What is an Emergency Exit Bar?

Let’s explore what an emergency exit bar is with Alumax. How many types of emergency exit bars are there? The structure and applications of emergency exit bars. Nowadays, the trend of high-rise residential and industrial buildings, as well as offices, is quite prevalent. With this trend, ensuring safety and effective emergency evacuation is always a top priority. One of the devices that helps consumers avoid hazards or escape quickly in case of emergencies is the emergency exit bar.

Emergency exit doors are commonly found in high-rise buildings, apartment complexes, shopping malls, etc., playing a crucial role in ensuring human safety. Emergency exit bars enable the rapid opening of emergency doors without the need for keys in certain emergency situations. The emergency exit bar is specifically designed for emergency exit doors or doors effective in fire protection.

In normal conditions, the emergency exit bar automatically locks the emergency exit door without the need for human intervention to prevent unauthorized entry from the outside. Emergency exit bars are divided into two types suitable for different types of emergency exit doors: single emergency exit bars and double emergency exit bars.

Emergency exit bars, also known as panic bars, are used as a specially designed type of lock. In emergency situations like fires, you can press the emergency exit bar and easily escape without using a key.

1.What is an Emergency Exit Bar?

An emergency exit bar, also known as a panic bar, emergency door push bar, or emergency door handle, is a specialized lock designed exclusively for emergency exit doors and fire exit doors. This bar is installed on the leaves of emergency exit doors, ensuring that the door remains closed under normal conditions to maintain safety and prevent unauthorized access from the outside.

In emergency situations such as fires or explosions, this type of lock allows people to quickly open the door to escape or enter a designated escape route without the need for a key.

1.1 How Does the Emergency Exit Bar Work?

The occurrence of events such as fires, explosions, or earthquakes can impact structures and pose risks to individuals working in various environments such as apartments, offices, and factories. Emergency exit doors play a crucial role in safeguarding these spaces and serve as escape routes during emergencies. The design of emergency exit doors has become a safety standard for the operation of various structures.

The emergency exit bar is a critical component of the door structure. Its mechanical design incorporates metal bars equipped with a spring-loaded mechanism. When these metal bars are pressed, the spring mechanism compresses, activating the locking bolt mechanism. Under normal circumstances, the spring returns to its original position, deactivating the locking mechanism and securing the door.

Special Mechanism for Effective Emergency Exit

The emergency exit bar features a special mechanism that allows the door to open in one direction from the inside, ensuring efficient operation during emergencies. The characteristic of the emergency exit bar includes the ability to automatically close the bolt to enhance safety, prevent unauthorized access from the outside, and enable easy opening by pushing the bolt from the inside without the need for a key.

The flexible design of the emergency exit bar ensures both security and quick evacuation in emergency situations. The primary materials used for the emergency exit bar are stainless steel or electrostatically coated steel, offering high durability, resistance to oxidation, corrosion, and fire.

2. Classification of Emergency Exit Bars

Emergency exit bars are widely used for emergency exit doors and fire-resistant doors in various structures. These essential accessories for door structures are classified into:

• Single Emergency Exit Bar: Typically used for single-leaf emergency exit doors. The length of a single emergency exit bar is between 0.84 and 1.045 meters. The bar is fixed at a height of 0.9 meters from the ground, suitable for both children and adults to use.
• Double Emergency Exit Bar: Used for double-leaf doors. It consists of two single emergency exit bars with additional bolts located above and below on one side of the door. In case of an emergency, pressing one side of the double emergency exit bar will easily release the locking bolts. The installation height of the single emergency exit bar is 0.9 meters from the ground.

2.1. Emergency Exit Bar for Single Doors

This type of emergency exit bar is commonly used in apartments and smaller residences that have only one single-door entrance. For single-leaf doors, the most suitable choice is the single emergency exit bar.

Usually, there are two different types of single emergency exit bars distinguished by the construction material: stainless steel and electrostatically coated steel. These materials are robust, sturdy, durable, and resistant to corrosion.

Installing a single emergency exit bar is not overly complicated. This type is placed in the middle of the door, approximately 1 meter above the floor. This positioning is suitable for the dimensions of adults, ensuring accessibility for small children in case of an emergency.

