Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers is advising the industry that, despite the change of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to the Equality Act on 1 October 2010, there will be no change in the way in which doors and access are designed to allow Access for All.
The new Equality Act consolidates 116 different pieces of equality legislation, 35 Acts of Parliament, 52 Statutory Instruments, numerous Codes of Practice and 16 EC Directives and Recommendations including the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
The introduction of the Equality Act, in reality, changes very little for specifiers with regards to doors and building access which still falls under the auspices of BS8300 and Approved Document M. In 2009 a revised version of the Code of Practice for BS8300 was published offering guidance on specifying architectural ironmongery and doors, including handrail design and fixing, clear widths through doorways, the design of vision panels, and manual door opening and closing furniture.
