Means of Egress

WWYD? Connecting Classroom Doors

Many classrooms have a door connecting to the adjacent classroom.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but since most classrooms do not require a second means of egress, I think those doors are typically there for convenience.  I tried to find something in past codes that would have required the second door, but so far I only see the requirement for a second means of egress when the occupant load reaches 50 or more.  (Note: There are some situations where a classroom may need to have a second means of egress because it is not located on the ground floor.)

By |2013-12-27T00:08:36-05:00December 17th, 2013|Locks & Keys, Means of Egress, Panic Hardware, School Security, WWYD?|19 Comments
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WW: Ice Time

This photo, from an ice arena, gives me the chills.  Ice rinks are notoriously difficult locations for doors and hardware...lots of abuse, often a high occupant load, humidity and corrosion issues, and other contributing factors.  In case you don't see the problem right away, look at the top of the mullion.  Angle brackets have been bolted to each door, and there is a pin inserted through one bracket, through the mullion, and through the other bracket.  Someone trying to exit through these doors would likely have no idea why they won't open.

By |2013-12-18T15:34:37-05:00December 11th, 2013|Doors Gone Wrong, Means of Egress, Wordless Wednesday|9 Comments
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WW: Look Closer

I just had an idea.  I'm putting together an online code class for my coworkers, which will be available to others outside of the company next year.  The way I like to teach about codes is to explain the intent behind the requirement, show examples, reference the applicable section of the code, and preferably to break up the education into small chunks so it's easier to absorb over time.  The way I initially tried to learn was to read the code books and highlight the sections, but it didn't really stick with me.  So many people email me to say, "I know the code says something about *this*, but where is it?"...something they have read or heard may have left an impression on them about the requirement, but it didn't settle into their brain for the long haul.

By |2013-12-04T23:27:53-05:00November 20th, 2013|Locks & Keys, Means of Egress, Wordless Wednesday|19 Comments
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WW: Down at the DMV

I find the Department of Motor Vehicles so frustrating that one year I actually cried because after waiting over an hour they said I didn't bring the right utility bill.  AND...my car got hit by someone taking his driving test in the parking lot (he failed).  It might have all been worthwhile if I could have spotted an exit at the DMV like this one, sent in by Lisa Augerson of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies.  According to Lisa, the DMV person said they keep it unlocked during business hours.

By |2013-12-04T23:18:50-05:00November 6th, 2013|Flush Bolts and Coordinators, Means of Egress, Wordless Wednesday|6 Comments
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School Locks Doors from the Inside

Sometimes it's hard to believe that this continues to happen, but I love to hear about people pushing for code-compliance and protection of building occupants.  Sadly, I'm sure the locks were present for a long time before someone noticed or said something, but the good news is that they were removed before tragedy struck.

By |2013-10-04T13:55:53-04:00October 4th, 2013|Means of Egress, News|5 Comments
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Public Library – Nashville, Tennessee

I'm in Nashville this week for the CONSTRUCT show, and I've been scoping out some of the beautiful doors in town. My 1 vs. 100 Fire/Life-Safety class went well today...nobody fell asleep or faked an injury so they could leave early. Tomorrow I have 1 vs. 100 Electrified Hardware at 2:45, so if you're here at CONSTRUCT, head over to the Learning Pavilion. I decided today that the only thing worse than speaking to a large crowd is speaking to nobody, but luckily I had a pretty full class. Tomorrow will be the same "game show" format but with a different topic, so come back if you attended today! On Friday morning at 9:30 (room 205C), I'm participating in the CONSTRUCT Bloggers Panel, so if you've ever thought about starting a blog, have any questions about blogging, or just want to meet some bloggers, come on down!

By |2013-09-29T19:10:00-04:00September 25th, 2013|Beautiful Doors, Means of Egress, Road Trips|5 Comments
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WW: Push-Pull-Panic

Cory Yamaguchi of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies sent me this photo of an egress door he saw on an outing to the local dairy farm with his family.  I'm picturing a farm that hosts lots of visitors, not the type where the cow:human ratio is 100:1.  In addition to the creative application of pull handles, there are loops up at the top (one looks like it's missing) if they need a little extra security.  If you're just tuning in, this is not code-compliant.

By |2013-09-29T19:11:32-04:00September 18th, 2013|Means of Egress, Panic Hardware, Wordless Wednesday|9 Comments
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Reader Photos

Thank you to everyone who has sent me photos of doors they've seen in their travels (or while laying on the couch).  Kelly Chimilar from Allmar Inc. noticed these doors with an obvious egress problem while watching Thursday Night Football.  If you don't know what the problem is, I will hold a special online study session for you after work tonight.  ;)

By |2016-07-25T18:02:56-04:00September 6th, 2013|Beautiful Doors, Door Closers, FDAI, Fire Doors, Hinges & Pivots, Locks & Keys, Means of Egress, Panic Hardware, Reader Photos|9 Comments
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Science Lab Doors

Several questions have come up lately regarding the door and hardware requirements for science labs in schools.  When a short article about a chemical fire in a lab storage cabinet came across my desk, I decided to do a little digging.  I found that fires in school science labs are not uncommon, in fact, the number of injuries to students has grown - in part because of changing educational requirements which advocate more hands-on science instruction.  In the event of a lab fire, building code requirements can help to limit the damage to the lab and prevent the fire and smoke from spreading.

By |2017-10-26T12:51:37-04:00July 5th, 2013|Fire Doors, Means of Egress|5 Comments
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WWYD: Help Wanted

I answer A LOT of questions every day, and I love doing it.  I'm so glad to be able to provide this resource for our staff and customers, and anyone else who comes across my site.  But sometimes I get questions that I don't have a good answer for, and that's where you come in.  Please leave a comment if you have any insight on ANY of these questions...

By |2017-10-26T12:51:43-04:00July 2nd, 2013|Door Closers, Fire Doors, Hinges & Pivots, Means of Egress, WWYD?|18 Comments
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Beautiful Doors of Denver

I'm in Denver for the AIA conference, and this afternoon I played a rousing game of Code Jeopardy with the Denver Chapter of DHI.  If you're at the AIA conference this week, stop at our booth (#530) to play a short version of Code Jeopardy and your name will be entered to win an iPad Mini!  You can enter whether you get the questions right or not, and you'll probably learn something about a new code requirement in the process.

By |2013-07-10T15:32:05-04:00June 20th, 2013|Accessibility, Beautiful Doors, Fire Doors, Means of Egress|3 Comments
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The Station Movie

Last month I wrote about the first episode of The Station Movie, a video series posted online in segments about the Station Nightclub fire that occurred 10 years ago and took the lives of 100 people and injured more than 200 others.  The pain of the survivors is a reminder of why we need to continue to be vigilant about code requirements, including those pertaining to egress and fire protection.  Here are the next 3 episodes:

By |2013-03-15T12:07:49-04:00March 15th, 2013|Historical, Means of Egress|3 Comments
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Everywhere I Go – Church Edition

My husband has grown accustomed to me yelling, "Stop the car!" when I see a door of interest.  We actually had to circle the block and come back to this one in Nashville, Tennessee.  Judging from the entrance, I thought there might be some nice doors...I couldn't process what I was seeing in time to get him to pull over.  This is not code-compliant, people!  The elevator door was purty though.

By |2024-06-06T12:46:50-04:00March 11th, 2013|Beautiful Doors, Doors Gone Wrong, Historical, Means of Egress|5 Comments
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