There is a good chance that you have used a panic bar but didn’t realize that’s what it was. They are found in hospitals, schools, shopping malls, office buildings and other areas where large amounts of people are found. A panic bar is an exit door that, with the press of the bar, opens out.  Sometimes you may hear of a panic bar referred to as a crash bar. They help protect people from being stuck inside of a place where there is a dangerous situation. They have saved countless of lives. Before panic bars were created, many lives were tragically lost because people were trapped. The door has a spring-loaded bar on it that runs horizontally. It is installed on the inside of the door. With a slight push on the bar, the lock will unlatch and open. With this type of motion, it is easy quickly move out of the building without people being trampled on.

The reason that they are usually installed in large buildings is because there are more people to move in and out. If you think about the number of people that visit malls and hospitals, you could imagine how much trouble it could be trying to move people out while people are panicking. Whenever people feel trapped, this is usually when they begin to run for the exit door, all at once. If they don’t see an easy way out, they tend to panic even more. When there are a lot of people running for the door at the same time and there are also crowds of people standing outside trying to get in to make sure they get their loved one out of harm’s way, it could end tragically. With a panic bar the crowds are able to move in just one direction, thus helping to prevent the terrible lose of life.

Panic bars came on the scene in the 1800’s after 180 children died because they were unable to safely get out of a building. Another tragic incident occurred in the early 1900’s when a Chicago fire killed 600 people in a theater. The sheer number of people who lost their lives made it more important to come up wit something that would help move people out of a dangerous situation quickly.

Other than being able to quickly move people in and out of the building in a timely manner, here are some additional reasons for having a panic bar installed:

Affordability – In Naperville, IL, we come across many people who do not realize just how affordable a panic door is. For just $100 dollars, you can have a panic door installed by our locksmiths. The most expensive panic bar will only cost you around $300. If you need more than one panic bar installed for your commercial business, you may even be able to get a deal.  Make sure you inquire to see if this is possible.

Several Options – There are several choices that you have to choose from when you need a panic bar. There are some that have alarms. The alarm will sound when someone who is not supposed to be coming in, attempts to enter. There are cross panic bars and vertical panic bars. They are also offered at different price points and in different sizes. It’s important that you have the right type installed in order for it to work efficiently.

Safety – The main objective of a panic bar is for the safety of others. They aid in effectively evacuating people from a building. Having them installed on the inside means that no one from outside will be able to come inside. This is important to keeping anyone from the outside who has intentions of coming inside to cause harm to others, out. If you want to be sure that your panic bar works when it should and like it should, make sure that you only rely on the services of a professional locksmith with the needed experience.