At first glance, the problem with this Wordless Wednesday photo may not immediately be apparent – under normal operation, the doors are able to slide behind the carts full of water without a problem. BUT – automatic sliding doors in a means of egress are required by BHMA A156.10 to have a break-away device. This allows the sliding doors to swing in the direction of egress if they need to be manually operated in an emergency, with a force of no more than 50 lbf applied 1 inch from the edge of the lock stile. Fun Fact: When automatic doors are in break-out mode, they must be prevented from operating automatically.
The carts of water will prevent these doors from operating properly in break-out mode, and could deter or prevent egress. Keep your eyes peeled for these less-obvious code issues!
Thank you to Zeke of Door Sa-Lutions for today’s Wordless Wednesday photo!
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Atleast they are movable. You have no idea how many grocery stores I go to and their are pallets of product in the same locations. Not only is it against code but super annoying trying to track down a cart guy to move them when you need to service.
The problem is that nobody listens when they are told and there are not enough inspectors to go around .
Night time security? Locking the carts together would deter entry. Walmarts and others sometimes relocated the dumpsters to in front of the doors as a hurricane / security barrier.
The bigger issue, most inspectors do not know the code or are too lazy to enforce it. When I do a service call at a store that has materials stacked in front of the break-out panels(Doors), I write on mY Paperwork, that they are doing so, write down that this is against the code, then get the store manager to print and sign the notes. This way I am covered if there is an issue