The Importance of Commercial Panic Bar Equipped Doors

It’s always sad when you read about building disasters in the news and you find out emergency exits were blocked or people died because they could not get exit doors opened fast enough. Many disasters like this around the world could have been avoided if there were more panic bar equipped doors on those buildings. That’s why so many buildings in the USA must have them according to code. Panic bar equipped doors have been proven to be effective in the event that any building needs to be evacuated quickly. In this article, we will discuss these doors designed for fast building egress in more detail.

What Is a Panic Bar?

For those who do not think they know what panic bars on an emergency exit door look like, they have probably seen those many times without realizing what they are. There are two main types of emergency exits on buildings in most cases. These include emergency exits with alarms and exit doors equipped with simple working panic bars. A panic bar equipped door is used for two main purposes; the first is to prevent unauthorized building entry from the outside and the other is to allow extremely fast expert.

Panic bar doors are very plain in nature except for the bar that runs across the middle of them. They cannot be unlocked or opened from the outside because they have no external locking mechanism on them. The only way they open from the inside is when someone presses on the panic bar and it releases the latch on the door allowing for easy emergency egress from a building.

Panic bars take little or no force to activate. All it takes is a slight push for them to open up the door they are attached too. Panic bar doors are usually not alarmed like fire doors are either. They are referred to in some states as ‘push bars’ locks.

Why Are Panic Bar Doors Used on So Many Commercial Buildings?

The answer to this question is that doors equipped with panic bars meet strict local, state and federal building egress requirements in the event of an actual emergency. What are the strict requirements that doors with panic bars must meet in most states? They are as follows:

• They are required in such places as schools, restaurants, theaters, and other places where people gather in masses. That would include most large businesses with many employees and customers.
• Panic bars must be attached to doors that open to the outside only. The panic bar itself should open with just a push and require no twisting or flexing motion of the wrist to open.
• Panic bar equipped doors can be easily opened by those with partial disabilities and by children.
• They are emergency exit equipped doors that require no tools, gadgets, or extra force to get open quickly. Panic doors also take no special knowledge to get them open. 
• Panic bars meet the regulation of their exit handles being installed three to four feet off the ground.

Even if your company is small enough in size that it does not require fast egress emergency door systems, they are still an essential item to install because they are proven to reduce injuries and save lives in emergency building evacuation situations.

What Are the Benefits of Having Panic Bars on Emergency Exit Doors?
Here are the main benefits that you get from having emergency exit doors that are opened by in an emergency by panic bars.

• Safety

By far the number one reason to use panic bars on any type of commercial building is for safety purposes. They are a smartly designed apparatus that lets doors open easily in the vent any building needs to be evacuated in an emergency. Panic bars have saved many lives during fires, earthquakes, and other emergency situations that require extremely quick building egress.  

• Security

Believe it or not, despite the fact they open very easily from the inside, doors equipped with panic bars are very hard to defeat from the outside. That is one of the main reasons besides safety that people install them. They are doors that very seldom have handles on the outside of them and very few have keyholes that can be used to open them either. 

• Reduced Insurance Premiums

Many insurance companies will discount premiums paid by companies that have taken steps to make their building safer in the event an emergency strike. This often includes the installation of panic bars on emergency exit doors. For some companies, this can result in a large amount of money being saved on insurance costs.

• Reduced Liability

If your commercial property emergency exit doors are not equipped with panic bars and there is an emergency situation where people were injured or killed because they could not get out of your building fast enough, it could open you up to some huge lawsuits. Installing panic bars shows you are a responsible and caring company.

• Peace of Mind

There is no good reason not to install panic bars on your commercial property’s emergency exit doors. That’s because:

• There is a variety of panic bar types to choose from
• Panic bars are not a high-cost item
• These emergency exit regress tools are easy to maintain

So, if you don’t have them installed already on your commercial property, give yourself the peace of mind that comes with installing them at your building. That way you will know your building is as safe as it can be if a quick emergency evacuation from it is required.

Who to Call for Panic Bar Installation and Repair?

Some fire equipment suppliers will install panic doors for you but for all around panic bar service it’s best to call a locksmith. Locksmith service providers like Skokie Pro Lock, LLC out of Skokie, Illinois are experts when it comes to panic bar installations, repairs, and maintenance. Most locksmith services will even test your panic bar equipped doors for proper operation during any commercial lock evaluations they do for your company.