibility but if there are 4 units they need to be type B accessible units if the building was built when these codes were in effect. All units on the first floor and other floors if there is an elevator are required to be type B accessible units. The route to the type B units is required to be accessible which means no steps.

There is a requirement for closing speed of doors on accessible routes in ICC/ANSI A 117.1 SECTION 404.2.7

2009 IBC section 1008.1.5 requires a landing on both sides of the door to be at the same elevation.
Exception 2: in group R-2 (apartments) can have a step no higher than 7" at an exterior door if it is not an accessible route per IBC 1003.5 exception 1.
 
fj80 said:
I called the ADA directly and they said because the apartment building is privately-owned, it is not required to meet ADA requirements.

In that case, I think the only applicable code issue is whether or not the step down at the door is code compliant. I thought a landing was required on both sides of the exit door but I don't see that requirement in the code section 1008.1.6 Landings at doors. Is it mentioned elsewhere?
Click to expand...

Wow, so any apartment building does not need ADA unless it is not privately owned, only if is government owned?
Well the building code is a lot different on that. But the building code is only for new and altered buildings. Doesn't matter who owns it. So you need to go by the code that was in place when the building was built or altered.
 
Rick18071 said:
Wow, so any apartment building does not need ADA unless it is not privately owned, only if is government owned?
Well the building code is a lot different on that. But the building code is only for new and altered buildings. Doesn't matter who owns it. So you need to go by the code that was in place when the building was built or altered.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's what the ADA info line person told me. But they also said a privately owned apartment building may have to follow FHA requirements for accessibility. So it's quite a trip down the rabbit hole to figure this out.

But even if ADA doesn't apply here, you are correct that it would still need to meet the building code requirements for accessibility at the time it was built. I don't yet know when that was but it's roughly 20-30 years old.
 
FHA applies to privately funded apartments is occupancy after March 13, 1991.
If the apartment's certificate of occupancy was issued on or before 3/13/1991, then FHA does not apply.
 
Is the door in question even on the accessible route?

When was still wearing my tools, set closures @ 5-7 seconds till the latching part of the closure takes over.
 
ADAguy said:
fj, see my previous questions, what is your role in this?
Click to expand...
My role is not officially related to the incident. The lawyer is a friend of my boss, who then asked me to look into possible code violations that may have contributed to the accident.
 
my250r11 said:
Is the door in question even on the accessible route?

When was still wearing my tools, set closures @ 5-7 seconds till the latching part of the closure takes over.
Click to expand...
No, this door does not appear to be on an accessible route, because of the step down at the door. I don't know if there even is another exit route out of the building, accessible or not.
 
When was it built, and what locality? Virginia adopted a statewide building code in 1973. Before that several counties didn't have building codes (other than the Virginia Fire Safety Regulations for public buildings). I think that steps were allowed at building entrances before accessibility became an issue.
 
fj80 said:
My role is not officially related to the incident. The lawyer is a friend of my boss, who then asked me to look into possible code violations that may have contributed to the accident.
Click to expand...


My unsolicited advice is - don't help the lawyer. Doesn't matter who he is a friend of, he's still a lawyer. He's out to screw somebody, and you (I assume..) don't want to be in the middle of it.

This is not a building code issue. This is about being smart enough to get through a door without cutting your foot off....
 
Were you asked to do so with or without a retainer? As a professional service you are required to have a contract if licensed.
 
As others have said, I'd be careful about providing an opinion that may be pulled into any legal documents. Heck, I'm very careful discussing possible code issues if friends ask.
 
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