WW: Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving with friends and family!
25
11, 2015
24
11, 2015
Landlord Jailed for Door Failure
Jay Liptrot is a Wales landlord, and ironically - a firefighter, who failed to install a fire door assembly to protect an apartment where 2 adults and 3 children died in a tragic act of arson. Although he was originally charged with manslaughter, his charge was reduced and he was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in prison...
23
11, 2015
Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS)
The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) has released a white paper detailing their position on classroom barricade devices. This position statement provides valuable information for any jurisdiction or school district considering the use of these devices to secure classroom doors...
20
11, 2015
FF: Wrong Hand?
What is happening in this Fixed-it Friday photo sent to me by Daniel Cannon of Allegion? If the lever has to be turned up instead of down because it's the wrong hand, shouldn't the sign be on the other side of the door? Or...maybe someone could just make it right?
19
11, 2015
Florida Addresses Classroom Barricade Devices
One of the arguments made by supporters of classroom barricade devices is that many other states have already changed their codes to allow the devices to be used. While a few states do allow the devices, the vast majority of state codes have not changed...
17
11, 2015
WW: Classic on Ice
Today's Wordless Wednesday photo, sent to me by Aaron Owens of Allegion, is not an unusual code violation. The location is what leaves me wordless - an NHL hockey arena...
17
11, 2015
Classroom Barricade Follow-Up
A few weeks ago I mentioned that there would be a meeting with the Ohio Board of Building Standards to discuss the proposed code language allowing classroom barricade devices. Quite a few of you left comments, and like me, most felt that the proposed language does not go far enough to keep teachers and students safe...
13
11, 2015
FF: Inflate to Escape
I know...lots of videos this week. It's just a coincidence - not a new trend. I'll just leave this right here...
12
11, 2015
Closed Door Follow-Up
On Tuesday I posted some news reports about the effects of a closed door during a fire. NBC-5 has released a follow-up story on the fact that national fire safety organizations have not been including the message to sleep with your bedroom door closed in their educational materials...
11
11, 2015
WW: Slippery Slope
There are some AHJs who allow security measures that are not compliant for egress if they're only used "after hours." I always say that this is a slippery slope, because once the device is installed, there's no guarantee that anyone will remember that the door is supposed to be unlocked during business hours...
10
11, 2015
Close the Door
I've been talking about this for years with regard to fire doors as well as doors in a home, but it's nice to have someone from UL back me up...
9
11, 2015
Automatic-Closing Door Application
Last week I received a really interesting question. The city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, made a local code modification that requires certain stairwell doors to be automatic-closing. But what about security? This is the application I would use...
6
11, 2015
FF: Good Luck Getting Out
Some Fixed-it Friday photos result in mixed emotions - sadness that people resort to these methods, excitement that I have something to share with you that will make you shake your head, concern that the creative application could cause harm. Like these photos from Leo Lebovits of M&D Door & Hardware, taken at a public swimming pool...
5
11, 2015
Decoded: Code Requirements for UL 294 – Standard for Access Control System Units
The two common code questions that arise regarding UL 294 are - A) which electrified applications are subject to the listing requirements? and B) which components of a system are required to be listed?
4
11, 2015
WW: Double Trouble
These Wordless Wednesday photos are from Erich Friend of Teqniqal Systems. According to Erich, the first photo is the initial egress door out of the auditorium. If you make it past the lab table, you encounter the trash can and piano stored in front of the exit discharge. No words...
3
11, 2015
Fire Door Inspection Cards
A few months ago I posted some images of a new educational piece on fire door inspections. When I was in Carmel last month I saw one in person, and I think they're great! They're hard laminated cards - about 4 inches wide and 12 inches long. We have some in stock...
30
10, 2015
FF: To Exit, Enter Current Year
Today's Fixed-it Friday photo was found on Imgur, so I don't know where it originated. It shows the creative use of an access control keypad to control egress. If this application was used in a memory care facility, it would be code-compliant if a delayed egress system or controlled egress system was used...
