I recently shared an announcement about a webinar with 5 panelists who discussed school safety and classroom security. In case you missed it, today's post includes the recording of that webinar.
Check out this opening, installed on a ramp in a restaurant. The building was originally a warehouse for a grain mill and other materials shipped by train during the mid-1800s. Can you see the "fix"?
Kicking off the 10th year of my Decoded column in Door Security + Safety Magazine...time flies!
Today's Wordless Wednesday photo shows a non-code-compliant modification that occurred after project completion. What other examples of post-construction changes do you commonly see?
Today's Quick Question: Are door bolts - like the surface bolts made by commercial hardware manufacturers - allowed to secure classroom doors during a lockdown?
We're kicking off Schlage's 100th anniversary with a new video that provides a fascinating look (really!) into the history of Walter Schlage and the Schlage Lock Company - check it out!
The creative solutions never end! RB Sontag of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo, and if this is a fire door, we've got a problem.
Originally, these doors did not need to lock, but that has changed, and the architect is looking for a way to add code-compliant locks to the doors which have already been installed. WWYD?
I have seen some questionable workmanship in my career, but this has to be one of the least effective strike installations I've ever come across. Can you top it? You can submit photos using the option on the Tools menu.
What are the required opening speed, closing speed, and hold-open time for a low-energy automatic operator? What about a vestibule situation with sequential operation?
This is going to be a great webinar! There is a fabulous line-up of presenters with an incredible depth of experience and insight to share.
Billy Rogers of Rogers Installations sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo, and I'm feeling a little ill. This pair of doors serves a 9,000 seat auditorium, and the man on the right appears to be from the fire department. :(
What do you think about this change that has been approved for the 2021 International Building Code? Does it clear things up nicely, or does it cause concerns regarding accessibility?
This week marks 77 years since the fire at the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub in Boston, and the fire is the topic of this month's Learn Something New video from NFPA.
Kelly Reese of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo, and I have to admit, it's pretty creative. Unfortunately, if this is a fire door the purpose of the fire door assembly has been completely defeated.
I need some help from any wood door experts out there...any theories on what might have caused the horizontal lines on these wood doors? They weren't visible until the doors were field stained.
It's chilling to consider what will happen when someone needs to use this exit in an emergency. The other exterior doors have the same security measure in place. :(
Here are the answers to yesterday's real-world questions about the egress requirements for this high school music classroom. Read the other post first if you want to give it a try.
Try applying your knowledge of the International Building Code to a real-world example...can you answer these 4 questions about the egress requirements for this high school music classroom?
There's more than one way to hold open a door for convenience, and if it's a fire door, the method needs to be code-compliant. Here's a great Fixed-it Friday example.
If a door or frame has a label indicating that is is fire rated, is the assembly required to be maintained and inspected as required by NFPA 80 and NFPA 101? A proposed code change offers a clarification.
It's Wordless Wednesday again...can you believe that I've been posting WW photos every week since January of 2011?? And there's no end in sight! Keep the WW and FF photos coming!
This article was published in the October 2019 issue of Locksmith Ledger, and includes some questions that you can use to determine whether your code knowledge is up-to-date.
Do all fire exit doors have fire exit hardware? Even if you already know the answer to this question, today's blog post might help you explain it to someone who disagrees.
Ahhh...that feeling you get when you overhear someone telling their coworker that they think they've spotted a code violation - and they took a photo of it!
What will the future of exit signs look like? Do they need an upgrade using new technology?
It took me a second to see what was happening here, and now I'm #wordless. Thank you to Kim Murkette of Isenhour Door for the photo!
Are you headed to Cleveland this week for the DHI ConNextions conference? I hope to see you there!
Shared restrooms that are not segregated based on gender are becoming more common in schools, universities, and other types of facilities. What's the ideal hardware solution for these doors?
Kick-down holders (prohibited in most commercial locations) are meant to flip down and hold the door open. This one is being used for a different purpose. Any ideas?
My next Decoded article covers the tentative interim amendment - TIA 1436, which revised NFPA 101 in order to allow 2 releasing operations to unlatch existing classroom doors.
End users MUST understand the applicable code requirements before purchasing security products, and it's our job to educate them. We can't focus solely on security at the expense of life safety.
UL FSRI: Nearly half of Americans believe it’s safer to sleep with the door closed in the event of a fire, yet only 26% always sleep with their bedroom door completely shut.
If you're anywhere near Cleveland, Ohio, I just found out about a great opportunity on Thursday, November 7th for you to attend our Code Update Roundtable!
It can sometimes be difficult to determine whether a particular type of hardware requires special knowledge or effort to operate since this is left up to each AHJ to interpret. Not this time...
Any idea what is corroding or oxidizing inside of this door - and to this extent?? I've never seen anything like it! What's the solution? WWYD?
I can almost understand how trash cans get placed in front of exit doors, but the (semi-permanent) use of zip-ties is hard to take.
People ask me all the time...Do ALL doors have to meet the requirements of the IBC? How do you differentiate between an egress door and a non-egress door?
If you are looking for some continuing education credit, or just want to learn more about collaborating on a door hardware specification, here's your chance!
It warms my heart that in the last 10 years, the number of people who actually notice these problems (and often do something to resolve them) has increased significantly.
Remember the photo I posted Tuesday - of the exit door from the fast-food restaurant? If you've been wondering what the other code issue was, here's the answer.
Maybe rules really are made to be broken? Which code requirements are being violated with this creative Wordless Wednesday installation?
What do you think about the width of the aisle leading to this restaurant exit - is it sufficient? And can you spot the other code issue with this door?
Between 2013 and 2017, an average of 4,859 structure fires occurred in educational facilities each year, and only 39% of the schools where fires occurred had sprinkler systems. Read more...
How quickly we forget the lessons learned in tragic events such as the fires at the Iroquois Theatre and the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub. If you see something, say something!
I know that many of us notice funky hardware applications on TV and in movies...here's one that we can actually learn a few things from.
Charles Anderson sent me the photos below, of a "secondary" exit from a retail store. I know it's Wordless Wednesday, but here's something you should know...
This new infographic aims to help clear some of the confusion about the various lock functions used on classroom doors. Feel free to share it!
The statistical likelihood of a public school student being killed in a school shooting on any given day since 1999 was 1 in 614,000,000. Read more in the Washington Post...
I'm Wordless about today's Fixed-it Friday photo. Considering that this is a retail store, I'm not even sure how/why this happened. Any theories?
