The Office of Environmental Health & Safety is often asked why office, corridor or classroom doors must remain closed. Or, why is someone removing the chocks and hold-open hardware from doors? Many have commented on how impractical or even uncomfortable it is to keep their door closed. The short answer to these questions and comments is that keeping doors closed helps keep everyone safe.
Virtually all doors on campus were designed by architects to remain closed when not being used for entrance and egress. While this may seem innocuous, it relates significantly to the safety of building occupants in the case of fire, explosion or chemical spill. Furthermore, leaving doors open is a violation of the New York State Fire Code.
As peculiar as this may sound, doors are not just doors anymore. They are part of a safety system that encapsulates a room, corridor, stairwell or even an entire floor. The system consists not only of doors, but walls and ceilings as well. Each of these components are designed and constructed to work in concert to contain heat, smoke and toxic fumes from a fire. Even a small electrical or wastebasket fire can produce withering smoke and toxic gasses in mere moments. Thus, containing these events becomes highly critical to everyone’s safety.
We cannot prevent all fires from occurring. We can however ensure that room and building occupants exit safely in the event of a fire. Secondary to this is the goal to contain a fire at or within its place of origin. Aside from the obvious life safety concerns we all share, fire containment is critical to saving valuable College property. The potential damage or prospect of losing an entire building due to a small lab experiment gone awry, or a defective electrical cord, is not something we can afford in terms of cost and disruption to learning.
We do, to some degree, lose a sense of congeniality and convenience by keeping doors closed. However, we can all share in the pride and peace of mind that comes from placing the well-being of all community members above our own by helping our fire safety systems function as intended. Let us all work together to help keep our community safe.
If you have any questions regarding fire safety or any other environmental health and safety concern on campus, please do not hesitate to contact me at extension 3151 or via e-mail at: <smarini2@monroecc.edu>.
Sharon Marini
Environmental Health and Safety
05/13/2014 |