29
10, 2015
Need CEUs? Training Alert!
On Thursday, November 12, my coworker (and old college friend!), Bill Lawliss, will be conducting webinars at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Eastern. Bill will cover Basic Hardware - products used to hang, secure, control, and protect the door. The webinar offers 1 CEU for AIA members and there is no charge to attend the class.
28
10, 2015
WW: Fire Door – Please Keep Closed
There are some of my favorite Wordless Wednesday photos ever. They're simple, yet complex in their irony. Found in a state office building and sent to me by John Gant from Allegion.
27
10, 2015
Al Jazeera America: In controversial effort to stop violence, Ohio tries school barricades
I'm working on some more information to post here, but for now I wanted to share this article from Al Jazeera America. It is the very FIRST mainstream media article I've seen that addresses some of the problems associated with the use of classroom barricade devices...
26
10, 2015
Clear Opening Width for Double-Egress Pairs
This question landed on my desk recently...What is the minimum clear opening width for each leaf of a double-egress pair?
23
10, 2015
FF: Airport Security
According to the facility, the doors are no longer required as an exit, but if that's the case, why not just lock them up, add some signage ("Not an Exit"), remove the exit sign, and make it look less like a Fixed-it Friday contender?
22
10, 2015
Update on Classroom Barricade Devices
If you're thinking that this post doesn't apply to you because you're not in Ohio, think again. Several states are becoming more proactive about this issue to try to avoid similar legislation...
21
10, 2015
WW: Tennis, Anyone?
This Wordless Wednesday photo kind of ties in with yesterday's pool gate post. This is NOT the way to provide access control on swimming pools, tennis courts, or any other chain link gate for that matter...
20
10, 2015
Swimming Pool Access Control
I know that much of the US is beyond swimming pool season, but this question just came up again so I'll leave it right here for you to find when you need it...
18
10, 2015
Fatality Related to Roof Door
A 91-year-old man with dementia has died after wandering onto the roof of the housing authority apartment building where he lived in Batavia, New York. News reports are citing an unlocked door leading to the roof - it may have locked after the man passed through it...
15
10, 2015
FF: Garrafones de Agua
I saw this door as I was walking down the street an hour ago. It's your run-of-the-mill trash-can hold-open, with an added security layer consisting of a stack of giant bottles of water (we call them garrafones) inside...
15
10, 2015
Decoded: Delayed Egress vs. Controlled Egress
From the November issue of Doors & Hardware...the table below addresses the requirements for delayed egress and controlled egress, for both the IBC and NFPA 101. Do you know the difference?
14
10, 2015
WW: Until the Cows Come Home
John Lozano from Allegion sent me this photo he took at a festival in Wisconsin...I've seen worse at the state fair, but this exit is a little sketchy...
13
10, 2015
America’s Maginot Line, Lt. Joseph Hendry
In the October issue of Doors & Hardware, Lt. Hendry shares the law enforcement perspective on the use of classroom barricade devices, in an article called America's Maginot Line - Why our focus on secondary locking devices makes us more vulnerable to threats...
12
10, 2015
Barricade Device Update (October 2015)
In the October issue of Doors & Hardware, I have an article on what took place in Ohio with regard to the state legislation on classroom barricade devices, and another article covering the myths and facts presented at the National Association of State Fire Marshals' annual conference (here's a video version of this information)...
8
10, 2015
FF: High Winds
Andy Lindenberg, one of my Allegion coworkers, sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photos from a university that has an obvious wind condition. This door has a spring-cush arm on the closer, a heavy duty overhead stop, and a chain stop. Do you have any better ideas?
7
10, 2015
WWYD? Multiple Crossbars
Today's question...is it code-compliant to have panic hardware along with additional stationary horizontal push-bars?
7
10, 2015
WW: Skinny Sortie
This is the exit access leading to a 3rd-floor fire escape in a Montreal hotel. I'm Wordless.
