QQ: Mag-Locks on Fire Doors
1) Are electromagnetic locks allowed to be used on fire door assemblies? 2) Do electromagnetic locks installed on fire door assemblies have to be labeled?
WW: Big Box
Jim Elder of Secured Design not only saw this situation and sent me these Wordless Wednesday photos, he alerted employees of the store about the problem. Kudos to Jim!
Doors of Asheville, NC
When I started iDigHardware, my oldest daughter was 7, and on this summer's road trip we're looking at colleges for her! EEEK!
Sharing is Caring
Many people have asked if they can share my content in their newsletters, on their blogs, or in hard copy. In my quest to become irrelevant before I reach retirement age, I say YES!
FF: Hospital Latch Extension
Is it just me, or does this seem questionable on several levels (encroachment, projection into the clear opening width, potential for damage)? Is this an actual product or a creative modification?
Advisory – School Emergency Planning and Door Locking
Over the past year I've been collecting school security information from various states, and adding links to the school security page of iDigHardware. Last week I received an advisory from Greg Thomson of Allegion, that made me so happy I got a little misty.
WW: Happy 4th!
Technically these classroom doors were probably decorated for Veterans Day but they're the most patriotic doors I could find. What do you think...code-compliant or not?
Mini Doors
What do you think about these mini doors? Any code issues?
WWYD? Tripping Hazard
Last week an architect asked whether there is guidance in the codes or standards regarding the mounting location/maximum height for floor-mounted door stops, to ensure that the stop is not a tripping hazard. WWYD?
FF: Surface-Mortise
I saw this photo posted by Stephen Connor on the Crap Locksmithing Facebook page, and it left me Wordless even though it's Fixed-it Friday.
QQ: Manual Rearm for Delayed Egress
Does a delayed egress lock have to be rearmed manually after power failure and fire alarm release, or only when the 15-second timer is activated by an attempt to exit?
WW: What’s wrong with this picture?
See anything odd in these Wordless Wednesday photos from Scott Straton of Allegion?
QQ: Elevator Lobby Egress
Can elevator lobby doors be locked, and only allow egress through the tenant space when there is a fire alarm?
State Funding for School Security
In the last year or so, much more funding has become available for school security upgrades - millions of dollars. But how should the money be spent?
FF: Pool Access
I'm curious about what age children are prevented access by the 54-inch mounting height, and whether that jives with the age of children who can read the sign and enter the code.
Decoded: NFPA 3000 (August 2018)
Given that NFPA 3000 is a standard for preparation and response to an active shooting, how does that affect the door and hardware industry?
WW: “Bulletproof” Backpacks
"The concept of bullet-resistant shields is unsettling to school stakeholders, because esoteric products such as this make no real contribution to a safe learning environment."
School Superintendents Association Shares Information on Barricade Devices
The School Superintendents Association (AASA) is sharing safety concerns about classroom barricade devices with their 13,000+ members. Visit iDigHardware to get a copy of the document that is being distributed.
WWYD? Key-Operated Surface Bolt
These doors are serving a church, and currently have key-operated deadbolts at the bottom of each leaf. The deadbolts are too low for the reverends to reach comfortably.
FF: Don’t let the door hit ya…
While this may seem like a great idea at first glance - a wireless actuator mounted on the door to open the door automatically - this does not meet the recommended guidelines for actuator location.
WWYD? Impact-Resistant Glazing/Film
The glazing goes hand-in-hand with the door hardware - even the most secure hardware can be overcome by breaking the glass.
WW: Safety vs. Security
I'm confused about this conflict between newly-adopted code requirements and what the media is reporting. Can anyone share some insight?
QQ: Dwelling Unit Doors
On a multi-family building, are the dwelling unit doors required to have a 10-inch bottom rail?
LifeDoor
Several months ago I posted about a new product that was getting a lot of attention; the product is called LifeDoor, and it is designed to close a door in response to the sound of a smoke detector.
FF: Falling Off
What do you think the wood strapping is for?
Maximum Door Width
Ann Timme of Allegion sent me this photo the other day and it reminded me to tell you about a potential change to the International Building Code (IBC).
