On my way back from Denver last week, I got stuck in the great software debacle that affected most airlines and had me “sleeping” on a cot in the Houston airport, next to a lady who was traveling with her very unhappy cat.  I travel a lot, and it was definitely one of my worst travel experiences.

On the bright side, I had plenty of time to wander around several airports looking at doors.  I’m sure the airport in today’s Wordless Wednesday photos has permission from the AHJ for marked exits that only allow egress when someone pulls the fire alarm pull station, but this is not an application that is allowed by the model codes.

Many people think that it’s acceptable to electrically lock a door in the direction of egress as long as the door unlocks upon fire alarm activation, but doing that would require a code modification.  Although controlled egress is similar to the system shown in these photos, that application is only allowed by the model codes in health care units where patients require containment for their safety or security.

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