Panic Bar Door 101

When an emergency strikes, your building’s exit hardware needs to work instantly. Panic bar systems protect building occupants while keeping your commercial property secure against unauthorized entry. 

Choosing the rightpanic bar system for your commercial facility means balancing life safety, local building codes, and everyday security. Here is what facility managers need to know about how panic push bars work, where they are required, and how to select the right hardware for your doors.

What is a Panic Baron Doors?

Panic bars—also known as exit touch bars, rim exit devices, push bars, crash bars, etc.—are horizontal bar devices that replace traditional door locks and handles on the interior side of doors. They’re often required in high-occupancy areas to meet emergency egress codes because they allow people to exit safely and efficiently, especially in a crisis. Their push-to-open design also supports ADA accessibility.

Panic Bar vs. Push Bar: What’s the Difference? 

While people often use the terms panic bar, push bar, and crash bar interchangeably, there is a key legal and technical distinction in commercial building codes:

• Panic barsare certified to meet UL 305 and ANSI/BHMA A156.3 safety standards. They span at least half of the door’s width and release automatically when pushed, allowing occupants to exit quickly. 

• Push bars include any non-rated touch bars, push plates, or electronic switches that activate automatic doors or release magnetic locks. Not all generic push bars meet fire and life safety code requirements for panic exits.

How Does a Panic Bar Work?

Panic bars operate with a simple push of the horizontal bar, which activates the mechanism that unlatches the door lock. Particularly beneficial in emergency situations, panic push bars are designed to simplify use and eliminate fumbling with traditional doorknobs or handles. Even in a crisis, all an individual needs to do is bump into the bar to unlock and open the door.

Many panic bars are compatible with a variety of exterior door locks and access control systems, including mechanical locks, electronic locks, pin pads, biometric locks, key fob systems, and more.

Do Panic Bars Need to Be on All Exit Doors?

The International Building Code (IBC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are two organizations that determine panic hardware requirements. Each organization has slight variations in requirements. 

In general, panic hardware is required in educational and assembly facilities with an occupancy load of 50 or more for most recent IBC codes and 100 or more for NFPA codes, and in all high-hazard facilities. Refer to your local building and safety codes to determine the unique requirements for your building(s) and business.

Knowing what doors require crash bars depends on a variety of factors, including:

• Type of business or industry

• Building layout and room size

• Number of people anticipated in the space (i.e., occupant load)

• Proximity to stairwells

• Regional requirements and code enforcements

Depending on your local building code and fire safety requirements, you may be required to install panic bars on all of your exit doors or just the exit doors that meet certain criteria. 

Understanding the Difference Between Panic Bar Doors and Fire Doors 

Not all panic bars work the same way. The right hardware depends on the type of door and whether it needs to provide fire protection.

• Standard panic hardware is used on doors that aren't fire-rated. Some models have a dogging feature that holds the latch back, allowing people to push or pull the door open without operating the latch each time.

• Fire exit hardware is designed to latch properly to help contain smoke and flames. Mechanical dogging that holds the latch retracted isn't permitted on fire exit hardware, though some models offer other ways to keep the door open when permitted.

If you’re not sure what kind you need, your local fire marshal can confirm which hardware your building requires.

Types of Panic Bars 

Not all panic bars are built the same way. The right type depends on your door setup, including whether you have a single door or a pair of doors, and what the doors are made of. Here are some common types you'll find in commercial buildings:

• Rim Exit Devices: A common choice for single doors and double doors with a center mullion (a post between the doors). A single latch bolt secures the door to the frame or mullion.

• Surface Vertical Rods (SVR): Often used on double doors without a center mullion. Rods run along the inside of each door and latch at the top and bottom.

• Concealed Vertical Rods (CVR): Work much like surface vertical rods, but the rods are hidden inside the door or frame for a cleaner look and less exposed hardware.

