WHY EXIT DEVICES ARE IMPORTANT FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Have you ever considered if your business has the right type of exit device? “Well, my exit is a door,” is the common response here, but it’s important to install an exit device that offers the right amount of safety and liability control, especially if several people work and shop inside your building. Here’s what you need to know about exit devices and why they are crucial for your business.

WHAT KINDS OF EXIT DEVICES ARE THERE?

The three common exit devices are crossbars, touch bars, and integral/integrated bars. These all work in basically the same way; you push on them, and the door will unlatch and open, swinging outward.

There are several ways that these push bars can open doors, based on the type of door and how secure you want it to be, but again, they all operate on similar concepts. You have probably seen these push bars before, especially in lobbies, theaters, and other big spaces. They are common on side doors and exit doors, and there’s a good reason for this.

WHY EXIT DEVICES ARE IMPORTANT

Exit devices help to guarantee the safety of people who are panicking. If a group of people inside the building start to panic (say, at a fire that appears to have started), they will typically rush to the exits. Unfortunately, panicked people are good at running away and nothing else; they often cannot operate even simple door handles, especially when being squished from behind by dozens of other panicked people.

Unfortunately, inefficient exit devices have been a major cause of fatalities during emergency situations in the past. To prevent this, companies began installing exit devices like push bars; these bars allow doors to automatically open if there is a mass of people behind the door. By taking all the thought and effort out of the process, it becomes much safer to use.

Of course, exit devices can also help meet insurance requirements or cut down on insurance costs, depending on the type of building you have, so there are other benefits. Additionally, even without a mob of panicking people, push bar doors tend to be pretty popular; they’re quick to use, and you can have both hands full while you open the door.

USE MULTIPLE EXIT DEVICES

Additional exit devices can also help increase safety and user awareness. Exit alarms and security indicators, for example, allow people to quickly find the exit door when they may not know where to look. In some scenarios, you may also want to slow down the flow of people exiting while making sure that the door cannot easily be used by burglars. There are delay egress safety catches that you can install to keep the door from opening too quickly at the wrong moment.

For more information, contact us at The Flying Locksmiths today to receive a complimentary security evaluation of your exit devices and panic bars!