WW: I need to vent!
Today's Wordless Wednesday photo, sent in by Rick Eldridge, is from the generator room of a hospital. We'll just assume (fingers crossed!) that it's not a fire door assembly.
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WW: Something’s Screwy
I received today's Wordless Wednesday photo from Jake O'Keefe of Allegion, who was helping the locksmith for a large hospital with a problem at one of their exterior doors. The door was "stuck", but on the bright side, the problem was pretty easy to diagnose.
WW: Health Care Corridor Door “Fix”
Last week I spent an afternoon touring a hospital under renovation after a large electrical fire (more to come on that), and I saw this modification that left me wordless. What do you think?
Protection Plates in Health Care
There's an exception in the Health Care chapters of NFPA 101 that I've always wondered about. It's in the chapters regarding New & Existing Health Care Occupancies (18 & 19), in the section about corridors:
Survey Q6-7-8 – Repairs are Expensive but Necessary
This is the 8th post in a series about fire doors and the results of a recent (unscientific) survey.
Mouse Holes
These doors are from the same children's museum as the planetarium exit doors in the previous post. I first noticed the "mouse hole" at the bottom of one pair, and wondered why it was there, until I saw multiple other holes with wires running through.
Good News / Bad News
First the good news. When the annual DHI conference was held in Boston, I conducted a 3-hour code class for architects (I later conducted the class for our DHI chapter.). Public speaking isn't my favorite thing to do, so when one of the attendees approached me before class started and said, "You're not REALLY going to talk for 3 HOURS about CODES, are you?", I got a little nervous. When we conduct presentations for architects, they're typically lunch-n-learns - 1 hour max, with lunch (and cookies!) as an incentive to attend. We get great feedback on our lunch presentations, but asking architects to sit through 3 hours of discussion on hardware and codes was a different story. To my surprise, about 100 architects registered to attend, they actually showed up, and they stayed until the end. I didn't lose my train of thought, pass out, have an "accident", or lose my voice, so I considered the class a success.
$63,000 Fine
Sometimes I feel like a broken record. Like maybe people are sick of hearing me talk about fire and egress doors, how they protect us, and what happens when they are disabled or neglected. When I meet someone, I don't immediately launch into a discussion about doors because I'm pretty sure they'll think I'm a weirdo from the start and probably avoid me the next time.
Waiting for a Transplant
Anyone who knows me personally, knows that I'm a helper. I like to help. I'm always organizing collection efforts for one thing or another, donating items for our local schools, pitching in when I can. There are so many people in need, and if we all help a little, the world will be a better place for everyone.
Reader Photos – 2 of 2
Here's the second batch of reader photos. My emailbox is empty now. Not.
Decoded: Opening Protectives (June 2011)
This post was printed in the June 2011 issue of Doors and Hardware
Reader Photos
Here's the latest batch of reader photos...don't forget to send me any interesting doors you see on your summer vacations!
Back-2-Basics: Hinge Types and Applications
This afternoon I had an appointment for acupuncture, and as I was drifting off into a needle-induced temporary coma (if you haven't tried it, you should!) I was thinking about what I should post for Friday. Then I thought about how it seemed like such a short time between my Wordless Wednesday post and planning for Friday's post, and in a sudden epiphany I realized that I had posted the WW post today! I DO know what day it is, and I did write the WW post on Wednesday, but I must have had a senior moment. I went back and changed the date so nobody who visits that post in the future will realize that I messed up. To all of the loyal readers out there, THANK YOU for not saying, "You dummy, it's Thirsty Thursday not Wordless Wednesday!" :-)
Decoded: Roof Access and Egress
This post was printed in the November 2011 issue of Doors & Hardware
Help Wanted
I really appreciate all of the comments and suggestions that were left in response to my post called WWYD? Cross-Corridor Pair. I love the collaboration and I know we can all benefit from the experience of others as well as the different points of view.
Q&A: Electric Latch Retraction on Fire Doors
Question: I was told that I couldn't use dogging on panic hardware installed on fire doors. Is it acceptable to use electric dogging?
Fire and Egress Doors in the News
Here are some recent news stories you might be interested in reading...
A Closed Door – The Best Ally in a Home Fire
I know I just posted some news stories a few days ago, but Zeke Wolfskehl sent another one that I have to share. It appeared in the New York Times on November 27th. Considering how difficult it is to make people understand the value of their fire doors and why they should be kept in working order, I think this article does a great job of illustrating the importance.
Early Christmas Present
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.
Kiss Nightclub – Santa Maria, Brazil
I woke up this morning to yet another nightclub tragedy - this time in Santa Maria, Brazil. This fire shared common issues with many of the past nightclub fires - a high occupant load, ignition of flammable foam or decorations, no working sprinklers, insufficient or unmarked exits, and a heartbreakingly-high loss of life. The death toll currently stands at 233. I can't help but imagine the bodies of the young people lined up in the make-shift morgue, with their cell phones ringing and ringing as their friends and family search for them.
Boston Public Library
Many of you know that I live just outside of Boston and I consider the city my home (and I really appreciate those of you who emailed me to make sure I was ok). I love this city, the architecture, the history, the vibe given off by the people. For me, downtown Boston isn't an area to be avoided because of traffic, crime, or parking difficulties. It's a place I frequent - with my family and friends, for work, or on my own. I have never worried about my safety.
Even More Reader Photos
OK...who knows what's wrong with the door in this photo, sent in by Jeff Tock of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies?
Fire and Egress Doors in the News
I have read this first article several times and asked my codey friends for their thoughts. None of us could come up with any national building code requirement for a closer on a non-fire-rated exterior door. But then again...I try to avoid arguing with a building official. What say you?
The Clock is Ticking
Last month I posted an article by Kenneth T. Lumb about the liability that schools carry with regard to non-impact-resistant wired glass. I received a comment from former Oregon State Senator Vicki Walker, who has been an instrumental and passionate force in removing traditional wired glass from Oregon schools. With her permission, I have posted her comment below (or click here to download a PDF version).
WW: Are the kids to blame?
Last Friday I posted an article about a school district settlement with a student, after a severe injury due to impact with traditional wired glass. The article mentioned that a "15-year-old high school student fell while climbing atop a stack of rolled up wrestling mats." What the article didn't say was that the mats had been rolled up between practices, and the student was helping to set up - the mats were stuck together and he climbed up to help free the mat and slipped, impacting the glass. His injury was horrific, and he's lucky to be alive.
Decoded: Panic Hardware on Electrical Rooms (November 2013)
This post was printed in the November 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware
Special Egress Locks in I-2 Occupancies
This article was published in the October 2013 issue of the Locksmith Ledger:
Decoded: Terminated Stops and Door Bottom Seals (March 2014)
This post was printed in the March 2014 issue of Doors & Hardware
Memory Care Egress
To some, locking doors to prevent egress may seem like a step backward. But in some applications, the danger of elopement is much greater than potential hazards of controlled egress. Until now, it has been difficult for memory care facilities to balance the code requirements for free egress or delayed egress, with the needs of their residents...