Exit devices play a crucial role in ensuring safety during emergencies, but not all are created equal. While panic exit devices and fire-rated exit devices may look similar, their purposes and applications differ significantly. Understanding these distinctions is key to selecting the right hardware for your building’s needs.

What Are Panic Exit Devices?

Panic exit devices, often called crash bars, push bars, or simply exit devices, are designed to allow quick and easy egress during emergencies. They operate by releasing a latch when pressure is applied to a horizontal bar or pad in the direction of exit travel.

Key Features:

• Ease of Use: The device unlocks the door with minimal force (15 pounds or less).
• Coverage: The push bar or pad must extend at least half the width of the door.
• Application: Required by the International Building Code (IBC) for certain buildings, including:
  • Educational and assembly facilities.
  • High-hazard occupancies.
  • Electrical or battery rooms.
• Relocking: While panic exit devices can re-latch when the door closes, re-latching is not mandatory.

Purpose:

Panic exit devices prioritize speed and simplicity, enabling occupants to exit safely during emergencies, such as a fire or other life-threatening situations.

What Are Fire-Rated Exit Devices?

Fire-rated exit devices serve a dual purpose: providing quick egress while also maintaining the integrity of a fire-rated door assembly. These devices are designed for doors that help compartmentalize a fire, slowing its spread and allowing more time for evacuation and emergency response.

Key Features:

• Fire-Rated Doors: Used on doors within fire-rated walls, such as:
  • Stairwell doors.
  • Doors to common hallways.
  • Doors within separation walls.
• Re-Latching: Fire-rated exit devices must re-latch automatically when the door closes, ensuring the door remains securely closed during a fire.
• Industry Testing: These devices must pass rigorous testing to confirm they can secure the door during a fire.
• Time Rating: Must bear a label indicating the fire rating, typically ranging from 20 minutes to 3 hours.
• No Mechanical Dogging: Fire-rated devices cannot be mechanically dogged (held in the open position), though electric dogging is permitted.

Purpose:

Fire-rated exit devices are critical for life safety and property protection, ensuring that fire-rated doors perform as intended to contain fire and smoke.

Key Differences Between Panic and Fire-Rated Exit Devices

Choosing the Right Device

When selecting exit hardware, consider the specific requirements of your building and its safety codes:

• Use Panic Exit Devices for doors in educational facilities, assembly spaces, or high-hazard areas where quick egress is the primary concern.
• Use Fire-Rated Exit Devices for doors within fire-rated walls, such as stairwells and hallway separation doors, where fire containment is crucial.

Keep in mind that all fire-rated exit devices are also panic exit devices, but not all panic devices meet fire-rating requirements.

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between panic exit devices and fire-rated exit devices ensures that your building is both safe and compliant. By selecting the right hardware for each door, you can protect occupants, preserve property, and meet building code requirements.

If you’ve worked with door hardware, you’ve likely heard of Grade 1 panic devices. But what does “Grade 1” actually mean? More importantly, why should it matter to you or your facility?

What Do the Grades Mean?

The Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) establishes and maintains standards for the door hardware industry, including panic hardware. These standards ensure a consistent level of quality and performance. Panic hardware undergoes rigorous cycle tests to earn one of three grades, each reflecting its durability and reliability:

• Grade 1: Must withstand at least 500,000 cycles
• Grade 2: Must withstand at least 250,000 cycles
• Grade 3: Must withstand at least 100,000 cycles

Grade 1 devices are the toughest, designed for the highest traffic and most demanding environments. Some manufacturers go above and beyond, testing their products well beyond the minimum requirements to ensure maximum durability.

What Makes Grade 1 Different?

As of the latest ANSI/BHMA standard (2020), the requirements for Grade 1 panic devices include a preloading test. This means the device is tested with a simulated real-world load before the cycle test begins.

In real-world scenarios, doors may experience additional force from:

• Air pressure
• Misaligned doors or frames
• Installation issues

The preloading test applies a force equivalent to a net 20-22 pound-force (lbf) to mimic these conditions, making it more challenging for devices to pass. This ensures Grade 1 devices are not only durable but also effective under realistic conditions.

Why Does This Testing Matter?