Features:

• Single emergency exit bars are commonly used as emergency exit locks in the escape routes of high-rise buildings, apartment complexes, companies, or shopping malls.
• Designed specifically for single-leaf emergency exit doors.
• Attached to the emergency exit door, the bar allows the door to be opened by pressing it in necessary and emergency situations, functioning as a type of lock. However, this lock only enables the emergency exit door to open in one direction from the inside. To open the door from the outside, an additional lock linked to the emergency exit bar installed on the exterior side of the door is required.

2.2. Emergency Exit Bar for Double Doors

Double doors are characterized by having two leaves and are commonly found in offices and large apartments where a spacious entrance is needed. For double doors, the emergency exit bar is designed with one single emergency exit bar and an additional bar with locking bolts installed above and below the second door leaf.

When installing a double emergency exit bar, it is common to fit one leaf with locking bolts both above and below, while the other leaf is equipped with a single emergency exit bar that engages with the locking bolts. This design allows users to press any emergency exit bar in case of danger, facilitating the opening of either door leaf.

Usage Features:

• Double emergency exit bars are designed for double-leaf emergency exit doors.
• Installation Types:
  • Type 1: The double emergency exit bar is installed on the outer side of one leaf, featuring locking bolts above and below. In normal conditions, the bar automatically locks the door, and pressing any emergency exit bar will unlock both leaves. Users can choose to open either one or both door leaves.
  • Type 2: In this setup, one door leaf uses an emergency exit bar with locking bolts both above and below, while the other leaf uses a single emergency exit bar. The door leaf with the single emergency exit bar needs to be engaged with the leaf having locking bolts both above and below.
  • Type 3: If the double doors operate independently, with no leaf resting on another, a double emergency exit bar with locking bolts on both sides can be installed on both door leaves. Users can press the emergency exit bar on the desired door leaf, and that leaf will open.

3. Structure of the Emergency Exit Bar

Emergency exit bars are typically made from two common materials: electrostatically coated steel or stainless steel 304. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages, suitable for different areas.

• Electrostatically coated steel emergency exit bars are known for their high durability, ensuring a long-lasting usage.
• Stainless steel 304 emergency exit bars not only provide durability but also offer rust resistance and aesthetic appeal to your door.

The common structure of both types of emergency exit bars includes:

• The top is connected to a lock bolt on the opposite side of the door, allowing external opening with a key.
• In the middle and at the bottom, a plastic aesthetic button is attached to cover the screw heads. When installing at the bottom, you need to remove the cover before attaching it to the door.
• The bottom of the bar is reinforced with a frame and has screw positions for easy attachment to the door.

4. Functions of the Emergency Exit Bar

True to its name, the primary function of the emergency exit bar is to provide the easiest means of escape, ensuring the safety of individuals in adverse, life-threatening conditions.

These bars are attached to emergency exit doors in buildings and constructions to assist users in quickly evacuating through the emergency exit doors. This is why you often find emergency exit bars on fire-resistant doors in buildings, offices, factories, and more.

4.1. Applications of Emergency Exit Bars in Fire-Resistant Doors

As mentioned in the functions of the emergency exit bar, these bars are installed on the leaves of fire-resistant doors to facilitate quick evacuation in case of emergencies, ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals.

Installation of Emergency Exit Bars

The installation of emergency exit bars is typically carried out by skilled technicians who pay attention to the proper height according to standards and guidelines provided in accompanying documentation.

Emergency exit bars are often installed along with door handles and hydraulic door closers (pneumatic door check). Depending on the material, durability, and brand reputation, the prices of these bars can vary significantly.

With the information provided about emergency exit bars, individuals can make informed choices suitable for their doors. Additionally, understanding the characteristics, functions, and advantages of different types allows users to select the emergency exit bar that best fits their preferences.

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ALUMAX VIETNAM JOINT STOCK COMPANY

Headquater: No.70 Nam Duong str, Thuong Thanh ward, Long Bien distric, Hanoi city.

Hotline: 0961 362 362

Website: www.alux.com.vn