Deputy Jeff Tock of Allegion sent me today’s Fixed-it Friday photo from an airport (he sees a lot of those). It’s very confusing…that appears to be the back of an exit sign above the door and the doors swing in so it they could have been serving as a means of egress but there’s also a speed-limit sign outside the door so it doesn’t seem like it’s an enclosed exterior area.
According to the facility, the doors are no longer required as an exit, but if that’s the case, why not just lock them up, add some signage (“Not an Exit”), remove the exit sign, and make it look less like a Fixed-it Friday contender?
Just in case last week’s Fixed-it Friday photo (Garrafones de Agua) has been on your mind, I went inside and took another photo. It doesn’t really clear up the mystery but it’s there if you want to take a look.
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Well I guess this city airport isn’t too concerned about its image to visitors. Not too pleasant of a sight & terribly misleading. Wouldn’t want to be around this particular area when a catastrophic event occurred. God knows how many panicky people would be using this in an effort to escape impending doom.
Jeff is only sharing the picture because he bumped his shins trying to OJ Simpson the chairs on the way out the doors.
I’d love to see Deputy Jeff jumping over airport chairs!
– Lori
They should make a sign that reads
“In Case of Emergency
Throw Chairs Through Doors”
It appears that this is in an vestibule area. Would this not create an issue during an emergency exiting situation? Would this be code compliant from a visual standpoint regardless of number requirements?
Hi Jeff –
It’s really up to the AHJ. Some say if it looks like a door, it has to operate like a door. Other AHJs only require the required exits to operate like doors.
– Lori
I think the AHJ for airports is a murky area these days… Who is in control? The Feds? Local airport authority? Homeland Security? One of my co-workers was stuck on an taxiway near a terminal for over three hours because she was unwilling to push any of the alarmed doors open to leave a construction site without security there to open the door!
Wow – 3 hours! I’d probably be hesitant to sound an alarm in an airport too…you’d end up on the news. I think there are several AHJs. One of my readers who is with a large airport has told me that when they use delayed egress as required by the Dept. of Homeland Security, they still have to get it officially approved by the local building inspector and/or fire marshal.
– Lori
Doors need to be removed after architectural review, permit process, & building department green tag. Jeff is right on no Judge is going to buy a reason for locking or blocking an exit if it exist in the building. Good luck in court.
Airports rule
no contest in Canada A
ok but only Olympians’ exit only how do you think they get gold if not by jumping at Airport LEVEL exits. Canada GOLD YEA!!!
yes the exits need to be removed after architectural review, permit process, & building department green light. THERE IS NO REASON FROM THE PHOTO for locking or blocking an exit if it exist in the building. would be good review to be in the process of studies for exits.
it is interesting that the pull handles are on the inside too for an Exit door snd yet there are not Exit signs seen here? is that a push bar on the outside of the door so it could be a full swing door?
I can’t tell from the photo if these doors swing outward or inward?
I see door pulls and a lock cylinder on the interior and push bars on the exterior, which would leave me to believe that they do indeed swing inward.
If this is the case I don’t think that these would be considered an exit in a major airport