A few weeks ago I posted a recorded class on delayed egress and controlled egress locking systems. If you'd prefer to listen to that presentation live, I will be conducting the class for the American Society for Health Care Engineering on April 22nd.
These doors would be nearly impossible to open in an emergency...they require special knowledge and effort, coordination and dexterity, and the hardware is far above the allowable range. #wordless
As I talk to people about fire door assembly inspection, two sides of the discussion have emerged. Many understand the increased life safety and fire protection provided by code-compliant fire doors - others think the deficiencies are too overwhelming to address.
The power of water is incredible. I think we will continue to see the changing weather patterns impacting the model codes and standards - code changes are already occurring with regard to hurricane/tornado protection and storm shelters.
Great News! UL has published an article to clarify the different UL listings that apply to electrified hardware. This should help with the confusion caused by the model code requirements for the UL 294 listing on certain types of systems.
Allegion is offering 5 more online training opportunities this week - Friday's Security in 30 session on encryption key options for smart credentials, plus Webinar Wednesday's classes on masterkeying, stairwell doors, K-12 layered security, and hollow metal.
Jason Albert posted this classic Fixed-it Friday fix on the Crap Locksmithing Facebook page. Seems pretty secure, no? I'm wondering why the installer didn't just mount the new device closer to the lock edge.
Past fires in hospitals and nursing homes - and the resulting fatalities - have shaped the codes that we use today. Although today’s codes do not typically require patient room doors to be fire door assemblies, these doors provide a critical layer of protection for patients.
I know this is kind of a personal question, but be honest...did you close your bedroom door when you went to sleep last night? It could save your life, and today's Wordless Wednesday photos are proof of that.
Questions about double-egress cross-corridor pairs in health care facilities arise frequently, so I have updated this article to reflect the current requirements of the model codes.
Do you know...The minimum required clear opening width for a single door? How to measure the clear opening width for a pair? The formula for calculating the actual clear opening width of a doorway?
Do you see what I see in these Fixed-it Friday photos? It's hard to know whether this was done to secure these doors against intruders or to prevent elopement of young students, but either way it's a problem.
Do you know the difference between these two types of systems - where they're allowed, what purposes they serve, and all of the code requirements that apply? This presentation covers these systems in detail.
I'm sure there's some sort of explanation for this, right? Today's Wordless Wednesday photo was taken at a convention center that is currently being used as a Covid vaccination site.
About 10 years ago, a wise man (the company president at the time) told me that someday I would not be able to handle the network I was creating. He was right. iDigHardware just turned 12 years old, and we're making a few changes.
Some of you have been anxiously awaiting my master class on the codes that apply to delayed egress and controlled egress locking systems, which was postponed when my computer died. Your wait is almost over!
This elementary school fire door "fix" is one way to keep the wedges from disappearing but might be tough to explain when the fire marshal shows up for an inspection.
I'm sure you can all see the problem with this apartment entrance...how would you mount a door closer on this side of the door?
This report illustrates why I don't like to see key-operated locks allowed in most locations. When a double-cylinder deadbolt is installed and there is a need to lock the doors to prevent access, there is no code-compliant way to facilitate egress.
Eighteen years ago this week, I sat stunned as I watched the news reports on the fire that had occurred the night before in the nearby city of West Warwick, Rhode Island. 100 fatalities, more than 200 injured...
The opportunities for distance learning continue, and here's what's on the docket for this week. The recording of my fire door session from last Friday is available on-demand, along with the Q&A from the session.
Have you ever pointed out a door problem to someone and had them respond with a shrug and some form of "so what"? A fire door is held open improperly...so what - chances are slim that the building will catch on fire today. Right??
I'll get back to writing about the codes soon, but I think we could all use a virtual road trip to see some beautiful doors. Check out the variety of doors I found at a local bazaar last weekend!
I received links to these news reports from several iDigHardware readers as far away as Dubai. As I have said before, sometimes the immediate response to a threat does not take all factors into consideration.
Today's Quick Question: If an area requires two or more exit access doors because of the calculated occupant load, how far apart do those egress doors need to be?
