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October 23, 2015 -

Reasons Why Your Exit Door Push Bar Needs to Work Properly

Every little component of an infrastructure, regardless of use, is crucial. The smallest piece of nut may hold together the most used parts of a train, and one nail can make a huge difference in sustaining the strength of a wooden home’s flooring.
No matter the size, each part should be chosen with care and meticulous consideration of quality and durability. Safety should always be at the forefront when putting up, operating, and maintaining any infrastructure, especially when talking about public buildings.
Throughout history, there have been countless disasters that turned public theatre houses into living hells, where people, young and old, were unfortunately unable to escape. Many offices and buildings did not provide an easy way out for its dwellers during emergencies because they were too busy installing locks and security systems to prevent robbery. Panic and confusion strike most during these times, and an uncooperative exit door can only make the situation worse. GreshamLocksmith.org walks us through some important information.

What is an Exit Door Push Bar?

There are many types of locks and security mechanisms that are used in buildings and edifices today. From the most mechanical to the most advanced and digital locks, technology has allowed humankind to experiment on what works best for their specific needs. History and experience have taught people that, while securing their premises from unauthorized access is important, it is equally fundamental to provide an easy, unobstructed exit for when the building is occupied.
An exit door push bar is also called a panic bar. From its name, a panic bar is meant to allow for easy access during times of panic. Oftentimes, and based on common logic, panic bars are tools used to open locked doors from within a building. Additionally, most of these exit door push bars can be seen in commercial places where a relatively huge volume of traffic is expected to come in and out of the premises.

How does an exit door push bar work?

panic bar doorExit door push bars, regardless of type and size, work similarly. They are opened by pushing the horizontal metal bar. Modern push bars are dual purpose—they are easy to open from the inside, and they can be programmed to lock automatically as they are closed. This mechanism is made possible by the use of a loaded spring inside the bar.
Push bars can also be used in usual entryways without the hassle of having to push the bar from inside each time a person wants to enter the premises. A handle on the opposite side that can be pulled is the only thing that needs to be added. Of course, the latch on the push bar must be retained open.

How important are they?

panic bar door installExit doors must always be in their proper working condition. There are countless reasons why, but the following are the most essential to remember:
– Without a properly working exit door push bar, your building and safety permits will not be granted.
– An exit door push bar is a make or break in saving people’s lives during emergencies. It will define how easily people will be able to leave the premises in cases of fire, earthquakes, and other calamities.
– Getting a low-quality push bar will not only mean danger, but will also equate to additional maintenance and repair costs in the future. This can also lead to being fully non-functional. When this happens, you can lose your building permits and put your employees at risk.
– A faulty exit door push bar may mean that your building or commercial space is unsecured, and can be accessed by intruders anytime.
Depending on the size and type of door, as well as the nature of the premises where it will be used, different push bars can be purchased from reliable security product companies. For all conditions, only the most trustworthy security product solutions provider should be contacted if you want to protect your business well.
It is never worth it to save on cheap and low-quality push bars in exchange of your employees’ safety, nor is it wise to entrust a building’s security equipment to fly-by-night or undependable companies. These companies are in charge of providing and installing the equipment, which means they are knowledgeable in accessing, maintaining, and at some point, breaking into them. In the end, push bars and all other security tools and equipment should only come from reliable experts who will value your business’s security and safety like you do.

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Panic Devices or Fire Devices? Which One Should You Invest In?

Any building or infrastructure is guided by certain standards that are set by the local government. This is to ensure the quality of the building, as well as the safety of the people who will be using the building. Without a clear and effective safety plan for emergencies, employees and residents of such structures will be in danger of the inability to exit easily whenever there is a calamity, a disaster, or any unfortunate event that may take place.
Remember the 9/11 terrorist attacks? That was a very horrible sight of people running for their lives, some even jumping out of the building due to panic. Almost 3000 people died during the attack, and millions were affected afterwards. That particular event shook the whole world and paved the way for another series of attacks in retaliation to the terrorists’ inhumanity. There is no way we can control such things from happening again, or anything similar, that is. In reality, the only thing we can do is prepare for the worst, and equip ourselves with the best and most trusted devices that will give us better chances of surviving such unwanted occurrences.
And while almost everyone is concerned about their safety, building managers are sometimes confused as to which safety devices they should invest in—panic devices or fire devices? There are plenty of equipment that can be used to protect residents and dwellers of infrastructures, big and small, private and commercial. However, not everything that is advertised is actually good, durable, and good for long term use. Moreover, they may not always be good for your finances. One of the most confusing decisions that you will have to make is whether you should install panic devices or fire devices for emergencies. BurbankLocksmith.org tells you the differences.

What are panic devices?

panic devicePanic devices are required to be installed on doors that provide easy egress to people in places where high volume of traffic is normally expected. These places include schools, assembly areas, and dangerous habitations. Panic devices are a type of hardware that involves a hand bar with a size that is at least half of the door width. Otherwise, the panic device will not pass standards set by the UL 305, known as the Panic Hardware test standard.
Panic devices are now available in different models, but technically work using the same mechanism—allowing for easy opening of the door by applying force on the crossbar or touchpad. The same code requires a maximum of 15 pounds in force to be able to open the door.
The main difference that sets panic devices apart from fire doors is the dogging feature, which can be mechanical or electrical, depending on the type of the device. This feature enables you to hold the latch in a retracted position, so that people can continuously enter and exit the premises without constantly pushing the touchpad. As a result, your device is spared from quick wear and tear.

What are Fire Devices?

fire exitFire devices, also known as fire exit hardware, are used for fire doors under particular standards set by the UL 10C – Positive Pressure Fire Tests of Door Assemblies. Fire devices are to be installed with both panic and fire labels.
They do not have the mechanical dogging feature, since fire doors are supposed to lock automatically whenever the door closes. This is to make sure that, in the event of pressurized air from fire, the door will be closed and will prevent it from spreading to the other side. Fire devices, however, can be retracted using electric latch dogging systems that are linked to the fire alarm system. Others use hold-open door closers to keep them open when needed.
Most often than not, fire devices are not installed on the exterior egress ways of a premise, since they are often locked and secured from outside intruders.
Which one to choose?
Panic and fire devices are equally important and serve different purposes. While the best way to ensure safety is to install both on strategic doors, one can also choose one over the other at a sooner time, when the budget does not allow for both. Panic devices should be chosen, at this point in time, since they are focused on providing easy exit ways for people in the premises. Saving the entire building from fire using fire devices can come thereafter.

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