WW: Why Bother?
These Wordless Wednesday photos, from Geno Markette of Yates and Felts, are not just your run-of-the-mill padlocked-gate photos.
Decoded: Accessibility – Training Opportunity (with AIA credits!)
This live version of Decoded Class 1 - Introduction to Codes & Accessibility offers AIA continuing education credits!
Consistency is Key
Why would state legislators consider removing a requirement that ensures free egress and the option of evacuating, and replacing it with language that allows just about anything?
FF: Teacher Ingenuity
Let's do a better job of planning. Teachers should not have to resort to this.
Ceasefire Hinge
Some of you may remember that I posted about the Ceasefire hinge back in 2014 - the firefighters who created this product even invited me to visit them in NYC (here's a post about that). Since then, this hinge has gone through testing, design changes, and more testing, and the company is taking pre-orders on their website now.
WW: Old Fire Hose
As a last resort, I support using whatever is on hand to secure/barricade the door. But if we have time to look at the school's current situation and plan the response - is this REALLY the best we can do?
Locksmith Ledger: What’s a fire door for?
When I first started working in the door and hardware industry, I learned all about the rules that apply to fire doors, but I didn’t fully appreciate the value of a closed door during a fire.
FF: Fail Safe Failure
There is a lesson behind today's Fixed-it Friday photo. Upon first glance you see an exterior door locked with padlocks and a chain attached to the lever on an adjacent door. But why?
Decoded: Model Code Changes for Delayed Egress Locking Systems
The code requirements addressing delayed egress have evolved since they were first introduced in the 1981 edition of NFPA 101 – The Life Safety Code, and that evolution continues with the 2018 editions of both NFPA 101 and the International Building Code (IBC).
WW: Security consultant recommendations violated fire codes
Watching this news report brought a little tear to my eye. FINALLY, someone in the media is talking about both sides of the equation - safety AND security.
WWYD? Bleacher Access/Egress
It seems like it must be a fairly common situation, so let me know if you have seen it before or have ideas about a solution that would be acceptable to the AHJ.
Fewer Doors –> Fewer School Shootings?
One headline that caught my eye was from the Washington Post: "Texas official says that fewer doors could mean fewer school shootings. We had experts weigh in."
FF: Found Fasteners
No screw pack in the box? No problem!
Self-Closing Residential Doors Required by Law
A new package of fire safety laws has now been approved and is on the mayor's desk awaiting his signature...
WW: Exploded View
The last time I posted a photo of a closer that had exploded, some of the readers thought it was Photoshopped. Here's another one.
NFPA 3000 – Standard for an Active Shooter / Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently released a new standard - NFPA 3000 - which sets guidelines for Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER).
Decoded: Upcoming Accessibility Changes
In 2017, the International Code Council (ICC) published a new edition of ICC A117.1; the previous edition was published in 2009. The 2017 edition includes some changes relative to door openings...
FF: Positive Latching
As hopefully most of you know by now, corridor doors in health care facilities are required by NFPA 101 to have positive-latching hardware. Lance Werner of Allegion sent me this photo of a pair of fire doors in a nursing home, leading to a linen storage room. A Schlage LM9200 would have been a much better solution.
Classroom Security Handout
I've had several CSI chapters ask if they can include this article in their newsletters or technical libraries, so I had it reformatted into a printable PDF.
WW: I have no words.
These Wordless Wednesday photos also qualify for Fixed-it Friday but I couldn't wait two more days to post them.
QQ: Protection Plate Size
How wide should a protection plate be?
WWYD? IBC Proposal: Control Vestibules / Interlocks
BHMA has proposed a change to the 2021 IBC, to create some guidelines for interlocks - called "control vestibules" in the proposed code language. We need your help to get this right!
FF: Why I’m opposed.
Someone suggested to me recently that I might be opposed to classroom barricade devices because I work for a lock manufacturer. I'd like to clear that up right now.
WW: Fixed Forever
We've all seen the back-of-house doors in shopping malls...they're often good examples of what-not-to-do.