Install Panic Bars to Save Lives, Money and Your Reputation
Perhaps a building inspector has told you that certain doors on your business need to have better eegress. Or, after experiencing security or traffic flow problems, you may have wondered how to improve these issues. While many businesses choose to install a crash bar to comply with local building codes, these devices have several advantages.
What is a Panic Bar?
A panic bar, also known as a crash bar, is a spring loaded device that allows a door to open outward quickly and easily when pressed up against it from the inside. These devices have been in use in the United States since 1908 because they are so highly effective. While many crash bars are mounted horizontaly, there are also bars that have additional vertical bars that latch at the top and the bottom of the door, this is especially useful when you have double doors with no center post that you wish to secure . Panic bars are best installed by a commercial locksmith to ensure that it works properly and safely.
Crowd Safety
Crash bars were developed after several crowd related deaths occurred in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As frantic people race towards an exit in an emergency, they all reach the door at the same time and create a wall of bodies pressing up against the door and if the door handle cannot be found in this mass of people then no one is getting out and this can cost lives or cause injury to many. A panic bar installed on an outward swinging door allows the door to opened even if a large crowd presses up against the door at one time, allowing the group to exit safely.
Better Security
If you need a specific door to remain locked for security reasons, how you do that is subject to building code regulations that you must obey. Installing a single lever in the door which can be opened in one single motion may meet code but is less secure. A crash bar allows the door to remain locked, but still accessible as needed. You can improve the flow when you have a large crowd that needs to leave at the same time, such as after an event.
Your Money and Your Reputation
Crash bars save you money by preventing damage and theft. Installing an alarm alerts you to an unauthorized exit, allowing you to catch potential thieves more easily. In an emergency there is no need to damage a locked door to escape. Because of this, some insurance companies will lower your rates after you install panic bars.
While theft is always a concern, saving lives is the biggest benefit. You don’t want to be the notorious business that stays in the news because of a tragedy. For more information about panic bars, door closers, electronic key pads and other commercial solutions, please contact us. Flatirons Locksmiths are your local go to locksmith for all your security needs in Boulder, Broomfield, Longmont, Westminster and everywhere in between.