These 3 perspectives showed up in my Google Alerts today - a school district using barricade devices, a man working in a school who wanted to use barricading when he committed a shooting, and the legal perspective. Powerful.
Jeff Rapp of Wilkus Architects sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photos. I hope whatever this facility is trying to protect is worth the risk. :(
These news stories both happen to be from New York City, and both address topics that made me go hmmm... What do you think?
I have had requests for help specifying doors like this, but not on a marked exit! This door is serving a business occupancy. What do you think - OK, or NO WAY?
Fifty people died in the shootings at the two mosques in Christchurch. How many could have survived if the egress door had allowed immediate evacuation?
This week marks the anniversary of a tragic fire that heavily impacted life safety codes and requirements for worker safety. It's important to understand these tragedies, to avoid repeating them.
Why would a school district consider using unregulated security devices, given the associated risk and liability? The answer may surprise you.
When my coworker mentioned this door to two different employees, they said they have brought it up with the manager, but the decision was "above their pay grade"...
A news report hit my inbox a few days ago, which discussed a security situation in a Massachusetts elementary school; some classroom barricade devices had been installed in 2014...
Take a look at these egress doors serving a large arena. The struggle for security is real, but we can't forget about life-safety in the process!
I love the idea of putting our heads together to search for solutions, but inventors need to consider authorized access, free egress, and accessibility, in addition to security.
I get it. The trampoline park needs to keep kids from eloping. What would you propose as a solution?
How do you choose which code section to use?
Sometimes when Wordless Wednesday rolls around, I really am Wordless. Today is one of those Wordless Wednesdays.
The horizontal bars on this "emergency exit" are padlocked to hasps welded to the door - likely to prevent theft - AND EGRESS!
Is it code-compliant to add a deadbolt to a door with a mag-lock, that can be used to lock the door during a power failure?
I have spent two days trying to figure out what to write in this post. I'm still thinking.
A knob, lever, AND a mag-lock? And what's with the stainless plates? Are they covering old vision lights or do you think they were "original equipment"?
Quick Question: Is it code-compliant for a card reader on the egress side of the door to be used to monitor who uses the door?
Joe Fazio of Precision Doors & Hardware sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo. I don't know what to say. How about you?
One part of this webinar that got my attention was the EMS perspective on how a delay in accessing the classroom could affect the medical outcome. The archived webinar is linked in this post.
I really need your expertise on this one...talk to me about exit alarms to deter the use of classroom doors, or to at least notify the teacher that someone has opened the door.
Andrew Harris of Willis Klein sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo, and it's disheartening. This is the exterior door of a middle school classroom with one or more students who have special needs.
When we think about code-compliance, it's not just about lines on a page in a book. It's about reducing the risk of tragedies like this one.
As I've said before...as a last resort anything goes, but THIS SHOULD NOT BE PLAN A! Do you agree or disagree?
This Fixed-it Friday photo is of an egress door serving a martial arts studio. It's a good thing the students have special skills they can use in an emergency.
Eric Laidlaw of Jensen Hughes sent me these Wordless Wednesday photos...I'd love to hear your theories/analyses of what's going on with this opening.
So many people sent me this Fixed-it Friday photo from Reddit (thanks to all!) that I knew the rest of you would want to see it too. BTW...this is clever, but not code-compliant!
The sad thing about situations like this is that they often stay as-is for YEARS. In this particular case, the sign appears to be laminated or in a plastic sheet protector.
For everyone who has asked, I'm feeling quite a bit better - thanks! The cough is still lingering a bit, but hopefully it will clear up before I head to Carmel next week.
Thank you to Frederic Horrell of Allegion Canada, for today's Wordless Wednesday photo!
I admit it. I have a thing for old hardware - especially when it's still functional, and even better when it's ours!
iDigHardware will be on break until Monday, so enjoy the holiday weekend (if you're celebrating), and don't forget the rules of holiday door decorating!
When are facility managers and building owners required to post signs stating the occupant load of a room or area?
In the US we often take life safety for granted, and non-compliant door openings stick out like a sore thumb. In other countries, stringent codes and enforcement are less common.
What would you do if you were in this situation? It's not always easy to do the right thing, but could you live with yourself if something happened?
Remember when a fire alarm during the school day meant exiting immediately in an orderly fashion and enjoying a few minutes away from our desks? Times are changing.
When you're interpreting the code requirements for a particular building, how do you know which code or standard to reference?
How does a building owner or property manager justify locking and partially blocking a door that is clearly marked with an exit sign above it? #wordless
It's that time of year again...when teachers get creative and their classroom doors become the canvas. Don't forget the rules of holiday door decorating!
In case you haven't had enough baseball, John Cohrs of Central Indiana Hardware sent me this photo of the bullpen door from last night's World Series game (nice hardware!).
Fire marshal to restaurant owner: "This door requires panic hardware because the occupant load is over 50 people." Restaurant owner: "Done!"
I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's Wordless Wednesday photo. This is in direct conflict with everything I learned about life safety in hardware school.
It has been 74 days since I have written about classroom barricade devices. This refresher is posted by request, and in honor of Safe Schools Week.
These doors are an egress problem waiting to happen, and on an assembly occupancy where large numbers of people may need to exit quickly...
Of all the code requirements that apply to doors and hardware, electrified hardware raises the most questions. Here's a training opportunity to help!
Don't worry about this fragile door, the "fix" has completely solved the problem. Thank you to Colin Watson of Allegion for today's Fixed-it Friday photos!
Code issues are not uncommon in hotels, apartment buildings, and other residential occupancies. My next Decoded article addresses some things to look for.
Do you know what I love even more than photos showing a door problem? Photos showing a solution! Do you have any before-and-after photos to share?
This door is on an auto repair shop that was broken into, and it looks like they have taken matters into their own hands...
