Last year I posted a link to a guide on the US Access Board's website, which helps to explain the ADA Standards. Initially, the online guide only covered Chapters 1-3. The Access Board recently added Chapter 4 to the guide (found here), which is the chapter covering Accessible Routes - including Doors, Doorways, and Gates...
I've shared several news stories about high school students designing barricade devices (here's one, here's another), but now the Air Force Research Lab has joined the effort. Sadly, this "innovation" probably won't stop until a tragedy occurs...
I hope this whiteboard animation video helps to explain one of hardware's most confusing topics - flush bolts and coordinators!
I've written quite a few specifications for museum projects and although many architects have asked me for "invisible doors," I do my best to talk them out of it. These are two different museums, in two different states, but these Wordless Wednesday photos were both sent to me the same week by two different people...
Today I presented as part of a panel discussion at the annual conference of the National Association of State Fire Marshals, along with my fellow panelists: Larry Flowers - Ohio State Fire Marshal, Ed Paulk - Alabama State Fire Marshal, Kelly Nicolello of UL, and John Woestman of the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association. The panel was moderated by Jim Tidwell of Tidwell Code Consulting, and Jim Narva of NASFM kicked it off.
As many of you know, I have been closely watching the barricade device issue in Ohio. If you haven't been following along, here's the summary of what happened:
The theory is that the stick on this hold-open is there so you don't have to bend over to install/remove the wedge. I'll bet the architect who chose those door pulls didn't have this aesthetic in mind. Thank you to Rachel Smith of Karpen Steel for this Fixed-it Friday photo!
Here's the latest in our series of whiteboard animation videos explaining door-related topics. This one covers various options for securing classroom doors, in alignment with the guidelines from the National Association of State Fire Marshals. Enjoy and share!
These photos from an Alabama day care center make me nauseous. Literally. I'm Wordless.
I recently went on a field trip to an elementary school with Greg Thomson (Allegion specwriter) and a group of our specwriter apprentices, and we saw a couple of interesting applications in the courtyard. The courtyard is fully enclosed so a means of egress is required at each end...
I've received several photos lately of restroom doors with non-code-compliant deadbolts. Some examples of this problem could be...
Today's Fixed-it Friday photo is from Joe Cross of Allegion. This actuator mounting location does NOT meet the recommendations of the A156.19 standard...
(Note: If you're in the St. Louis area, there is a school security seminar coming up on July 22th, and there's still space if you want to attend.) Today's post: I haven't posted much about traditional wired glass lately, but the hazard continues to be present in existing schools and other facilities...
I've seen a lot of funky egress route restrictions in airports, but this was a first...
Some of you might be thinking..."Doors can't be disguised like that!" but this mural is on the access or ingress side of the door, not the egress side. The model codes require means of egress doors to be readily distinguishable and easily recognizable as doors, but this requirement is typically applied to the egress side of the door...
I often find that I am more cautious about modifying code requirements than even the AHJ. This opening is serving an Assembly occupancy, where delayed egress is not allowed by the IBC. In addition, the AHJ approved the 30-second delay instead of 15 seconds...
Yesterday's post was not ready in time for the afternoon notification, so in addition to today's Fixed-it Friday photo, there's a bonus set of photos from the Bronx Zoo. If you're reading this on the email notification, you should see the zoo link below. Happy Friday!
As promised in Monday's post, here are some of the doors we saw during our visit to the Bronx Zoo. Keep your camera ready during your summer vacation and send me some photos of interesting doors that you see (please)!
I have nothing to say except "thank you to Grah Security for today's Wordless Wednesday photo."
We just got back from NYC, where we were invited to visit the FDNY fire station for Engine 320 and Ladder 167 by the developer of the Cease Fire hinge, which I wrote about last fall. The kids are working on a project to help reduce deaths in home fires, so it was a privilege to visit the station and get all of their questions answered...
I checked with the ICC and NFPA for a code opinion, and both staff members acknowledged that the code does not address this specific issue, so it would be left up to the AHJ. One made a good point - the time to initiate the timer and the time to release the device should be two separate periods...
The first response might be - there's no exit sign, so no problem, right? Wrong! While I can't say for sure that these particular doors are egress doors, using the presence of exit signs to determine whether the door is in a required means of egress is not a reliable plan. If a door has an exit sign, it needs to meet the egress requirements. And even if it doesn't have an exit sign...
This Wordless Wednesday photo from John Gant of Allegion ties in with Monday's post about viewer locations. I've never seen a requirement for 3 viewers in a hotel room door, so my guess is that one of the viewers was originally installed at the wrong location and a third was added to solve the problem...
I read an interesting article in the Washington Post yesterday, about the statistics on school shootings. The Fact Checker column asks, "Has there been one school shooting per week since Sandy Hook?" and examines a statement made by Senator Chris Murphy during a speech on the Senate floor last week:
Whenever something is not specifically addressed in the model codes or national standards, I'm bound to get questions on it, and viewer height is one of those things. ICC A117.1 - Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities and the 2010 ADA Standards do not include a specific mounting height for the viewer...
Jenny Pauley of Kendell Doors sent me this Fixed-it Friday photo of a non-code-compliant repair that was made because the top corner of the fire door split. This is pretty common when corner-wrap flush bolts are used, because of the amount of wood that is removed...
