Happy new year to all, although I'm sure it seems a long while ago now! Our estates department has been looking to change the current plan to fit mechanical powered door openers throughout some teaching areas and move over to a new type of door opener called a "Dual power electro-magnetic door controller". These openers work using two forces (a lower one for usual operation and a higher one which is triggered on activation of the fire alarm). The doors therefore fit the requirements for fire safety but are also supposed to require much lower forces to be opened under normal conditions making them well within the limits of BS8300. I do not wish to counter this idea without full consideration as due to the associated cost saving, we may be able to treat 4 times as many doors by using the new system (and we have lots of long corridors with lots of obstructive doors!). My worry is that the doors still have to be pushed/pulled open however light. Am I also right in thinking that automatic openers can cause problems for other groups of users when they open unexpectedly or break down? I would be interested to hear from anyone who has been through these discussions or who knows of a good study or evidence looking at the benefits, drawbacks and the opinion of disabled users of mechanical powered door openers vs others. The university currently plans to fit one of these for testing (I hope involving individuals with mobility impairment) but they seem to be looking very positively at them right now. Nicky Hammond