Panic hardware must perform flawlessly in critical moments, so testing focuses on several key criteria:

1. Operation
   The device must function consistently, whether in a lab or the field.
2. Durability
   Grade 1 hardware is built to last, ensuring years of reliable use.
3. Safety and Security
   These devices are tested to withstand:
   • Forced entry from the pull side.
   • Heavy push loads from the opposite side.
4. Appearance
   Grade 1 devices resist corrosion, chemicals, and UV exposure, ensuring they maintain their finish over time.

Why Choose Grade 1 Panic Devices?

Grade 1 panic devices are ideal for high-traffic areas such as:

• Schools and universities
• Hospitals and healthcare facilities
• Stadiums and arenas
• Office buildings

Investing in Grade 1 hardware provides peace of mind, knowing that your exit devices are designed to withstand demanding conditions while maintaining the safety and security of occupants.

Conclusion

Choosing the right panic hardware isn’t just about meeting code requirements—it’s about ensuring durability, safety, and reliability for the life of your building. Grade 1 panic devices set the highest standard, delivering unmatched performance and peace of mind in even the most challenging environments.

When safety is non-negotiable, Grade 1 is the clear choice.

In an emergency, a well-maintained exit route can mean the difference between chaos and a safe evacuation. Exit routes are not just a critical component of workplace safety—they’re also a legal requirement under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. This blog post explains what exit routes are, their requirements, and how to ensure your building remains code-compliant.

What Is an Exit Route?

OSHA defines an exit route as a continuous and unobstructed path that allows occupants to travel from any point within a workplace to a safe location.

An exit route consists of three key components:

1. Exit Access: The path leading to the exit.
2. The Exit: The actual door or area, separated from other spaces, that provides safe passage during an evacuation.
3. Exit Discharge: The portion of the route that leads outside to a street, open space, walkway, or refuge area.

Requirements for Exit Route Compliance

To ensure safety and compliance, exit routes must meet specific requirements:

1. Unlocked Doors
   • Exit doors must be unlocked from the inside.
   • Devices or alarms on doors (e.g., delayed egress) must not restrict use in an emergency unless explicitly approved by your local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
2. Swing Direction
   • Exit doors must swing outwards in the direction of travel during an evacuation.
3. Clear Width
   • The minimum width of an exit is 36 inches, with a clear opening of at least 32 inches.
   • The maximum width of a single opening is 48 inches, but exceptions allow for clear widths as narrow as 28 inches.
4. Lighting and Signage
   • Emergency lighting and exit signs must be provided and adequate for individuals with normal vision.
5. Permanent and Unobstructed Routes
   • Exit routes must be permanent, unobstructed by materials, equipment, or debris.
   • Chains, deadbolts, or dead-end corridors are prohibited.
6. Accessible Exits
   • Exit routes must lead to a safe location, such as a street, refuge area, or open space with access to the outdoors.
7. Fire-Rated Doors and Labels
   • Fire-rated exit doors require labeling from third-party agencies such as Underwriter Laboratories (UL), Warnock Hersey (WH), or Intertek Testing Services (ITS).

Special Considerations for Fire Exits

Fire exits are an essential part of many buildings, often located inside and not part of an external wall. Here are some critical rules for fire exits and fire exit devices:

1. Projection Limits
   • Exit devices cannot project more than 4 inches from the door (per Section 1003.3.2 of the 2018 International Building Code).
2. Fire Door Standards
   • Fire exits must be equipped with self-closing fire-rated doors that automatically re-latch or re-lock upon closure.
   • Fire exit devices must pass rigorous testing to prove their ability to keep doors secure during a fire emergency.
3. Time Ratings
   • Fire exit devices must display a time rating from a third-party agency—typically 20 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, or 3 hours.
4. Dogging Mechanisms
   • Mechanical dogging (which prevents re-latching) is not allowed. However, electric dogging is permitted for fire-rated exit devices.

Did you know?
Many exit routes are overlooked during routine building inspections. Improperly maintained or obstructed exits can result in citations, fines, or worse—endanger lives in an emergency.

Maintaining Exit Route Compliance

To stay compliant and ensure safety:

• Conduct regular inspections of all exit routes, ensuring they are clear and functional.
• Verify that all exit devices meet the appropriate fire-rating standards.
• Consult with your local AHJ to confirm compliance with jurisdiction-specific requirements.

Having proper exit routes is not just about meeting code—it’s about ensuring that everyone in your building has a safe path to escape during an emergency.

Need help with exit route hardware?

Contact us today for expert guidance on maintaining safe, compliant exit routes in your facility.