This report gives a very good overview of what we're up against in the mission to secure schools while maintaining life safety. If funding is not available, schools will come up with their own solutions. If those solutions are not code-compliant, legislators will override the codes. This will continue to happen until another tragedy occurs. I wonder how many tragedies it will take.
Jeff Payton of Williams Electronics sent today's Wordless Wednesday photo. I'm the first to admit that I'm not an expert on exit signs. If you ARE an expert on exit signs, can you explain the need for the high-level sign? If only the door closer installer had taken as much pride in the installation as the conduit installer. :)
How do we help to ensure that these creative problem-solvers have the necessary information when considering a do-it-yourself approach?
You may remember a guest blog post from Lieutenant Joseph Hendry, who is with the Kent State University Police Department and the ALICE Training Institute. Lt. Hendry has an article in this month's Campus Safety Journal, on the challenges created by using barricade devices for classroom lockdown. Here's my favorite part...
This could definitely be a Wordless Wednesday photo, but I couldn't wait to share it so here's an excellent (terrible) Fixed-it Friday photo from Rachel Smith of Karpen Steel. Unbelievable.
I don't know why it still surprises me when I see blocked exits, but the good news is we'll probably never run out of photos for Wordless Wednesday. Don't forget to send me photos of what you see during your summer vacation!
A while back, I wrote an article for Doors & Hardware about panic hardware requirements for rooms housing electrical equipment. Someone asked me recently how the voltage and amperage are determined. Do you add up the voltage or amperage of each piece of equipment and look at the total? Or is it the highest voltage/amperage of any piece of equipment that determines whether the room is over the threshold where panic hardware is required?
If you live and/or work in Ohio, it is not too late to talk to the state legislators in your district(s). If you call their offices, you may be able to talk to them directly or get an email address. The Door Security and Safety Foundation has compiled some information that might be helpful to send along with your concerns...
As many of you know, on Fridays I usually post a photo of a creative way someone has solved a door problem, which is often non-code-compliant and unsafe. If you've arrived here today looking forward to this week's Fixed-it Friday photo, I apologize because I have to write about another type of "creative problem-solver" today.
As much as I like black/white-yes/no answers, sometimes it's not that easy. This is one of those questions, and it keeps coming back. Here's the scenario...I have an exterior aluminum door serving a large Assembly occupancy, with no fire rating required. I don't need the ability to dog* the device, and I have fire exit hardware left over from a previous project. Can I install the fire exit hardware on the aluminum storefront door?
I have to admit, these are pretty miraculous rescues...whether it was "divine intervention," the heroic efforts of firefighters, or the closed doors (and walls) that helped to keep the victims safe. A different type of Wordless Wednesday post for this week...
MANY people have asked me about the potential for liability if a school chooses to secure their classroom doors using a barricade device that inhibits or deters egress. Could a school be held liable? I didn't know the answer, so we enlisted the help of an attorney to help us understand the considerations...
As many of you know, a public hearing with the Ohio Board of Building Standards was held last Friday. This hearing was part of an ongoing discussion about whether Ohio should allow barricade devices to be used to secure classroom doors. There was a previous hearing where invited speakers presented their views; on Friday the podium was open to anyone who had something to share with the Board. These hearings were prompted by the filing of bills in the Ohio House and Senate, summarized as:
What's wrong with this Fixed-it Friday photo, sent in by David Seeley 0f Clark Security Products?
As I have been preparing for tomorrow's public hearing in Ohio along with members of the door and hardware industry, code officials, and others interested in the classroom barricade issue, I came to a realization: some of the people involved in this debate are not familiar with how barricade devices work...
It's Wordless Wednesday!
Who would have thought the readers of Doors & Hardware magazine would embrace a monthly column on the code requirements for door openings, let alone TWO monthly (or almost-monthly) columns on the topic? My friend Mark Berger of Securitech Group has given me permission to share his June column here. I don't know how he finds these openings...
Securing cooler doors with access control products is likely to become a more common application as facilities become increasingly automated. Without an access control system it's tough to control what is taken once the door is opened (like the coin-operated newspaper vending machines). Have any of you seen a system that works well to secure cooler doors and interface with a system like the one pictured here, where supplies are ordered online and then picked up from the cooler?
What problem is being solved by this creative Fixed-it Friday modification?
A malfunctioning power strip is getting most of the media attention for causing this fire, but Fox 13 reported that "a closed door kept the fire from spreading beyond the guidance counselors' offices, and therefore it did not reach any classrooms."
Today's Wordless Wednesday photo came from RB Sontag of Allegion. This is a roof door (which really shouldn't be an emergency exit anyway) and I can't imagine how secure a chain wrapped around the lever would be, but if the exit is to be taken out of service they should talk to the fire marshal and change the signage...
I know that some of you will be able to help with this question from a contractor, who has all-glass doors with direct-hold magnets making noise when the doors close and when the mag-locks engage...
The funny thing about this Fixed-it Friday photo is that it arrived on the same day from 2 different people - Steve Murray of Security Lock Distributors, and Ed Marchakitus of Cornell Storefront Systems. Thanks to both of you!
I could use your help with my testimony for the upcoming hearing. If you were sitting in the hot seat in front of the Board, what would you say??
