Recently, while attending a new residential development in London to carry out repairs to emergency lighting on a roof terrace, I came across something that stopped me in my tracks: an emergency door release unit that had completely flooded with water.
This wasn’t an old or neglected building. It was a new development, finished to a high standard, and on the surface everything looked exactly as you would expect. But behind the clear plastic cover of this emergency door release, water had built up to the point where the device was clearly no longer fit for purpose.
For property managers, this is a powerful reminder of why regular inspections are not optional — they are essential.
Why This Is a Serious Issue
Emergency door release units are life‑safety devices. They are designed to:
- Allow occupants to exit safely in an emergency
- Release electrically locked doors during fire or power failure
- Provide immediate, manual override when systems fail
When a unit like this becomes water‑logged:
- Electrical components can fail or short‑circuit
- The release mechanism may not operate when needed
- Corrosion can set in long before the problem is visible
- Compliance with fire and building safety regulations is compromised
In a real emergency, failure is not an option.
How Did This Happen?
External installations are always more vulnerable to the elements. Even when equipment is rated for outdoor use, problems can still arise due to:
- Incorrect IP rating for the location
- Poor installation or sealing
- Inadequate drainage or ventilation
- Exposure to driving rain and temperature changes
What’s important to note is that this issue would not necessarily be picked up during commissioning — it develops over time. Only ongoing inspections reveal these failures before they become dangerous.
The Role of Property Managers
Property managers sit at the centre of building safety. While contractors install and maintain systems, it is the inspection regime that ensures nothing is missed between visits.
Regular inspections help to:
- Identify defects early
- Prevent small issues becoming major failures
- Maintain compliance with fire safety legislation
- Protect residents, visitors, and staff
- Demonstrate due diligence and duty of care
A simple visual check of this emergency door release would have immediately raised concerns — long before the device reached this condition.
Inspections Aren’t Just a Tick‑Box Exercise
Too often, inspections are viewed as paperwork rather than protection. But effective inspections are:
- Practical
- Consistent
- Documented
- Followed up with action
They bridge the gap between installation, servicing, and real‑world performance.
A Simple Question to Ask
If this device had been needed in an emergency today, would it have worked?
That single question highlights why inspections matter.
Final Thoughts
This flooded emergency door release is a small component in a large development — but safety failures rarely start big. They start quietly, behind covers, out of sight.
For property managers, regular inspections are one of the most effective tools you have to keep buildings safe, compliant, and operational.
At Hadley Parker, we regularly encounter issues like this during routine works — and they are almost always preventable.
If you’d like advice on inspections, emergency lighting, or life‑safety systems across your development, feel free to get in touch!
Safety doesn’t fail all at once. It fails when checks stop happening.
