What are Lift-off Hinges & Why are They Required?
Lift-off hinges are a type of hinge made up of two parts which allow door removal without the need to open the door. The use of lift-off hinges are the most common building solution used for access into fully enclosed sanitary compartments. This National Construction Code states mandatory requirements where a sanitary compartment is not considered large enough to allow safe removal of an unconscious occupant within a sanitary compartment.
What are the requirements?
The current National Construction Code requirements (2015) for construction of sanitary compartments states the following:
Clause 3.8.3.3 Construction of sanitary compartments
The door to a fully enclosed sanitary compartment must –
(a) open outwards; or
(b) slide; or
(c) be readily removable from the outside of the compartment,
unless there is a clear space of at least 1.2 m, measured in accordance with Figure 3.8.3.3, between the closet pan within the sanitary compartment and the doorway.
A sanitary compartment is stated as any room or space that contains a closet pan or a urinal. In our experience the majority of WC’s around Perth do not have sufficient clear space around the doorway, and as such the above clause from the NCC should be adhered to.
I ordered a pre-purchase building inspection, will this be noted within my report?
At Cap-It-All building inspections we often hear that pre-purchase building reports should not be based upon compliance of the current building code requirements. Whilst we agree that it should not be expected that every property in Perth will be upgraded to current building code requirements, our duty to warn as inspectors means that we will report on any areas that may compromise occupant’s health. As such we feel it is our responsibility to ensure the safety of our clients to the best of our ability, and therefore the lack of lift-off hinges within a property will be noted whilst conducting a pre-purchase building inspection.
Case Study
We also often find that although lift-off hinges are present within a WC, the fixing carpenter has not allowed for the lifting of the door, creating a safety hazard to potential occupants.
At Cap-It-All Building Inspections all our our inspection reports will clearly state safety hazards within our reports, all of which comply with AS4349.1 Inspection of buildings Part 1: Pre-purchase inspections – Residential buildings.
