SECURITY ESSEN MAGAZINE PANIC BARS


In these days when so many threats - and deterrents - are hidden in cyberspace, unknown and undetected, a simple strip of metal may still represent one of most reassuring sights in moments of high stress. Panic bars on exit doors are


life savers. In a crowd evacuation scenario,


they are instinctive to


operate - a reassuringly simple shove - and backed by clear markings to usher crowds to safety in the face of panic. No fi ddling with locks or pushing numbers on keypads. The sheer sight of a silver bar is enough to reassure a fl eeing crowd. Simple, eff ective and fi nely


engineered for life-saving effi ciency, their mere presence, particularly on external exit doors, provides profound psychological benefi ts for building occupants, emergency


responders,


and facilities managers. Experts are unanimous on the psychology, especially


comes to the eff ects of so-called spatial


when it anxiety and exit panic. In


any crisis, adrenaline will obviously aff ect cognitive function, resulting in tunnel vision and disorientation. So the sight of a highly visible, instantly recognisable bar on their escape route gives the sort of timely reassurance they need. The sheer action needed to operate


the bar – a mere shove in the direction of exit – is the most instinctive of movements and removes the need for even the most basic twisting, turning, testing for this way and that we all take for granted when things are calm, but involves the fi ne motor thinking that can be compromised in a crisis situation.


The life-safety team at Salto


Systems sum it up well: “In an emergency, occupants should not have to stop and fi gure out how a lock works. Panic bars support instinctive movement, reduce hesitation, and help doors function as reliable escape routes.” It’s a sentiment echoed by industry experts such as Lori Greene of UK- based Allegion, who emphasises that panic hardware facilitates a “single exit motion” that prevents bottlenecks and allows for rapid egress.


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to dispel the myth of irrational panic in all


rather


Many recent studies have sought but


the worst emergency


situations, highlighting the fact that people generally remain orderly, help strangers, and prioritise collective safety


than aggressively


shoving others. The problem often lies with other factors, such as delays known as start-up time where people spend a large portion of total evacuation time reacting to an alarm, investigating the source or seeking more information before moving. Add to that what academics call normalcy bias as people interpret ambiguous cues


such as alarms


through every-day, non-threatening explanations; false alarm or drills, for example, while others face cognitive paralysis: freezing when faced with extreme stress, delaying their physical response. There are three basic types: the


Push Bar, a traditional horizontal bar suspended by arms on each end and moving on hinges, the Touch Bar, a more contemporary push-pad that sits level with the door face and is operated with a compression motion and the Push Pad, a smaller, plate- style designed for doors in low- occupancy areas where users familiar with the building layout.


are


IN AN EMERGENCY, OCCUPANTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO STOP AND FIGURE OUT HOW A LOCK WORKS. PANIC BARS SUPPORT INSTINCTIVE MOVEMENT, REDUCE HESITATION, AND HELP DOORS FUNCTION AS RELIABLE ESCAPE ROUTES


SALTO SYSTEMS


Otherwise, emergency systems),


exit


technology has been moving apace in many ways, thanks to innovations such as ADSS (active dynamic signage


IoT-enabled


smart monitoring and ultra-slim photoluminescent fl oor paths, all of which have transformed safety systems


from static markers to


responsive digital networks. For ADSS, think of signs that


change colour or fl ash arrows to redirect people away from blocked


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