6
10, 2015
Panic Hardware Styles and Types
Whether panic hardware is required by code or specified for increased security and ease of use, there are three basic styles and four types that are commonly used...
6
10, 2015
Introduction to Codes
Whether we’re specifying, supplying, installing, or inspecting doors and hardware, it’s our responsibility to speak up if we see situations that we know are not code-compliant and do our best to rectify them...
5
10, 2015
FF Follow-Up
Last week's Fixed-it Friday photo has raised some questions about the best way to handle an unequal pair...a) Do both leaves of a pair require panic hardware?...
2
10, 2015
FF: Unequal Leaf Pair
This is not how I would have specified the hardware for this unequal leaf pair. I think the panic hardware on the small leaf actually results in an opening that is less safe, because the removable mullion makes the small leaf difficult or impossible to use...
30
09, 2015
Field Labeling of Fire Doors and Frames
With increased enforcement of the fire door assembly inspection requirements, deficiencies will no longer be ignored. When an AHJ sees non-labeled doors or frames in a location where a fire door assembly is required, it may be an indicator of other problems with the opening protective. In the past, there were limited options...
30
09, 2015
WW: Classroom Security
According to Nathan Burkhardt of Opening Technologies, this church addressed their classroom security by adding shades for the vision lites, and changing the locks to office function with a turn-button. Because the kids and teachers were getting injured by the sharp turn-button design...
29
09, 2015
More Reader Photos
Austin Baumann of Central Indiana Hardware sent me this photo of the emergency exit in a mirror maze. This would be considered a special amusement building - I wrote about some of the requirements for those occupancies here. I have often seen means of egress modifications...
28
09, 2015
Reader Photos
It's been a really long time since I posted a collection of reader photos because I've been using a lot of these submissions for Wordless Wednesday and Fixed-it Friday. Here are some of the reader photos that have been patiently waiting in my inbox...
25
09, 2015
FF: Bodega Emergency Exit
We still do almost all of our shopping in the small tiendas and larger mercados, but last weekend I saw this door at la bodega. At first glance I saw the sign and thought it had a delayed egress lock...
23
09, 2015
WW: Miércoles Mudo
Who knew "Wordless Wednesday" translated so perfectly into Spanish? I think "mudo" is more like mute than speechless, but I'm going with it! I've become somewhat numb to Mexican egress, but some of the accessibility modifications are extreme enough to catch my eye...
20
09, 2015
AP: Safety Experts Question Classroom Barricade Devices
You may have read the AP article that appeared in the news media across the country over the weekend, addressing some of the concerns associated with classroom barricade devices. In case you missed it...
18
09, 2015
FF: School Safety “Sew-cials”
Ideally a classroom door can be locked from within the classroom without opening the door and potential exposing the teacher to an intruder in the hallway. Many schools have existing classroom function locksets, which have to be locked by inserting a key in the outside cylinder. When a district doesn't have the funding to replace the locks...
17
09, 2015
Construction Specifier: Understanding Code Requirements for Panic Hardware
This article is currently posted on ConstructionSpecifier.com...The question, “When is panic hardware required by code?” is one that many specifiers continue to struggle with because there isn't a simple answer to this seemingly simple question...
16
09, 2015
WW: Down at the Mini-Mart
Chris Ostwinkle from DH Pace sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo. The bar above the panic limits the degree of opening, which may have contributed to the closer issues. And in case you missed it...that's a double-cylinder deadbolt above the panic, in addition to the slide bolt. :(
15
09, 2015
Fire Door Safety Week
It’s Fire Door Safety Week in the UK, and I can’t help but wonder why the US is so far behind in educating the public about the value of fire doors. It’s a shame, really.
14
09, 2015
Help Me Help You (please)
I need your help! And for the first 10 people who find a mistake that nobody else has found, I'll send you a $25 Amazon.com gift card by email (limit - one gift card per person).