Publish Time: 2025-12-23 Origin: Site
Have you ever walked past a commercial building and wondered how those large, horizontal metal bars on the doors actually work? More importantly, if their primary job is to let people out quickly during an emergency, how do you keep unwanted visitors in?
Securing a facility while maintaining safety compliance is a delicate balancing act. Panic bars—also known as crash bars or door push bars—are essential life safety devices required by building codes for emergency exits. Their genius lies in their simplicity: push the bar, and the door opens. But this very feature creates a security puzzle for business owners and facility managers. How do you lock a door designed to always open?
This guide explores the mechanics of door push bars and provides actionable steps on how to secure them effectively without compromising safety.
Before we discuss locking them, it is crucial to understand what makes a panic bar unique. A panic bar is a horizontal bar fixed to the inside of an outward-opening door. When pressure is applied to the bar (like a crowd pressing against it during an emergency), it retracts the latch mechanism, allowing the door to swing open freely.
Unlike standard door handles, which require a specific twisting motion, push bars rely on gross motor skills. This ensures that even in a smoke-filled room or a high-stress situation, a person can exit safely simply by falling against the door.
However, "locking" a push bar doesn't usually mean preventing the bar from being pushed from the inside. In most jurisdictions, completely immobilizing the push bar while the building is occupied is a serious fire code violation. Instead, "locking" typically refers to two scenarios:
Dogging: Keeping the latch retracted so the door can be pulled open from the outside (essentially unlocking it for free passage).
Locking Access: Preventing entry from the outside while still allowing egress from the inside.
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"Dogging" is an industry term for holding the latch of the door push bars in a retracted position. This is useful for high-traffic areas during business hours where you don't want the latch clicking shut every time someone enters or exits.
Note: You cannot dog a fire-rated device. Fire doors must latch positively to prevent the spread of smoke and fire.
Most standard panic bars come with a hex key (Allen wrench) dogging mechanism.
Step | Action |
|---|---|
1 | Locate the Hole |
2 | Insert the Key |
3 | Depress the Bar |
4 | Turn the Key |
5 | Release |
To "lock" the door again (meaning, to make it latch so it can't be pulled open from the outside without a key), simply reverse the process: push the bar, turn the key counter-clockwise, and the latch will pop out.
If your goal is to prevent people from entering from the outside while ensuring people inside can still leave, you need to focus on the external trim (the handle or lever on the exterior side of the door).
Many panic devices are paired with an exterior lever handle that contains a key cylinder.
Night Latch Function: The key retracts the latch bolt momentarily to allow entry, but the handle remains rigid. Once the key is removed, the door is locked again.
Classroom Function: The key can lock or unlock the lever. If unlocked, the lever works like a normal door handle. If locked, the lever spins freely or becomes rigid, preventing entry, but the inside push bar always works.
To secure the door: Simply use the master key on the exterior cylinder to ensure the lever is in the locked position. Verify by trying to turn the handle; if it doesn't open the latch, but the inside push bar does, you are secure.
For modern facilities requiring higher security or automated control, electrified door push bars are the standard. These systems integrate with access control pads, card readers, or remote security desks.
There are two main types of electric locks for these doors:
Electric Strike: This replaces the standard strike plate on the door frame. When power is applied (or cut, depending on the setup), a movable "keeper" in the strike allows the latch to pass through without retracting.
Electric Latch Retraction: A motor inside the push bar physically pulls the latch back when a valid credential (like a key card) is presented.
How to lock it:
In these systems, locking is usually managed via a computer interface or a timer. Ensure your access control software is set to "Secure" or "Locked" mode. The physical hardware remains in a latched state until a signal tells it otherwise.
Securing a building is important, but safety is paramount. Here are common errors facility managers make when trying to lock push bar doors:
Mistake | Why it is Dangerous |
|---|---|
Chaining the doors | Placing a chain and padlock through the push bars prevents exit. This is a major life-safety violation and has led to tragedies in the past. |
Blocking the exit | Stacking boxes or furniture in front of a push bar door "to stop people using it" creates a deadly bottleneck during a fire. |
Dogging fire doors | Using the hex key to keep a fire-rated door unlatched defeats the door's ability to stop fire and smoke spread. |
Adding extra deadbolts | Installing a separate deadbolt above the panic bar confuses users. In an emergency, one motion must open the door. A secondary lock requires knowledge and time, which panic situations do not allow. |
When choosing or modifying your door push bars, you must adhere to local and international standards. Using uncertified hardware can void your insurance and lead to heavy fines.
UL Certification: Look for hardware that is UL Listed (e.g., UL 305 for panic hardware or UL 10C for fire exit hardware). This ensures the device has been rigorously tested for safety.
CE Standards: For European markets, CE EN1125 is the standard for panic exit devices.
Door Width: Ensure the push bar covers at least half the width of the door to ensure it is easily activated.
For example, manufacturers like D&D Hardware provide products that meet both CE and UL standards, ensuring that whether you are installing a rim exit device or a vertical rod exit device, you remain code-compliant.
No. You should never put a padlock, chain, or any device on a panic bar that prevents it from opening from the inside while the building is occupied. It is a severe safety hazard and illegal in most jurisdictions.
A panic bar (for non-fire doors) can often be "dogged" (held open) mechanically. A fire exit bar (for fire-rated doors) cannot be held open mechanically because the door must remain latched to prevent fire spread. Fire exit hardware requires a specific label proving it has been tested for fire resistance.
You need "Night Latch" or "Classroom" function trim. This allows you to lock the exterior handle using a key, preventing entry. However, the interior push bar will still allow people to leave freely.
Check the "dogging" mechanism. Insert the hex key into the dogging hole, push the bar in, and turn the key counter-clockwise (usually) to release the internal catch. The latch should pop back out.
Learning how to lock a push bar door is less about finding a way to jam the mechanism and more about understanding the different functions of the hardware. Whether you are using a simple hex key for daytime convenience or a sophisticated cylinder lock for nighttime security, the goal remains the same: authorized entry and safe, unhindered exit.
If your current hardware is broken, outdated, or doesn't offer the locking functions you need, it might be time to upgrade. Always choose certified door push bars to ensure durability and compliance.
Ready to secure your exits properly? Ensure your hardware meets the highest safety standards. For professional advice on choosing the right panic bars for your facility, contact D&D Hardware today.