The Importance of Having Panic Bars on Your Commercial Property

One of the best safety devices ever invented for exit doorways is the panic bar. They enable any type of building to be evacuated in a hurry whenever there is an emergency situation. That makes them vital for any business to have. Safety is not the only benefit you get from having panic bar devices installed at your business. In this article, we will discuss all of the benefits you get by having panic bars installed and some reasons why no business should ever be without them.

What exactly is a panic bar?

For those who do not know what a panic bar is, you have probably come across them several times in your life without realizing it. Doors to commercial properties that have them usually have no handles on the side of the door that faces the outside. That’s because these doors sole purpose is to function as an emergency exit. You usually see them on such public buildings as schools, hospitals, theaters, shopping malls, and industrial buildings.

The panic bars for these emergency exits are on the inside facing portion of the door. You will see a bar running vertically across the middle of the door itself. In the event a building needs to be evacuated in a hurry; someone simply applies a little bit of pressure to the panic bar and the door will quickly be unlocked and able to open. Panic bars allow a building to have many more emergency evacuation points without compromising that building’s security.

Valid Reasons to Have Panic Bars Installed at Your Commercial Property

Here are some of the important reasons as to why you should have panic bars installed on all of the emergency exits at your business:

Safety

We have already mentioned safety as the main reason for installing panic bars on your business’s emergency exits. This is not only a good idea but it can also help prevent injury or death in the event that your commercial property ever needs to be evacuated in a timely manner. For any sizable company, there is no way all the employees can quickly get out of the building through regular entrance doors in the event of an emergency evacuation. By having panic device enabled emergency exits it greatly increases any buildings emergency exit options.

They offer excellent security too

Panic bar doors not only offer great emergency building exit assistance but they also are a very safe and secure type of exterior door lock too. That’s because usually they can only be locked and unlocked from the inside of the building. There are no exposed keyholes or other key entry points that can be used to break into the building. Would be thieves very seldom try to gain access to a commercial building by going through their doors equipped with panic bars.

Avoid paying fines

In many states, panic bar installation is not only a good idea but it’s required by code. Local fire companies are the ones that usually inspect commercial buildings for compliance with local fire codes. If commercial buildings are required by code in your area to have panic devices installed on emergency exits and you don’t have them, it can result in your company being fined. These fines can end up being substantial in some instances.

Reduced Insurance premiums

Insurance companies all tend to like the fact that the businesses’ they insure have panic bars installed on emergency exits. How much are they in favor of this? The answer is they like it so much that they will even give discounts to companies that have panic devices installed on emergency doors. It’s a great way to improve building safety and save a little money on insurance premiums at the same time.

Panic bars help alleviate liability

One should shudder to think what the liability costs would be for any business that has an injury or fatality related to not having panic devices installed on their commercial property. Lawsuit losses could easily climb higher than what a business’s worth is if they are found to be liable because that commercial property could not be properly evacuated in a timely manner.

Peace of mind

When you add all of the above up it does one thing for you. It gives you peace of mind that you are operating a business that takes steps to make sure it’s as safe and secure as possible. That’s always one of the best reasons for any business to be super-proactive when it comes to the safety of employees and others.

No Business Should Ever Be Without Panic Devices on Their Emergency Exits

Here’s why there is no good reason not to install panic bars on your emergency exit doors if you own a business or commercial property

There is a variety to choose from
These are not a high-cost item
They are easy to maintain

Many locksmith services such as South Milwaukee Locksmith out of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin will even inspect your panic bars on a yearly basis at no charge. They will do this as part of a free, no-obligation commercial lock evaluation. It’s a great lock maintenance service to take advantage of if you own a business or commercial property.

The Best Way to get Panic Bars Installed at Your Business

How do you get panic bars installed on your business’s emergency exits if you don’t already have them there? The best way is to call a reputable local locksmith and have them come and do it for you. Most locksmith services are experts at installing and maintaining both panic bars and alarmed emergency exit doors.

So definitely go with a locksmith professional when getting new panic bars installed. Not only do these professionals know these safety products well but they will also be the ones that repair and maintain them for you in the future. So, establish a working relationship with a locksmith early in the panic bar selection process in order to get the best panic bar installation and maintenance results.