Decoded: Panic Hardware Refresher (May 2017)
It has been a while (6 years!) since I have written about the code requirements that apply to panic hardware in my Decoded column, so it’s time for an update...
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It has been a while (6 years!) since I have written about the code requirements that apply to panic hardware in my Decoded column, so it’s time for an update...
This article addresses an important change to the BHMA standards for automatic doors operated by a motion sensor or control mat...
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).
Given that NFPA 3000 is a standard for preparation and response to an active shooting, how does that affect the door and hardware industry?
Is an existing fire door assembly with 2 hinges acceptable, or should it be noted as a deficiency during a fire door inspection?
In the almost-5,000 schools that experience structure fires each year, what percentage of the buildings are equipped with sprinkler systems?
What do you think of doors and frames that are flush with the corridor wall on the push side? I like the clean look, but the door-operating part of my brain was not a fan.
Much of the testimony given at a recent hearing clearly outlines the reasons that barricade devices are not the optimal method of securing classroom doors.
What do you think about the width of the aisle leading to this restaurant exit - is it sufficient? And can you spot the other code issue with this door?
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.
I receive a lot of questions about gates - I'm sure it's because it can be very tough to secure a gate while also complying with the requirements of the model codes and referenced standards. Here are some answers...
Last week, several people sent me a link to this photo, which ran on various media sites with an AP article about the MLB lockout. I couldn't resist turning it into a teachable moment - not about baseball, of course...about panic hardware. :)
This article - about balancing life safety with school security - is the cover story for the Spring 2022 issue of Life Safety Digest. Feel free to share it with school administrators or others who may need it!
I recently wrote about a bill in Michigan's state legislature that would expand the use of classroom barricade devices in the state. That bill has been signed into law, allowing barricade devices to be used on doors serving assembly spaces.
This photo is a great illustration of a problem that has come up before, and I don't have a good answer. What solutions have you seen for double pairs of fire doors like this? WWYD?
When panic hardware is required by code for doors serving a particular room or space, is the panic hardware required for ALL of the doors in the means of egress from that space, including corridor doors, stair doors, and finally – the exterior doors?
As I mentioned last week, you will begin to see some new faces around here. Mark Kuhn of Allegion will be helping me out with some code development work and other duties, including an occasional blog post - like today's post about a frequent source of code violations.
On Tuesday I answered a Quick Question about panic hardware on an unequal leaf pair, which led to another question from several readers: Can the smaller leaf of an unequal leaf pair be equipped with flush bolts instead of panic hardware?
Today's Quick Question: Under what circumstances does an automatic sliding door require the break out / break away feature, allowing the sliding door to swing in the direction of egress during an emergency?
This month’s Decoded question is a common one related to classroom doors in educational facilities: Are classroom barricade devices allowed by the model codes and accessibility standards?
Yes, this is a fire door, and yes, the bollard is permanently bolted in place.
I'm pretty sure I asked for a PAIR of boots for Christmas, but Santa must have misunderstood. I ended up with one walking boot after falling off of running fountain while trying to take the perfect photo of a door for y'all. OK...actually I stepped off a little lip in a walkway while checking into our hotel in the dark and did some ligament damage. We won't know the extent of the damage until the swelling goes down. BUT - I did get a photo.
Do you know who Carl Prinzler was? Does the name ring a bell? Carl worked in the door hardware industry back in the early 20th century, and was instrumental in developing the first exit device along with his employer, Vonnegut Hardware Company and his neighbor, Henry DuPont. Recently Peter Wilson of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies came across a poem by Misha Burnett called The Ballad of Carl Prinzler, and sent me the link. I couldn't imagine who (besides me) would write a poem about Carl Prinzler, so I emailed Misha. He is a university locksmith and while taking a poetry class he also attended a Von Duprin training class and learned about the invention of the first panic hardware after the tragic fire at the Iroquois Theater, which inspired him to write the Ballad of Carl Prinzler.
This article was published in the January 2015 issue of Locksmith Ledger.
In the past 10+ years, I have been blessed to meet many people who share the mission of school security and safety, including Paul Timm of Allegion and Michele Gay of Safe and Sound Schools. Hear from Paul and Michele on the first episode of this new podcast.
It's our responsibility to study past tragedies in hopes of improving future outcomes. In the second episode of Paul Timm's podcast - The Changing Face of School Security, he talks with Guy Bliesner about the shooting that occurred at Rigby Middle School.
In the next episode of Paul Timm's podcast, he talks with Antoinette King of Regional Sales East, author of the Digital Citizens Guide to Cybersecurity and founder of Credo Cyber Consulting.
We were on a mini-vacation earlier in the week, which is my excuse for forgetting two things. First, my pal Zeke Wolfskehl is in search of some research that I remember hearing about but have never been able to find documentation for. Maybe it's an urban legend, but I know that I heard/read somewhere that a pair of doors with a mullion allows more efficient egress than a pair of doors without a mullion. Do any of you remember where that was written? I need a lead to pursue.
Open fire door killed 2 at Mont Blanc - The Free Press Journal