Dear All,
Q)What happens in your archive when the fire alarms sound?
We are in the process of designing our ideal reading room (to a budget, of
course!). Work will begin in April but we have one outstanding technical
glitch to be resolved - our current fire alarm procedures have been deemed
to be illegal (by Fire Officer).
Currently, when the alarms go, we ask readers to leave material at the
desks, clear the readers out (a member of staff sheparding them downstairs
to the meeting point) while the last member of staff out locks the main door
and sets the alarm. This process is fast.
There are apparently two "no-nos" here. First, the fire officers are
concerned that we may inadvertently lock in some hapless reader who has
fallen asleep or is overcome by fumes. Second, we are exposing to danger any
member of staff remaining in the building for the additional 6-8 seconds
that it takes to lock the main door and set the (key) alarm.
Instead we are being informed that we must have an automatic door release
system which is connected to the fire alarm, ie when the alarm goes, the
door is propelled open and cannot be shut until the alarm is switched off.
This means that the archive doors would be open to anyone in King's College
main Strand building for the duration of the fire alarm, plus the return to
offices. An ideal theft opportunity.
One of our suggestions is to continue as at present but to have a Break
Glass key placed on the inside of the door . . . but the fire officers have
been sniffy about this.
We'd really welcome advice on this issue or, indeed, comments about good
practice in other repositories.
Lottie Clark
King's College London
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