What Type of Finger Protection Do Your Doors Need?
Our range of door safety solutions is simple but comprehensive – what makes things complicated is that there are numerous door and hinge types.
“What should I use for X/Y/Z door?” – This a question we get asked daily – and it’s a very good question. It’s vital that the right door protection is selected to ensure children and adults alike are not at risk of finger trapping.
That’s why we’ve produced a handy guide for you – answering (almost!) every question you will ever have about the right safety option for you.
1. Standard Single Swing Opening Door
This is the most common type of door, as seen in your home and many other locations such as offices, care homes, schools and shops. They feature:
• One way opening, between 90 and 180 degrees.
• Standard butt or twin ball race hinges.
• 40-45mm door thickness.
We recommend the following Cardea Fingershield products to provide total finger trapping protection to 99% of these door/hinge types:
Fingershield – covers the large gap on the front of the door between the door and the door frame, where the open hinges are visible.
Rearshield – covers the smaller gap on the back of the door where the hinge barrels are visible.
Happy Hands – prevents finger trapping on the handle side of the door.
Happy Hands are a fun solution for doors in nurseries, schools and children’s bedrooms. Fingershield and Rearshield will suit all locations. But would recommend you consider the following before making a final decision
For high traffic areas where frequent heavy impact is a possibility, such as schools, shops, hospitals and care homes, we recommend our more robust options:
• Fingershield PRO 120 2000mm (available in aluminium or clear Plexi)
• Fingershield PRO 180 2000mm (available in aluminium)
• Fingershield PRO XL Aluminium & Fabric 1925mm
• Fingershield PRO XL Rearshield 1800mm
For doors that are restricted to opening only 100 degrees you should choose the following products for the front of the door:
• Fingershield PRO 120 1925mm
• Fingershield PRO XL
• Rearshield 1800mm
2. Rising Butt Hinged Door
You will have seen this type of door on toilet cubicles, for example. Instead of a standard butt hinge, a rising butt hinge has only one diagonal join instead of three or four horizontal joins. This allows the door to rise slightly when you push it open and close automatically when you let go. They feature:
• One way opening to 90 degrees
• Wood, formica or similar materials
• 20-45mm thickness
Typically these doors will be used on toilet cubicles in schools, nurseries, offices and tourist attractions.
This type of door requires its own unique finger protection solution. At Cardea Solutions we recommend:
• Standard Rising Butt Fingershield 1960mm
• Standard Rising Butt Rearshield 1960mm
3. Swing Pivot Two-Way Opening Door
Most commonly found in corridors of hospitals, schools and care homes, these doors don’t have hinges, instead they pivot back and forth on metal spindles, usually 50-65mm away from the frame side.
They can be pushed open from either side, allowing quick and easy access whichever way you’re going – and allow hospital trolleys to be quickly moved around. They feature:
• Manufactured in Wood or metal materials
• Will normally open from 90-120 degrees in each direction.
• Glass panels to see if anyone is coming from the opposite direction
• Typically fire doors which should be kept closed
As these doors open and shut from both sides and have wider gaps than standard doors, we recommend one of the following is fitted to BOTH sides of each door:
• Fingershield PRO XL Aluminium & Fabric 1925mm
• Fingershield Wide Door Guard
4. Two-Way Opening Sprung Hinge Door
Similar to a swing pivot door in that they can open both ways, a sprung hinge door instead has hinges. However, this in no way changes the requirements for total finger protection, and the same solutions outlined above should be used for peace of mind.
5. uPVC/Composition Doors
You will be familiar with these doors as they are commonly used in homes, offices and other business environments. They feature:
• uPVC/Composition doors and frames
• Glazed
• One-way opening from 90 to 180 degrees
Cardea Solutions door safety products can be fitted to uPVC doors with no issue, so we recommend:
• Fingershield PRO XL Aluminium & Fabric 1925mm
• Rearshield
• Happy Hands
Alternatively, you can use Fingershield Wide Door Guard instead of the PRO XL option.
6. Automatic Doors
Automatic doors that swing open both ways when approached (by a sensor) and close when the area is clear are usually found in public areas in hospitals, shopping centres and tourist attractions. They typically feature:
• Metal frame doors
• Glazing
• Mechanically operated two-way opening between 90 and 120 degrees
In this case we recommend fitting Fingershield PRO XL Aluminum & Fabric 1925mm on BOTH sides of the door(s).
7. Parliament Hinged Doors
Parliament hinges are specialist hinges fitted to doors to project them clear of architraves, down pipes or window boards. This creates a much wider gap than you’d usually get with standard hinges, presenting a new challenge for finger trapping protection.
8. Crittal Style Doors
These types of doors are metal, usually fully glazed with thin frames, making it difficult to install any kind of finger protection solution. However, if the frame is wide enough and thick enough to accommodate finger guard screws, then our Fingershield products can be used.
For more information or any advice to protect your doors give us a call on 0161 413 0766, contact us here or Book your FREE Door Risk Assessment now.
