Exit devices and panic hardware

The push bar on an exit door has one job: let everyone out fast. Here is how to choose, fit and maintain one.

Where they are required

Florida's fire and building codes require panic hardware on many exit doors, especially in places of assembly, schools and some health care spaces. Your fire inspector or a door hardware specialist can confirm what applies to your occupancy.

A locksmith installs a black panic exit bar on a metal commercial door with a drill — A properly fitted exit device latches every time and releases with light pressure.

Type	Where it fits
Rim	Single doors. Latches at a strike on the frame. Simple and tough.
Mortise	Single doors with a mortise lock pocket. Clean look, strong latch.
Vertical rod	Double doors, latching at top and bottom.
Alarmed	Rear and side exits that should not be used day to day.

Common problems

Door will not latch: usually closer speed, a sagging door or a worn strike, not the bar.
Chained or padlocked exits: a serious code violation. An alarmed exit device solves the real problem.
Propped open all day: a hold-open tied to the fire alarm or a door position alarm.

Questions people ask

Can we lock the exit door from the outside?

Yes. Exit devices can have a key or lever outside while still releasing from inside.

What is dogging?

Holding the latch retracted during business hours so the door works as a push-pull door. It should be undone at closing.

Planning a security upgrade?

Key-En-Lock surveys your doors, explains the options in plain terms and quotes the work.

Request help Call (321) 224-5625