Swinging Egress Door Operation: Permissible Egress Door Locking Arrangements

Every component in the means of egress (an unobstructed route from any point in a building to a public way) must be operable by, and under the control of, the occupants attempting egress. One of the biggest obstacles a person can encounter, preventing them from free egress, is a locked door. Approaching a noncompliant locked door unexpectedly and without the means necessary to operate it is an example of when egress becomes outside of an occupant’s control. This can hinder evacuation time and prevent occupants from getting to their point of safety. I recently wrote about the basics of swinging egress door operation, and we will continue that discussion here by focusing on some of the specifics of permissible door locking arrangements, so that we can better understand if door locking is permitted and what is required to do it safely.To get more news about home security solutions, you can visit securamsys.com official website.

An unfortunate increase in hostile events, and similar threats has also increased the presence of security features on door assemblies within the means of egress to prevent unwanted entry. This added security, particularly where door assemblies to exit stairs and main egress routes are involved, could be disastrous in the event of a fire or other emergency. The provisions of NFPA 101 Life Safety Code are aimed at preventing locked door assemblies in means of egress in the event of fire. The Code has attempted to balance this objective of free and unobstructed egress while also maintaining features that are essential to security within the building.

Where locked doors are permitted, additional requirements are often mandated to achieve an equivalent level of life safety as would be provided if the means of egress system were fully under the control of the building occupants and did not contain locked doors. For example, in health care occupancies locked door assemblies are permitted if it is necessary for specialized protective measures or the clinical needs of the patients. In this case, there are a number of additional requirements that need to be met, that include requiring staff to carry the keys needed to unlock those door assemblies at all times.
An example of a releasing motion in a single linear direction could be pushing on a panic bar to release the locking/latching hardware to allow a door to be opened. An example of a releasing motion in a single rotational direction would be turning a lever-operated handle of a door lockset in either a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction (but not both directions) to unlock/unlatch the door. Multiple motions to unlock or unlatch a door, again, takes time and can delay a person from getting to their point of safety. There are several situations that do permit additional motions, such as in residential occupancies and school and daycare classrooms. These are permitted to balance unique security needs as well as to recognize situations where occupants are, themselves, locking the doors (such as a hotels and apartments) and the operation of the door during egress is under their control.

PERMISSIBLE DOOR LOCKING ARRANGEMENTS

There are situations where a locked door within the means of egress is necessary and permitted. But to do this, additional measures must be in place to ensure that, while meeting security needs, the locked door does not become an obstacle to a person’s egress travel and prevent them from getting to their point of safety quickly and efficiently. When providing egress door locking arrangements, pay careful attention to the details for how to achieve the door locking safely and when and where these locking arrangements are permitted.It is not a one size fits all installation. Many permissions to lock doors are dependent on the type of occupancy and the location of the door within the building.

Key-Operated Locks – Doors equipped with key-operated locks, such as a deadbolt, are an exception to the rule that locks and latches cannot require the use of a key, a tool, or special knowledge or effort to operate from the egress side to open. Doors equipped with key-operated locks may be found on the exterior of a store or office where added security is required after-hours, for example.

Stairway Reentry – Some stair enclosure door assemblies are permitted to be locked to prevent reentry to the building on selected floors. This arrangement provides flexibility in buildings that, perhaps for security reasons, do not want occupants to enter certain spaces of the building, while at the same time ensuring that one can reenter the building if necessary, without having to travel up or down too many flights of stairs.

Delayed egress electrical locking systems. This type of locking system delays egress through the door by preventing the door leaf from opening for 15 or 30 seconds. Doors with this type of locking system are commonly installed where there are concerns for internal security, such as theft from a store. Delayed-egress electrical locking systems might also be installed where occupants might benefit by being protected from their actions, such as a specialized patient care floor in a nursing home.