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The most important safety factor for any commercial building is the ability for people to safely and quickly egress out of that commercial building in the event of an emergency. That’s because failure to exit a building in a timely manner in the event of a fire or natural disaster can lead to injuries and even death. No business owner ever wants to have those things on their conscience. An important part of being able to exit a building quickly and safely is to have panic bars installed on several emergency exit doors. I will talk more in this article about the important role these simple but effective safety devices play in commercial building safety.
Most people have seen panic bars before without even realizing it. They are often found on doors in such places as schools, gymnasiums, hospitals, theatres and other places where people tend to gather in large numbers. They are very distinct in their appearance too. Emergency exit doors equipped with panic bars have nothing on them on the outside such as handles or other opening devices; they are simply bare. On the inside they are similar with one exception. They have the panic bar itself going vertically across the center of the door.
What is so unique about panic bars and the doors they are placed on? For one, it only takes a minor amount of pressure to push a panic bar in and have the door it’s attached to unlock. There is no wasted movement or turning required to open up a door equipped with a panic bar. They are designed so that even children and handicapped persons can get that door to open easily. Panic bars also allow for a commercial property to have many emergencies exits without hurting that buildings overall security.
Here are some of the most common reasons that commercial property owners elect to have panic bars installed on emergency exit doors:
Without a doubt, safety is by far the number one reason to install panic bars on a commercial building’s emergency exit doors. As was mentioned, they allow for the quicker exit of a building in case of fire, terrorism, natural disasters or any other event where evacuating that building in a timely manner is of utmost importance. This becomes even more important for businesses and other buildings that have a large number of people in them at most times. Panic bars significantly increase any commercial buildings easy exit options.
Panic bar equipped doors are easy to get out of but hard to break into. That makes them a nice security option too. They are fairly secure door because there is usually nothing on the outside of them that will help would-be thieves break into a building or keep other unauthorized people from gaining access through them. Because of this, these types of safety exit doors are even a deterrent for would-be thieves to use them to gain entry into a commercial property.
Not only are panic bar equipped doors a good idea safety and security wise, but they are also required by law in many states. Although these laws do not specifically state commercial doors should be equipped with panic bars, they do require easy opening emergency exits that even children, the elderly, and the disabled can easily operate. Panic bar doors fit this description perfectly and that’s why they are used on commercial properties to meet state building safety laws. Failure to have them on a building can result in huge fines after a fire marshal or building inspector conducts a yearly
These days, insurance companies are prone to giving businesses discounts on their premiums if they do things that help limit liability risk to their insurer. Often, having panic bars installed on emergency exit doors will fall under this category. So, a business that does not have panic bars installed on their emergency exit doors can save some money after going to the expense of installing them.
These days it’s no secret that people are quick to hire lawyers when they have been involved in accidents. Imagine the field day a legal team would have if someone was injured or killed because a building was not equipped with panic bars or other panic devices in the event of an emergency. The lawsuit amount could be so high that the property owner loses everything they have.
There is something to be said for having peace of mind when it comes to operating a business. Having proper panic devices and panic bars installed on emergency exits is just the type of thing that will contribute to any business owner’s positive peace of mind. The importance of this should never be underestimated.
What’s the best way to get panic bars installed on your commercial building’s emergency exits if they do not already have them? We highly suggest that you call a locksmith to do this. Locksmith services in the Atlanta, Georgia area that are experts when it comes to installing panic bars on commercial emergency exit doors. In most cases, they will even come to your commercial building and take a look at your situation and give you a written cost estimate for the work.
Not only are locksmith services very good at installing panic bars on commercial property doors but they are also experts when it comes to maintaining doors with fast egress allowing panic bars on them. Many locksmith companies will even offer to do free yearly lock evaluations that will include making sure all of your panic bar equipped doors are functioning properly.
