Hold-open systems: Standards and regulations
Statutory regulations on hold-open systems – Overview
The exact configuration of hold-open systems for fire, smoke, and other closures may vary from country to country. For Europe, the standard for hold-open systems is EN 14637. However, this standard has not yet been harmonized, so that national regulations can completely or partially replace or supplement them, such as the requirements of the DIBt in Germany.
Legal regulations in Europe
Every country in Europe has its own legal regulations for the use of hold-open systems.
If there are no clear regulations, the European standard EN 14637 for the installation of hold-open systems is to be regarded as a recognised set of rules and has legal character. This also applies if national regulations are insufficient in scope and are supplemented by the contents of EN 14637.
EN 14637 – European standard for hold-open systems
EN 14637 is intended as a product standard for the implementation of hold-open systems in Europe and is to replace, for example, the DIBt approval procedure in Germany at a later date. So far, this standard has not been harmonised in Europe and is therefore not binding. Nevertheless, as written above, in Europe it is generally regarded as a set of rules for hold-open systems and is therefore valid in many countries – unless national regulations replace, supplement or partially repeal it.
EN 14637 contains almost identical parts on the configuration of a hold-open system to the DIBt regulations in Germany. However, EN 14637 also contains additional information, such as the installation position of the manual switch, the lintel detector over the active door leaf and the use of detectors on outside doors. In general, it determines how a hold-open system is configured, where fire detectors and other components of the hold-open system are to be installed and what must be observed during installation, placing into operation and maintenance of a hold-open system.
