The majority of high crowd locations, from office buildings to stadiums, utilize panic bars on exit doors. This is due to a legal requirement implemented in the early 2000s, meant to ensure that the building will have the fastest evacuation procedure as possible. Here’s a brief guide to some common questions about panic bars, as prepared by the commercial security experts here at SOS Locksmith.
What is the reason that panic bars are required?
They are required in order to make safely escaping a building on fire (or experiencing any number of emergency situations) as easy as possible. If a building has a large amount of people in it, doors with regular handles become difficult to escape from – with the person in front of the crowd having trouble opening the door because of the stampeding crowd. Push bars allow for opening with a simple push, and since the bar cover the majority of the door’s width, it’s super easy to open even in a rush.
What are the benefits of panic bar installation?
Safety, obviously, is the main reason to install panic bars – however, many commercial locations that aren’t legally required to install panic bars choose to do so anyways. This is due to the durable construction and major longevity of panic bars. They will function as effective egress equipment for many years to come, despite constant use (and even abuse!) Door handles break over time when they are pulled on hard or kicked sut; so often, commercial properties with the budget to upgrade to a panic / push bar exit often choose to do in order to avoid the hassle of replacing broken locks.
