5 Revolving Door Safety Tips to Avoid Injury with Public Users

Revolving doors create modern entrances that reduce energy and save businesses space. But, as with any entrance that is used by the public, there are some implications to consider for creating the safest experience possible. Consider 5 safety tips for the safest revolving door entry.

1: Select the Right Size Revolving Door for Your Application

The safety of your revolving door is dependent on ease of use. With that in mind, it is critical to consider two factors before installing a revolving door: (1) the type of business and (2) the type of traffic. And these two factors go hand-in-hand. A hospital will have more elderly users, perhaps in wheelchairs or on gurneys. A retail store will have customers loaded down with shopping bags. A restaurant will have more families, likely without anything more in hand than a purse or stroller. Selecting the correct size revolving door is dependent on knowing this information.

Revolving doors also have other features that are critical to safety, including operation (manual vs. automatic) and number of door wings (two, three or four).

Installing a revolving door that doesn’t fit the requirements of the business and traffic can result in injuries.

2: Install Enough Doors to Handle the Traffic

Just as important as installing the RIGHT door for the application is installing ENOUGH doors to handle the traffic requirements of a building. How does this impact safety?

Consider this scenario. One small revolving door is installed at the entrance to a bustling entertainment venue. A concert is starting in just one hour and traffic is building at the entrance. Users are eager to get inside and begin pushing slower users in front of them through the door. Some may even try to squeeze through the revolving door compartment with another user to get inside faster. All of this leads to stress, discomfort and even injury.

Calculating peak traffic requirements before installation and using those numbers when you determine how many doors to install will increase safety significantly.

3: Pay Attention to the Floor

By paying attention to the flooring used in and around a revolving door, you can create a safe, intuitive entrance for the user. First, consider the impact of different flooring materials. A matting material helps prevent slips and falls. Stainless steel floor grates and pedimats collect dirt and debris.

Second, using different flooring materials for the circular area occupied by a revolving door itself visually signifies to users the actual path of the moving door wings. This makes for less confusion and hesitation upon entering.

4: Post Proper Signage

Oftentimes, the difference between a safe and unsafe door is ensuring users know what to do. Signage is great way to direct a user through an entrance. In fact, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requires certain signs be applied to revolving doors.

ANSI requires the following signs:

• Caution: Automatic Door, Keep Right
• Activate to Slow, Push to Slow, or Press to Slow
• Emergency Stop

We also recommend these additional signs for user safety:

• Slow Down
• Wrong Way
• One-Way Only
• Parents, Please Watch Your Children

You can also apply decals or stickers on the glass of door wings and curved sidewalls to catch the eye and make those moving wings easier to see and avoid. These decals can be simple, frosted dots or lines. The important thing to remember is they should be minimal and not obscure the ability to see through the door wings.

5: Conduct Daily Inspections & Regular Maintenance

Any type of entrance with moving parts requires regular inspection and maintenance to keep it running smoothly and safely. Revolving doors are no exception. For the best user experience, we recommend that the following be conducted on a daily basis:

• Walk through the door as normal to detect any abnormalities, including unusual noises, condition of the weather stripping, that the door stops at the appropriate rest position, etc.
• Visually inspect the floor in and around the door. It should be clean of debris and clutter that might cause a user to trip or fall.
• Clean the glass and wipe down any sensors.
• Test the function of the safety measures in place, including the sensors, book folding of the doors, emergency stop button and the push-to-slow button.

A bi-annual maintenance plan must also be in place for continuous monitoring, tuning and greasing of the door’s moving components. The inspection should be performed by a Certified AAADM (American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers) Revolving Door Inspector to the latest ANSI 156.27 revision.