March/April 2024

Exit Hardware
PANIC VS EMERGENCY EXIT HARDWARE:
WHERE, WHEN AND WHY?
Sue Corrick, of Allegion UK, explores the evolution of panic and emergency
exit hardware, examining the specification and installation points that
decision makers must consider throughout modern application.
Sue Corrick
The swift evacuation of a building and
its occupants is critical in an escape or
emergency situation. And for decades,
escape doors and exit hardware have been codependent
in their purpose of facilitating safe
egress when it matters most.
In fact, exit hardware has been providing users
with a safe means of escape since the early
20th century. Following a string of high-profile
disasters, including the infamous Iroquois Theatre
Fire in Chicago in 1903, the conditions of the
world’s built environment and its emergency exits
were more closely inspected as crucial elements
of public safety, in large part to The National Fire
Protection’s (NFPA) Life Safety Code in the US.
Incidentally, this period was a catalyst for change
in the exit device industry, with the world’s first
panic bar made available in an assortment of
configurations in 1908, courtesy of Von Duprin.
Today, the term ‘exit hardware’ is more
conventionally categorised as either panic
hardware or emergency exit hardware. With
distinguishing characteristics and features, both
categories of exit hardware provide users with
a safe means of escape, and both have come a
long way since their inception all those years ago.
As such, selecting the most suitable solutions can
be a challenge for modern projects and decision
makers are reminded to consider a number of key
factors.
“As with all other fire door hardware,
there is no one-size-fits-all solution where
exit hardware is concerned”
Distinctive door hardware
In a fire scenario, a building’s evacuation
methods must be as straightforward and defined
as possible. When a person reaches an exit door,
it is essential that the door can be operated with
ease, regardless of who is operating it and where
it is being used. While all exit hardware plays
an integral role in this process, decision makers
must consider a building’s type, application and
its occupation levels when selecting between
panic and emergency exit hardware, since there
are meaningful differences between the two.
Panic hardware, for example, is a type of exit
device that has been designed to provide safe
and effective escape through doorways with
minimum effort and without prior knowledge of
its operation. Panic hardware devices come in
the form of horizontal push or touch bars and
are commonly applied to outward opening doors
in public facing buildings or buildings with more
than 60 occupants, where they can be operated
by untrained people or members of the public,
ensuring safe and effective escape. As such,
panic device push and touch bars should be
installed to provide the maximum effective length,
but never less than 60% of the door leaf width,
as stipulated by BS EN 1125 and harmonised CE
and UKCA designated standards.
With its size, panic hardware is typically easier
to see and operate than some emergency exit
hardware devices. With this in mind, decision
makers should often choose to implement panic
hardware solutions in busy public spaces such
as hospitals, shops and places of entertainment
where usability is paramount. For spaces where
opening width is limited, a non-intrusive touch
bar can also be a practical option. Furthermore, in
cases where users may wish to gain access from
30 T F MARCH / APRIL 2024 CONNECTING THE WINDOW, DOOR & ROOF FABRICATION SUPPLY CHAIN