I received these photos from a code official. This pair of doors serves a large assembly space, and as you can see, the doors get a fair amount of use. The original "fix" on the LHR leaf is not all that unusual, but the extension has me scratching my head.
BHMA A156.41 is the Standard for Door Hardware Single Motion to Egress. It describes the requirements for doors and door hardware to comply with building code and fire code requirements that mandate a single releasing motion...
Today's Quick Question: In an office building with an occupant load of 400 people, is a paddle latch code compliant for the main entrance door? Or is panic hardware required?
As many of you know, I have a webinar scheduled for this Thursday, which covers the detailed requirements for delayed egress and controlled egress locking systems...
Anyone else see the problem with this Fixed-it Friday photo? Note: The photo was sent to me by an AHJ, and the situation has since been corrected.
Maybe I should go into door forensics in my retirement years (someday). I think it's so interesting to look at a door opening and try to figure out what happened.
Harry Porosky of Integrated Openings Solutions sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo. This looks like it's going to be a pretty expensive fix.
Safe Schools Week is nearly here and we have a fantastic webinar coming up, along with 4 more sessions from our national trainers on Webinar Wednesday, and the next Security in 30!
Here are the answers to Tuesday's real-world questions about the egress requirements for this mosque in Dubai. Read the other post first if you want to give it a try.
It's one thing to read an article or watch a video about code requirements for doors and hardware, but how about applying what you've learned using a real project?
The 2021 editions of the model codes have been modified, separating the limitations on the force used to open the door from the force used to operate the hardware.
Today's Wordless Wednesday photo shows a university weight room, where students allegedly "modified" the hardware so that the door would not be lockable.
It still amazes me that people with seemingly no understanding of the code requirements will make modifications to their doors that could result in injury or even death.
If your fire exit hardware shows up on the job-site without the dogging feature, there's a good reason for that. Homemade dogging is not a valid fix!
Someone really went to a lot of trouble to turn this door from "exit" to "no exit", but they missed a few things. Like checking in with the local fire marshal.
I think online learning is here to stay. Which doesn't mean that we'll never see each other in person again, but there's a lot we can learn in the meantime.
Leave it to NFPA to come up with a new type of dogging that is guaranteed to keep a door with panic hardware unlocked indefinitely.
Coming in just after duct tape and WD-40 in the lineup for must-have tools to fix door-related problems...the Sharpie!
Several questions were prompted by my recent webinar on touchless hardware, about the requirements addressing automatic operators and non-latching hardware on fire doors.
Today's Wordless Wednesday photo shows an after-hours repair on a door that would not lock, as reported by the security department at a large university. Scary.
Speaking from experience, this repair method - which apparently spans across multiple industries - does not last long.
Now that you've memorized the applications that require doors with panic hardware, a change to the 2021 IBC will add a new location that requires panics.
This is one of my favorite weeks of the year, but maybe for a different reason than you might expect. :-)
Our national trainers are continuing with their Webinar Wednesday series - classes are currently scheduled into August. Feel free to share this information with your colleagues.
Thank you to those who attended the live webinar last week! The webinars page has been updated with the recording, a list of resources, a short survey, and information about Webinar 3!
Many of you probably know a lot about panic hardware already, but maybe you have colleagues who could benefit from Webinar 2 which I'll be presenting this Thursday. Please share!
My next webinar is coming up on Thursday, April 16th. The topic will be panic hardware - where it is required and the related code requirements - including the electrified options.
Seriously...how does anyone justify this Fixed-it Friday "fix"? If someone tells you this was approved by the fire marshal, I wouldn't believe it.
You may have to zoom in and look around to see exactly what's happening in this Fixed-it Friday photo. All I have to say is...there are better ways to transfer power.
This Wordless Wednesday photo is an unbelievable example of the abusive conditions a door might face in a school. What do you think happened here?
It's Wordless Wednesday, and I don't know which contributes more to my wordlessness...the impeded egress, or the compromised security.
My recent article in Security Sales & Integration addresses panic hardware from an access control perspective.
The intent of the application in today's Fixed-it Friday photos is obviously to deter the use of the doors - do you think this is code-compliant? Have you ever seen any documentation on these plastic loops?
It's fire exit hardware, so it has to latch!
I know these doors aren't actually secured with licorice, and I HOPE this building is under construction and unoccupied. Thank you to Keith Zettler for today's Fixed-it Friday photo.
Have you watched the Six Locked Doors documentary yet? And yes, this door has an exit sign. And a "no exit" sign. And an "emergency exit" sign. :(
I can not for the life of me think of any circumstances that would make me consider locking egress doors in a school using this method. Just no. Never. #wordless
Is the UL 294 listing required by the model codes for panic hardware with the electric latch retraction / electric dogging feature (EL/QEL)?
There are so many code issues with this "exit" in a children's museum that I'm just going to remain #wordless. Could you quickly operate this door in an emergency?
This Chinese restaurant has 30 tables, which means that the occupant load is probably over 100 people - definitely over 50. What's wrong with this (WW) picture?
This video was made by Von Duprin in the 1940's...I'm very proud that I can continue to share the importance of life safety and free egress!
Another Friday, another "fix." This fire door probably won't perform as designed and tested, should a fire occur. Why does convenience so often win out over safety??
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. :(
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. :(
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.
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!
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!
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?