Dorgard Fire Door Retainer Twin Pack - Black

The Dorgard does not detect smoke or the fire; it works by reacting to the fire alarm that goes off on detection of a fire. The unit will lift the plunger on the sound of the alarm, and a warning tone is emitted when the door is closing.

The Dorgard has several safety features built in; the unit will detect when the battery voltage is dropping, and will then emit a warning sound and release the plunger. The device will not allow the plunger to hold the door open until the batteries have been replaced. Dorgard will also not allow the plunger to be used should the batteries be removed from the unit.

Within the risk assessment for the building there should be an instruction that in the event of a failure in the fire alarm system, all door hold-open devices should be manually deactivated. However, this should be a rare event as the majority of systems have to have emergency backup power supplies which means they should continue to work in the event of power failure.

Yes, Dorgard can be used on double door applications. However, as the Dorgard does not control the speed of the door closing, some adjustments will need to be made to the closer on each door. To ensure that the doors close in the correct sequence, the leaf that needs to close first must be set to close at a faster speed than the other.

Dorgard can be fitted where there is a need to hold open a fire door to enable the movement and circulation of people around a building. Dorgard is intended for use on self-closing fire doors, but could be installed on any door. Please note that the building must have a fire alarm, and a risk assessment carried out by the employer to check the suitability of using a Dorgard; some high-risk areas e.g., kitchens, boiler rooms, and doors protecting a single staircase building may not be appropriate.

A self-test routine is run every seven days by the Dorgard. The plunger is released, closing the door and the unit will emit a continuous warning alarm if a fault is detected.

Regular testing of the building’s fire alarm system is a legal requirement, and can be utilised to manually test Dorgards around any premises. Ask staff to engage all hold-open devices before starting the alarm test, and have them report any units that don’t release. This is the tried and tested method that we use in our offices at Safelincs!

Employees should be informed about Dorgard and instructed on its use and operation and include it in the workplace fire routine.

Yes, if set to do so. There are three timed setting options for night time release which the installer can select prior to installation. Batteries to activate the internal clock in the Dorgard must be inserted at 12.00hrs (midday) and the night time settings can then be selected and set accordingly. The Dorgard will then release each night at the pre-determined time.

Yes, but only with an approved fire door retainer like Dorgard. Propping open a fire door with another object, like a chair or a fire extinguisher, is unsafe because the door will not be able to prevent the spread of flames and smoke throughout the building in the event of a fire. Holding a fire door open like this is therefore a criminal offence.