I received these Fixed-it Friday photos from Steve Quinn of The Flying Locksmiths. This panic hardware is installed on some service doors in a mall, and clearly they have seen a lot of cart traffic and the resulting damage. The question is…how would you help to avoid this type of abuse in the future? What has worked for you?
WWYD?
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I would use the Keedex K-12 protect a lock ramps to protect the exit devices at a minimum
Lori,
Keedex Mfg had a product for the end cap hinge side.
The 12X S-VON will save the end caps.
The active side will need a custom product like the Keedex product to cover the head covers etc.
Needs sign – Not designed for use with sledgehammer
Use the Rockwood exit device protector and/or a horizontal pull bar that has a standoff distance slightly higher than the top of the push pad. Mount this about 6″ below the exit device. This is less convenient due to the fact that you cannot open the door by pushing on it with the cart but it protects the device….. Lori, please advise on whether this is code compliant or not.
Hi Wes –
The model codes don’t include specific requirements for what is acceptable with regard to this type of protection, so it would be up to the AHJ to say whether they believe that the bars affect the operation of the hardware. If the door is fire rated, the protective devices would have to be listed to UL 10C/NFPA 252.
– Lori
Malls and some Property Management companies are difficult at best to deal with. Unless ordered by inspection they typically sit and wait. Then it becomes an emergency and price war , unless it’s not working they tend to look thd other way . However I have often called upon local authorities and told them of my findings
We cannot control the cause. Inspection, enforcement, and repair/replacement are temporary. Design an exit device to withstand such abuse.
Would the Rockwood product be included in the “Clear Opening” measurement?
Hi Fred –
It would be limited to a 4-inch projection if it’s located between 34 inches and 80 inches AFF.
– Lori
Fire the custodial staff that uses their carts to depress the touchpads. Short of that, I would hang the doors on swing-clear continuous hinges, equip the openings with low energy operators, wall mounted actuators, and swing-side safety sensors, electric latch retraction exit devices, …. These are fire-rated doors or else they wouldn’t need exit hardware. I would insist on three-month inspection intervals so that the culprits could be caught and educated as the importance of keeping theses opeings in operating condition.