There's more virtual training available this week, and an early notification of a session being hosted next week by DHI and DSSF. This webinar covers application of the 5th edition of the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools Guidelines.
I can see some of you looking at today's Fixed-it Friday photo and shaking your head. I guess this is one way in when you get locked out. Thanks to Rob Greathouse of Superior Lock & Safe for sending the photo!
Although control vestibules are not currently addressed in the model codes, my next Decoded article covers some of the considerations for the design of these systems, before submission to the AHJ for approval.
There were plenty of times over the years when my kids reluctantly tolerated my "teachable moments" about life safety. I'm so happy to know that some of it stuck! I hope you are talking to your family and friends about doors! :-)
Last week I posted an exercise to help you apply some of your code knowledge by answering questions about swimming pool egress. Cheers to the few brave readers who gave it a shot!
Security in 30 is BACK, and I'm so excited that one of the requested topics is...CODES! If you are an access control integrator, please join me next Friday, February 19th at 12:30 EST, for Security in 30: Live with Allegion.
When I saw this photo, I had flashbacks to all of the times architects asked me to specify doors with other materials attached to them - wood planks, decorative plates, even brick (that was a hard no). What do you think about this application?
After Tuesday's post about a code change, several people asked me how to tell when panic hardware was required for doors serving a swimming pool enclosure. I decided to create another "Apply It" post and let you work it out.
This may not be the kind of Wordless Wednesday photo that leaves YOU wordless but keep in mind that I am currently in Mexico where panic hardware is rare enough to be exciting...
You may not spend a lot of time perusing the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), but the 2021 edition includes changes that help to clarify the requirements for the mounting height of operable hardware.
How much clear opening width is required for a door opening, and what are the required dimensions for maneuvering clearance? What are possible solutions when existing conditions don't comply with current requirements?
This is a creative closer mounting that you won't find in the catalog. The closer is installed on an exterior door of an apartment building...I wonder how well it's controlling the door.
If you have a garage attached to your home, it is very likely that the swinging door between the garage and the house is required by code to be a 20-minute fire door assembly or the equivalent. Here's why...
The lever handle in today's Wordless Wednesday photo posted by Richard Howard on the Crap Locksmithing Facebook page is outside of the allowable mounting height range - by a long shot!
Today's Quick Question: Are doors serving toilet stalls required to be self-closing? Do you know where to find this information in the ADA Standards for Accessible Design and ICC A117.1?
It's hard to believe that it has been so many months since we've been able to gather in a classroom together, but during that time Allegion has provided more than 150 online classes. Here's what's coming up this week...
Beautiful doors and hard cider...two of my favorite things. But being who I am, I wondered whether the doors were code-compliant, since the model codes allow sliding doors to be used in a means of egress when the occupant load is 10 people or less.
I'm having a hard time making the connection between the NEC classifications for hazardous locations and the requirements for access control used in those areas. Are you an electrical expert?? I'd love some help with this!
At first glance this may look like just another creative Fixed-it Friday alteration, but upon deeper investigation it's a cringe-worthy Wordless Wednesday application. How will this opening protective perform during a fire? Who knows??
I have written specs for several projects with SCIF doors, but I learned more about the federal specifications and design requirements while writing my next Decoded article for Door Security + Safety's military and government issue...
Even if e-learning is not your preferred training method, there is valuable information offered in online classes and they allow much greater access and convenience. Here's what's on the schedule for this week...
When the automatic operator stops working, today's Fixed-it Friday photo illustrates one way to fix it without bringing in an auto operator expert or waiting for replacement components.
Today's Quick Question: When does a door opening need a coordinator - and what IS a coordinator, anyway?? Can you help with some images or video to help illustrate this tough-to-explain concept?
Today's Wordless Wednesday photo is shared with permission from Vince Davis, who posted it on the Fire and Life Safety Inspectors Facebook page. If this is a fire door it's got some other issues, but the egress problem is clear.
In 2020, iDigHardware readers visited the site more than half a million times and spent thousands of hours reading my posts and articles. These are the most popular posts of 2020...did you miss any?
