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Take notice of the panic bars on the doors the next time you visit a hospital, shopping center, office building, or school. There is a reason why they are there, to protect people. This type of door allows large amounts of people to safely move in and out of the building. This is generally on an exit door or an area of a building that is prohibited to others. Sometimes panic bars are also called crash bars. They aid in the safety and emergency evacuation of people in large quantities.
Before panic bars were designed, there were many unfortunate incidents that cost the lives of many people. This is because they were trapped inside due to their inability to safely exist the property. With a panic bar, all a person has to do is push the large bar to open the door. The bar is spring-loaded and thus easy entry out is obtained.
It makes sense that this type of bar is installed in large buildings. Just think of the amount of people that you would have to safely get out if a fire or some other type of incident required the evaluation of everyone inside. If you had a standard door, exiting the building would become a serious concern. Now consider if you had to evaluate sick people in a large hospital. Without panic bars, this could end tragically. When people notice that there is a panic bar in the area, they tend to slow down and proceed swiftly but cautiously.
When people feel trapped, they will often respond with panic and fear. Having panic bars installed can easily help prevent people from panicking. Without panic bars, you could be creating a dangerous situation that can easily be avoided with a little forethought. A panic bar allows the flow of traffic to move in one way, out. If people were allowed to enter from the same door, this would undoubtedly slow down the flow of traffic and this is why they are only designed to allow traffic to move in one direction.
So you may be wondering what tragic events led to the invention of the panic bar. In the 1800’s a group of young people were killed because they were unable to safely vacate the building. Again in the early 1900’s, a fire broke out in a Chicago theater and approximately 600 people were trapped inside and died. The continued loss of life led to the invention of the panic bar. Since then, fewer incidents involved the inability to effectively vacate the premises.
Several Choices – You will be able to select from several different types of panic bars. There are those that are equipped with alarms, which will sound when unauthorized entry is trying to be obtained. Some are equipped with a cross bar. They are also offered in various prices and sizes. Since this is the case, you will have to make sure you have the correct type of panic bar installed on your door to ensure it works efficiently.
Affordable – Some people might think that since this is not a standard type of door that it must be far too expensive to even consider having installed. However, they are less expensive than you might imagine. They cost as little as $100 believe it or not. The most expensive model is only around $300. In some cases, if you’re thinking of having more than one bar installed, you might just get a deal on the installation of them. No matter how much they cost, it is essential to have a panic bar installed to prevent your liability.
Safety – As you may already know, the primary bases for having this type of door installed is to keep everyone safe. Everyone can effectively vacate a property without being harmed or killed. Again, no one can come in from the opposite side of the door, which means that the flow of traffic is not hindered. If someone tries to come in to create chaos or to harm others, this is not the way that they will be able to do so, as they have done in the past. If you want to be certain that no one is able to come in, you could always have the one with an alarm installed to alert you to this possibility. Also, when having a panic bar installed, always make sure someone installs it with the proven skills and ability to effectively handle the job.
Effective – If you’re still not convinced that you should have a panic bar installed, perhaps its level of effectiveness will convince you. In some places, it is mandatory by OSHA to have this type of bar installed. Check with your municipality to make sure you are in compliance with state regulations for your property.
It is true that even with panic bars installed that there is still the possibility of experiencing a tragedy. However, it definitely minimizes your chances of experiencing one. The problem could be a lot worse if you don’t have one. Keeping everyone inside calm is the key to them being able to safely exit your property. Panicking will only impeded the flow of traffic, which could result in loss of life. The presence of panic bars can alleviate the panic that could naturally ensue when there is a problem.
Those who rent a business should evaluate their property to see if they have the bars are installed on the doors. If they do not have them, you may inquire as to whether or not they plan on having them installed and look for rent from someone else if there are no intentions of having them installed.
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