Panic Bars for Commercial Properties: What You Need to Know
Commercial building owners need to take special consideration when it comes to the type of locks they use for their building security. One of the most common types of door locks you will notice on commercial and business buildings is a type of lock known as a push or panic bar. These devices are most commonly rectangular shaped and sit horizontally across doors in the same position on a door that you would normally find a doorknob or door handle. They work by simply pushing in a smaller rectangular bar into its larger encasing on the door in order to push the door open.
Advantages of Having Panic Bars
There are several reasons why you may want to consider choosing panic bars as one of the primary security methods for your business building. Read the reasons listed below as to why panic bars are so effective and useful and consider how your commercial building might best benefit from panic bars.
Safety
Having panic bars installed in commercial buildings has almost always been because of safety. In the event of an emergency, such as a fire or other kind of evacuation, panic bars provide the safest way to exit. Panic bars have been proven to minimize overcrowding that can occur at door exits during emergencies. Because emergency evacuations can cause a panic among crowds, these types of door locks are especially critical. Panic bars minimize the chances that a crowd of people might become backed up at an exit if many individuals are trying to exit at once. If back up occurs, stampedes, falls, and even fatally crushing someone might likely happen. To accommodate large groups of people needing to move in the event of an evacuation, panic bars are an absolute must.
Versatility
Even though panic bars are most common on emergency exit doors, they are great for other kinds of doors, as well. School building entrances and exits, for example, can benefit from panic bars, even if the door is not strictly considered an emergency exit. Because schools and other buildings hold lots of people, these types of doors can also prevent overcrowding and stampedes if students and facility were to exit the school immediately. You might see other types of panic bars on doors that are not considered emergency exits. A simpler version of a panic bar lock just consists of a thin bar, rather than the full rectangular lock mechanism. These simple panic bar locks are great for any large meeting spaces within commercial buildings.
Alarmed and Non-Alarmed Options
Because panic bars have a wide variety of uses, they also come with the option to have alarmed or non-alarmed activators. For emergency exits, in particular, an alarm usually sounds when a panic bar on a door is pressed and the door is pushed open. This may alert the rest of the building that there is a problem or someone has had to use the emergency exit for some reason. Other locations within a commercial building that are not emergency entrances or exits, but use panic bar locks, may not need alarms.
Affordable
Panic bars are affordable and can accommodate any kind of commercial or business building. Regardless of your budget, you are sure to find the right kind of panic bar for your needs. It is highly recommended that, if you are considering panic bars for your commercial building, that you work with a local locksmith. They will be able to offer you the best possible prices and recommendations, as
well as perform an inspection to make sure you have all the panic bars necessary to ensure your building is safe. Decreased Insurance Rates
In order to increase building safety, comply with safety regulations and building codes, but also keep insurance rates for your commercial building low, panic bars are the answer. Because they are so important and vital to overall building safety, insurance companies are far likelier to reduce premiums or work with you to keep your insurance costs low if you are taking all the necessary precautions to keep your building safe.
Proper Installation
If you want to ensure that your business is up to safety code and will provide the quickest and safest possible exits in the event of an evacuation, then be sure to look into getting panic bars installed. Call a local locksmith in your area today and they can help get you set up and started on new panic bars for your business doors. You will want to work with a professional to install panic bars for your commercial building. Working with an inexperienced locksmith may cost you more money in the long run, or worse, make it so that in an emergency the panic bars do not perform as they should. A skilled and certified locksmith will be able to take note of any potential problems and work to help you solve them. Do not skip out on this important step and call a professional locksmith to come inspect your building and install your panic bars. Remember, faulty installations or upgrades on your commercial building panic bars could result in even more problems for your business. A professional locksmith will know exactly how to help!