If you manage a commercial building, a school, or a public facility, you are likely familiar with the horizontal bars across your exit doors. Known as panic bars, crash bars, or door push bars, these devices are essential for safety compliance. But a common question arises for building managers and security personnel: How do you lock a push bar door from the inside without violating safety codes?

You have likely seen them thousands of times in schools, hospitals, theaters, and office buildings. They are the horizontal metal bars running across the middle of heavy commercial doors. Known as panic bars, crash bars, or door push bars, these devices serve a critical life-saving function: allowing people to exit a building quickly during an emergency without fumbling for a lock or handle.