• Mortise Exit Devices: Have a latch mechanism built into a pocket in the edge of the door. They're a sturdy option for buildings that need durable, heavy-duty hardware.

• Alarmed Exit Devices: Sound an alarm when someone pushes the bar. Often used in retail stores and other buildings where staff need to monitor exits while still allowing emergency egress.

Exterior Trim & Access Control Compatibility

While panic bars allow you to safely exit from the inside, the exterior trim controls who can enter from the outside. Panic bars can be paired with several types of entry hardware depending on your security needs:

• Traditional exterior door levers with key cylinders that allow entry only with a physical key.

• Standalone battery-powered exterior keypads that allow entry via PIN codes without carrying keys.

• Hardwired electronic access control systems that require RFID keycards, fobs, or mobile phone credentials to unlock the exterior trim.

• Motorized or solenoid-driven panic bars that electronically retract the latch when a key fob reader, remote desk push-button, or automated scheduling system signals them.

How to Choose the Right Panic Bar for Your Facility

Whether you're installing new panic hardware or replacing an existing device, knowing these details will help you narrow down your options.

1. Check the door type and setup. Is it a single door, a pair of doors with a center mullion, or a pair without one? The setup helps determine which type of panic bar will work best.

2. Confirm fire requirements.Check whether the door is fire-rated and remember that fire-rated doors need compatible hardware that allows the door to latch properly.

3. Consider how much the door is used.If the door is used for entering and exiting, you need durable hardware that can withstand heavy foot traffic. ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 devices are a good option for demanding environments.

4. Decide how people should enter from the outside. Will the door be exit-only, or will employees need to enter with a key, keypad, or access card? Make sure the hardware works with your access control system, if you have one.

5. Don’t forget to measure. Check the door's width and the room you will have to mount hardware. This is especially important if you have a glass storefront door with a narrow frame. 

Can You Lock a Push Bar Door from the Inside?

Most panic bars for doors actually remain in a locked position. This doesn’t mean it prevents people from using the door to exit, however; it just locks entry from the exterior (i.e., the opposite side of the door). If employees need to use a locked panic bar door from inside, they simply push the bar to unlock it and exit. 

In some cases, you may require—or local codes and building requirements may instruct—one or more of your doors to remain unlocked during business hours, often for egress doors that also serve as entry points. 

Most panic push bars can simply be unlocked by pushing the bar in, inserting the dogging key or hex key (i.e., hexagonal key) into a hole in the bar, and turning it to keep the door latch in the open position. This will allow the door to function much like a push/pull door. Note: Mechanical dogging is only available on standard panic hardware. It isn’t permitted on fire-rated doors.

How to Lock Push Bar Doors

To re-lock a push bar door, determine whether you need to secure the exterior handle or release the interior hold-open mechanism:

• Locking the Exterior Entry: If the outside lever is unlocked, insert the physical key into the exterior cylinder and turn it to lock the handle.

• Releasing the Hold-Open (Dogging): If the push bar is held in the depressed position for daytime push/pull use, insert the appropriate hex key or dogging key into the bar, turn it to release the mechanism, and allow the bar to spring fully back out so the latch engages the frame strike.

It’s a good idea to test the door from the outside to make sure it remains shut when trying to relock a push bar door. Keep in mind that the steps can vary by model, so make sure to check your hardware manual for any specific steps. 

Let GoKeyless Help You Outfit Your Egress Doors with Reliable Panic Hardware

At GoKeyless, we understand how important it is to equip your building with the right security and safety hardware, and we’re here to help you navigate the options available.

We offer a range of panic hardware, including simplepanic bars like thePDG American Eagle 4200,alarmed rim exit devices like theDetex ECL-230D, and electrified exit devices like thePrecision Electric Exit Device that work with a range of exterior locks and access control systems.

No matter your business needs, we have security solutions that prioritize the safety and well-being of your customers, employees, and tenants. For more information,contact our security experts to discuss your business safety and security needs!