- This topic has 11 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 9 months ago by .
-
Topic
-
I live in a building of fewer than 10 apartments. Our car entry has a large gate operated by an FAAC electric motor. If power fails we all have a key to over ride the motor (plus a hidden spare one in common area) to be able to open the gate. It is very easy to use.
Four of our residents believe the Victorian rule is we must have an emergency push button. Three do not. I cannot find a government ruling on this ( nor can they).
We have had break ins and stealing from our car park so I like the key method better.
(1) Can anybody direct me to legislation advising do we have to have am emergency push button?
(2) has anyone had one installed and can suggest an installer if we have to do one?
-
Replies
-
You have to love the push button option. So I sneak in to your garage, then, when I have looted all the cars of anything worth stealing, I push a button so I can steal one of the vehicles with which to escape with my plunder.
You don’t have to prove that there isn’t a regualtion demanding a push button. The othe side has to prove that there is (and I suspect that the bush lawyer who told them this is talking through a hole in their hat).
Your key system sounds fine to me.
Put it in one of those locks that they use for Airbnb keys and then give everyone the combination. If they are too stupid to remember where they wrote the code, they probably shouldn’t be driving.
The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.
(1) Can anybody direct me to legislation advising do we have to have am emergency push button?
Yes. It’s related to Required Exits and is covered by NCC/BCA part D1 and D2 – Provision for Escape and Construction of Exits.
If it’s necessary at all will depend of the layout of the car park and the distances to another Required Exit.
If the car park door forms part of a Required Exit (and that’s an IF), it must be possible to operate it in the manner specified by the NCC/BCA. That means no keys. AFAIK for electric doors that can’t be opened manually without a key, it needs a back-up battery too.
It’s not a lawyer you need to talk to but a Licensed Public Surveyor.
If the car park door forms part of a Required Exit (and that’s an IF), it must be possible to operate it in the manner specified by the NCC/BCA. That means no keys.
Fascinating. This is all news to me. Is it reasonable to assume that the “Required Exit” scenario implies that the garage gate is the only available pedestrian exit? BTW, I have also seen garage gates that can be operated manually by chains in an emergency.
The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.
The post refers to a “gate”, which I assume means an entrance from the street to the whole property, rather than a “door” which would give access to the building. Surely there would be one or more equivalent pedestrian “gates” which would comply with safety regulations?
The post refers to a “gate”, which I assume means an entrance from the street to the whole property, rather than a “door” which would give access to the building.
You know what they say about “assume”. It’s quite possible that the gate is the vehicle access to the block, i.e. the building. If you look at Austman’s post below, you will see that if there is no other pedestrian exit within specified proximity, then the gate has to also function as an emergency exit. That would be an unusual set of circumstances but not impossible.
The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.
the gate has to also function as an emergency exit. That would be an unusual set of circumstances but not impossible.
It’s actually quite usual. It all depends on location and distances.
And, for whatever reason, car park doors, even basement car park entry doors are often referred to by the industry as “gates”.
I think it’s more do with a horizontal opening mechanism than a physical location.
It’s actually quite usual. It all depends on location and distances.What a shame that Belinda can’t respond to some of the people who’ve taken the time and trouble to answer her question and give us more details. She must be trapped in the garage, methinks.The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.
Just some general personal observations about comments here, if I may:
FAAC manufactures electric power drives for sliding or swinging gates. The key would be provided to disconnect the gate from the drive in the event of power or motor failure; the gate can then be operated by hand to open/close. This does not constitute an “emergency”.
Any proper “emergency exit” cannot be power operated, or require a key or button to open.
Any proper “emergency exit” cannot be power operated, or require a key or button to open.
They can both be power operated and push button if they eg in a car park door/gate situation. The door/gate motors must have a built in battery backup to comply. The ones used in my building have that as standard.
Hello Belinda,
Austman is spot on with regard to required exits. What I can expand on the car park gate/ is never a required exit. NB: I am an electrical engineer and electrical contractor with 30 years experience and design dozens unit blocks in Sydney and interstate. A push button override is for convenience for exiting the block through garage on foot only (we have one in our block). There is not requirement for battery backup etc. If you want to limit the access to the over-ride key (which another posted correctly that it disengages the electric drive in event power failure) we have in our block a wall mounted lock key box (https://www.bunnings.com.au/master-lock-wall-mounted-key-safe_p4210912) This has the emergency key in it. Only a couple Committee Members have the code. I change our code regularly as this box also holds a set door keys (for tradies), noticeboard keys, MSB keys, side gate key etc. Hope that helps. Get those keys back!
There is not requirement for battery backup etc
If it’s a door in a required exit, it does need to meet all the requirements of NCC D2.21 Operation of Latch. A car park door/gate can, under some circumstances be a required exit door.
D2.21 requires a door in a required exit to be “readily openable” without a key in the ways listed. It also allows the door to be both power-operated and have a push button operation (on or near the door).
I was relating the battery backup part from the installers of our recently replaced power-operated car park doors/gates. They claimed that the battery backup feature was enough for the doors to meet D2.21. But it does look like the doors also still need to be manually openable without a key.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.