The Vital importance of panic bars at your Commercial Property
If you have a public commercial building of any sort, then you’re likely aware that “panic hardware” is required at your facility, so that you’ll be following the law in providing proper ingress and egress in case of an emergency. A panic bar is a push bar that must be installed on every exit door, which allows people to get out in a hurry. An unobstructed and uninterrupted departure path leading to a place of safety is also necessary. These doors are often required in restaurants, malls, taverns, schools, and other public places. It’s essential that you obey the law when it comes to safeguarding all the people in your commercial property. If you’re not up to code, you won’t pass inspection and you’ll have to be shut down. When you install these critical devices, you’ll be protecting the life and safety of every occupant - visitor, customer, and personnel alike.
Panic hardware consists of a latching device, with a touchpad or crossbar spanning across at least half of the width of the door, which releases the latch when it’s pushed. Panic hardware is also referred to as a “crash bar” or “exit device”; for fire doors, it’s called “fire exit hardware.” This dedicated hardware is used where required by code to make it possible for large groups of people to make a hasty exit. It also provides increased resilience.
Whenever you install panic hardware on balanced doors, a touchpad-style device has to be used. The touchpad shouldn’t extend more than halfway across the door. In general, code requirements prohibit the installation of any other kind of lock on a door with panic hardware, except for electromagnetic locks released by a sensor or switch. Basically, at all times, anyone who has to get out must be able to get an exit route door open from the inside - without having to use any tools or keys, and without knowing any sort of specialized information.
Panic bars are made to prevent entry from the opposite side of the door. On the inner side, they ensure a fast exit in an emergency. A panic bar locking only from the outside is allowed on an exit discharge door. Normally, rooms with electrical equipment must include fire exit hardware or panic hardware that permits a professional technician to escape in case of a fire or an explosion.
The International Fire Code (IFC), the International Building Code (IBC), and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101 Code are the most common building and fire safety codes in the United States. You’ll need to determine which code, and which edition of that code, applies to your particular building. Local codes in your area may oblige you to hold to some additional requirements. Be sure you’re fully compliant.
Most people have trouble concentrating when they find themselves in a crisis, so it’s crucial that you correctly install all your panic bars to avoid mishaps. Adhere to all regulations, and routinely maintain these indispensable doors. Properly installed panic hardware that continues to function smoothly will make a huge difference in life-or-death situations.
Installed on doors that open to the outside, panic bars are available in numerous styles. Most come equipped with an alarm - preventing people who are leaving from taking stolen items with them, or from avoiding paying a tab. Constructed vertically or horizontally, all panic bar door openers operate the same way: When the bar is pushed, the door opens. The exact number of exit doors required, and the style guidelines you have to follow depend on the size, height, and type of your building, as well as its purpose and occupancy level.
The requirements affect doors that either lock or latch. For instance, panic hardware isn’t required on a free-swinging door with only a pull handle and push plate. The prevailing code requires panic hardware for only specific occupancy types. A property designated as “assembly occupancy” is commonly a space or building where large groups gather, such as a stadium, theater, or gymnasium. An “educational occupancy” facility refers to a school for children, up to the end of high school. A building that’s used for college classrooms is considered “business occupancy”; some college classrooms (used as lecture halls for example) are big enough to be classified as assembly occupancy. The NFPA 101 Code includes a separate occupancy classification for “daycare occupancy,” a place where daycare is provided to children or adults. A “high-hazard occupancy” (any area containing a high level of hazardous materials) is a place susceptible to explosions.
The push pad on any panic bar must be at least half the door’s width. When you install a panic device, follow the template included with the bar’s packaging to mark the door to see where to place it. The template will instruct you on where to drill the holes and where to mount the hardware. Customarily, the center of the panic bar’s push pad ought to be at a standard height of 41” from the floor. This can vary in schools and daycare facilities. When you attach the panic bar to the door, only use the screws included in the packaging, so you won’t void the warranty. After installing the panic bar, test the push pad to make sure it’s functioning properly.
Panic hardware comes in various kinds. Rim devices are easily installed, and require minimal maintenance. The panic hardware with surface vertical rods is more difficult to install, which means hiring a professional. There is also a panic bar with a concealed vertical rod, which is more costly and also a little more difficult to install. How to decide? It’s important to choose the correct panic bar for each door, based upon your building’s parameters as discussed above. In most cases, it’s really best to hire a professional.
If your commercial property is located in Dunwoody, Georgia, consider a reputable security professional such as a mobile commercial locksmith specialist on staff at Dunwoody GA Locksmith, someone who will be eminently qualified to help you choose exactly the right panic bars for all your building’s evacuation doors.