Automatic Door

Design Guide
Addressing Safety Hazards and Compliance
INTRODUCTION

Architects, specifiers and building owners have a duty to ensure that automatic doors are safely
designed and professionally maintained. Automatic sliding and swinging doors are ubiquitous in
modern buildings, from hospitals and aged care facilities to residential and commercial buildings.
If automatic doors are not designed or built correctly, people using them to enter and exit
buildings run the risk of being hit, trapped, or seriously injured.

Endorsed by the Australian Automatic Door Industry Forum, AS 5007:2007 “Powered doors for
pedestrian access and egress” sets out the performance, safety and maintenance requirements
for automatic pedestrian doors including sliding doors, swing doors, folding doors and revolving
doors. Compliance with AS 5007 is essential to ensure the safety of all pedestrians and the
protection of industry stakeholders.

The increasing technical complexity of buildings means that architects, specifiers and designers
must be aware of the safety requirements that impact automatic door installation and design. In
the event of an accident involving a power-operated door, architects could be held liable along
with developers, manufacturers, installers, service providers, and building owners.

There are additional repercussions that might compromise the successful delivery of the project.
Installing a non-compliant automatic door may result in the owner needing to pull out the door
and replace it with a compliant solution. The architectural vision may be compromised if the
dimensions required to install a compliant automatic door are not factored into the design from
the start. In either case, rework will be needed, leading to additional costs and schedule delays.

Below, we examine the requirements for designing and specifying automatic doors, with a
focus on addressing safety hazards and compliance with AS 5007. In particular, we discuss the
design safeguards for automatic sliding and swinging doors to prevent head, body and finger
entrapment.
Sliding door safety
General stroke. Safety hazard warning signage is
As power-operated doors are machines with moving parts, also recommended.
the safety of users is one of the key design considerations. • Install safety guard screens that cover the length of
The obvious danger zones are those where moving
the stroke of the door, with a minimum height of 2 m.
components pass by stationary components. These
The screen should be pivotable to allow cleaning and
zones create a risk for body parts to become trapped and
crushed without the correct safety precautions. designed such that children will not be able to open,
climb up or get under the screen.
When it comes to automatic sliding doors, the danger
points are at the junction of the two leaves and at the two Finger entrapment and draw in
closing edges. The risk can be decreased by specifying
A finger entrapment or draw-in hazard exists in the
sensors, which detect the presence of a user in the
following circumstances:
danger zone, and pocket screens, which are essentially
pockets into which doors slide. • If there is a gap of more than 8 mm between two
Head and body entrapment sliding surfaces, it is possible for fingers to be drawn in.

Under AS 5007, a head entrapment hazard exists where: • If there is a space less than 20 mm between two
• The distance between the rear of the sliding door and sliding surfaces, it is possible for hands to be drawn in.
adjacent parts surrounding it is less than 200 mm. • The stopping distance from a fixed mullion is less
• The distance from the face of the sliding door to the than 40 mm.
sidelight’s furthest surface is greater than 100 mm.
• Any area where letter boxes, letter flaps, handles, grilles,
(Often occurs with 150 mm framing that is front glazed.)
or other surface-mounted hardware are installed on the
door or sidelight can also pose a hazard.

Source: Figure 3.4.1(a), AS 5007:2007

A body entrapment hazard exists where:

• The distance between the rear of the sliding door and
adjacent parts surrounding it is less than 500 mm.
• The distance between the door and the sidelight or wall
that it opens over is greater than 250 mm. (Often occurs
with 250 mm framing and curtain wall or similar.)

Source: Figure 3.4.1(c), (d) and (e), AS 5007:2007

To reduce the risk of finger entrapment and draw in,

consider the following design safeguards:

• Modify the framing and glazing to provide the minimum

safety gaps. Flush-glazing the door and sidelight can be
Source: Figure 3.4.1(b), AS 5007:2007 effective. Another option is to use slimline framing that
has no entrapment issues. If the sidelight has no fins,
To reduce the risk of head and body entrapment, consider
frameless glass also functions well.
the following design safeguards:
• Remove any attachments.
• Install flush glazing or modify the frame to provide the
minimum safety gaps. • Install a presence sensor 200 mm ahead of the point of
• Install presence sensors to cover the entire width of danger. This sensor should be capable of detecting a
the danger zone and the length of the door's opening stationary person for a minimum of 60 seconds.
Swinging door safety
General least 100 mm from the plane of the door during opening
and 50 mm from the plane of the door during closing.
The danger zones on an automatic swinging door are the
The sensor must not be subject to phase-out of less
closing edge, where the door pivots, and where the door
than 60s.
closes into the frame or opens up against walls or other
obstacles. Combining safety sensors with speed controls Choosing the right sensor
for door opening and closing helps mitigate the main It is imperative to prevent impacts on pedestrians in both
hazards. Protection against finger entrapment will reduce the opening and closing directions of the swinging door.
the possibility of danger at the secondary closing edge. Depending on the setting and application, aspects such
Design safeguards as children playing in or near the door or elderly users
should be taken into account in addition to normal use.
To reduce the safety risks of an automatic swinging door,
consider the following design safeguards: When an object or person approaches the door at
a normal speed, sensors should detect them in time
• To prevent head entrapment, ensure there is a gap to ensure the door is fully open before they reach the
of 200 mm or greater to the wall from the fully open threshold. Elderly users and people with disabilities who
position of an automatic door. move slowly should be considered when specifying door
• To prevent body entrapment, ensure there is a gap speeds.
of 500 mm or greater to the wall from the fully open It is important to consult with the supplier to ensure the
position of an automatic door. sensor meets the needs of the application. There are
several kinds of presence sensors available; some can
• Ensure that the kinetic energy of the door leaf is limited
scan on either side of the door to protect people around
to safe values defined in Clause 2.3.3 of AS 5007:2007.
the door. How the sensor is powered and maintenance
• Install presence sensors that continuously scan the area requirements should also be considered to ensure it will
immediately adjacent to the door leaves to a depth of at function reliably over the long term.
Additional design considerations
Accessibility Wind loads
AS 1428.1:2021 "Design for access and mobility, Part Wind can be an issue, and in certain cases, a floor track
1: General requirements for access - New building is necessary for the door to function properly. Larger
work" provides the minimum design requirements for doors will be subject to considerable wind loads.
new building work to enable access for people with
Wind can have a negative effect on swing door
disabilities. This Standard provides requirements for
operators, resulting in the door not fully closing or
automatic doors, for example, ensuring that manual
opening. Due to the safety settings of swing door
controls on automatic doors are accessible and ensuring
operators, the pressure of the wind loads may also
any frameless or fully glazed doors that could be
cause the door system to think that a person is applying
mistaken for doorways or openings are clearly marked.
pressure to it and thus prevent itself from being opened
Building types and purpose or closed.
The specific design and operation of the automatic Fire escape requirements
door will depend largely on the building type and its
Part D3 Construction of exits in the National
intended purpose. For example, medical facilities will
Construction Code includes requirements for automatic
prioritise hygiene, contamination control and operational
doors where they serve as or as part of a required
efficiency. Office environments, on the other hand, may
exit. For example, automatic doors must be able to be
place greater emphasis on ensuring the smooth flow of
opened manually under a force of not more than 110 N if
people into, through and out of the building.
there is a malfunction or failure of the power source.
Door size
The weight of the door determines its maximum travel
speed. Larger sliding doors require more time to open.
They also carry a greater safety risk than a smaller door.

“In the event of an accident involving a power-operated door,

architects could be held liable along with developers,
manufacturers, installers, service providers, and building owners.”
 “The obvious danger zones are those where moving
components pass by stationary components. These zones
create a risk for body parts to become trapped and crushed
without the correct safety precautions. ”

SAFETY IN DESIGN AND OPERATION

Record Automatic Doors
Record Automatic Doors (Australia) (part of interactive exchange of information between control,
ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems) is a company sensors and electronic remote control unit.
endowed with an unequalled combination of
Other solutions include the robust STA 22 automatic
industry experience through the acquisition of three
door, which is particularly suitable for special entrances
successful Australian door companies: AGP Door
and applications using heavy door leaves, and the TSA
Systems, Doorways and Advanced Automatic Door
20 two or four-leaf telescopic sliding doors.
Solutions. With Record, you can be assured of
automatic door products of the highest quality that For secondary closing edge protection, combine the
meet the highest safety standards. automatic sliding door with an AIS 290 active infrared
presence detection sensor. The AIR 290, with its active
Australian designed and manufactured, fully
infrared light curtain, can be used in areas where the
customisable and suitable for all architectural
door needs to open at close range without additional
requirements, Record automatic doors are available
interaction by the user. The numerous configurable
in a range of styles, sizes, features and finishes.
settings of the detection field enable the door to open
Regardless of the application, budget or specification,
swiftly and without delay, in spite of the short reaction
Record can provide a prestigious and practical
time, thanks to high-speed door drives. After the
airlocked entrance door for your commercial or
person has left the detection area, it closes quickly
institutional building.
and quietly again.
Sliding doors
Revolving doors
Record's automatic sliding doors range consists of
The Fullview, Hybrid, Custom, Crystal and Diamond
single, bi-parting, telescopic, prismatic and curved
Series are purpose made and built in Record’s Sydney
doors, with a broad weight range from light to heavy,
factory. Record doors can be made to heights and
all with heavy duty operation capacity and backed by
diameters to the nearest millimetre, with the ability to
certification to the most stringent performance and
modify the design of both the door structure and the
safety testing.
drive system to accommodate the largest door sizes
The well-proven double and single-leaf classic STA available in the market.
20 sliding doors from Record are at the very centre
All doors feature a range of concealed infrared and
of the product range and are suitable for almost any
contact safety sensors on the canopy and a rotating
application. Depending on the requirements, narrow,
carousel to ensure a full suite of safety features does
standard or robust glass profiles are used for the glass
not result in a compromise on door aesthetics.
doors, and all models can be equipped with escape
route safety systems. Sensors like the 4SAFE and LZR constantly scan either
side of the door to protect people around the doors.
The Record STA 21 has been modified to meet
Suitable for internal entries or very low wind areas, the
the requirements of light to medium-heavy door
operator works with a lower amount of kinetic energy,
applications. Both have the same system, enabling the
which means the chance of injury is very low.
 About ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems
ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems is a leading supplier of entrance automation
solutions for the efficient flow of goods and people. Their range of automatic
sliding doors is designed to suit every interior and exterior application, from
robust and durable doors for busy environments to hermetic sliding doors for
locations that need to ensure entrances are sealed tight.

All information provided correct as of November 2023.