I saw today’s Wordless Wednesday photos posted on the Locksmith Nation Facebook page, and Merlin Bechtel of Merlin Lock & Safe gave me permission to share them here.  I’m still amazed at the condition of so many retail exits.

A few things to think about…

• Is this a required means of egress?  Probably, but even if a door is not required in order to handle the occupant load, it is required to be code-compliant if it is provided for egress purposes.  More on that here.
• Egress doors are required to unlatch with one releasing motion.  I see hardware here that could require at least 3 motions.  There is a BHMA standard to help define a single motion for egress.
• The model codes require hardware to operate for egress without a key, tool, special knowledge or effort.  Violations of this requirement are frequently included in Wordless Wednesday posts (here’s one, and another).
• Most doors are required to comply with the accessibility standards, which mandate hardware that can be operated without tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist.  There is more on the accessibility requirements here.
• And one more thing…these doors have clearly been modified over time.  Existing hardware was removed and new hardware was installed (not by Merlin!).  Who is liable for the code violations that have been created?

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