At School Safety Solution, we're proud of the reputation we've been able to earn over the years as a leading provider of lockdown shades, classroom and business door locks and similar security products. We understand that the safety of your students and/or colleagues is of the utmost importance and by offering access to some of the highest quality products available on the market, we hope to show that we feel the exact same way.
An emergency can happen at any given time anywhere in the world. With the news warning schools and businesses to increase their safety, security systems and hardware, you may begin assessing what systems and procedures you currently have in place. Perhaps you noticed that your only protected doors are the front entrance and back door, but nothing else. Are you wanting to effectively improve or upgrade your office or school’s safety and security hardware, but don’t know where to start? Below, we discuss tips that help you narrow your search for the right door barricade hardware.
How Do You Barricade a Door in an Emergency?
Barricading a door in the event of an emergency will require a product like the TeacherLock. This item in particular is designed for schools, college campuses and other educational institutions that may not have their own upgraded security system. It's easy to install, it can bolt within seconds using an activator, and it is also accessible by emergency personnel from outside the door itself.
Also available is the Safebolt Barricade Lock. With one simple button press, a door can be barricaded and people can be evacuated from a dangerous situation. It is code compliant, it's easy to install, and it is the type of product that you can rely on - exactly as it should be.
Note that there are other types of safety products available but when it comes specifically to the act of barricading a door in the event of an emergency, both solutions will serve you well.
Keep Intruders Out of Your Workplace
One example of this type of product in action takes the form of the Hideaway Helper. This innovative safety shade is designed to quickly cover a door's windows in the event of an emergency situation. It includes a plethora of helpful features including rugged blackout fabric, a weighted hem-bar and lightning fast deployment. It is even flame retardant to help offer additional protection in the event that it isn't necessarily an intruder in your workplace that you're worried about.
The Hideaway Helper, like many of the other products sold by School Safety Solution, is also customizable and available in a wide range of different sizes and configurations.
Comply with Codes and Standards
Though you want to ensure that door barricades prevent unwanted intruders from breaking into a classroom or office buildings, be sure to search for hardware that complies with federal codes and standards set by fire marshals. Below are two regulations to be aware of and follow when searching for barricade hardware.
Free Egress: Allowing Occupants and First Responders to Enter and Exit Without Obstruction
Door barricade hardware, though effective in preventing a potential intruder form entering, need to allow an easy way for people inside the room to exit when necessary. For example, one important factor with federal regulations is that emergency personnel must be able to access a room with some sort of unlocking device from the outside. In a school, there is always the risk of a student locking himself or herself in a classroom. Because of this possibility, there needs to be a way in which the faculty can regain entry for the safety of the student. Or if a lockdown is in progress and a first responder is looking to access a room, the most effective and code compliant barricades will have a feature that allows them to intervene.
Fire Protection: Deter the Spread of Smoke and Flames
Simply put, you need to search for door barricade hardware that does not compromise a door’s fire protection capabilities. In fact, finding a door barricade that protects from both intruders and fires proves to be a more effective hardware solution. When browsing for door barricade hardware, look at the materials used to manufacture the product and see if they help deter the spread of smoke and flames. Additionally, be sure that the materials used to make the product do not melt or warp under extreme heat so that first responders can still access the room without additional troubles.
Effectiveness in User-Friendly Features
One of the most important aspects of door barricade hardware regards the easy-to-use elements. In the event of an emergency, a teacher or employee only has seconds to effectively engage the door barricade hardware. If the levers are heavy or otherwise hard to move, the hardware limits who is qualified to enact it. The functions of a door barricade need to be available for everyone, including individuals with disabilities. Therefore, it is essential to find hardware that offers simple and highly effective features that can successfully barricade a door with the push of a button or a quick turn of a lock.
Emergency Door Barricade Hardware Keeps Your School and Business Safe
Schools and businesses are often the most thought of place for a door barricade to be applicable. However, medical facilities, nursing homes, non-profit organizations, and places of worship also need effective security systems in place. After discussing the top two tips designed to help narrow your search, we explore two products that comply with safety standards set by fire marshals and effectively protect your facilities without limiting user-friendly features.
TeacherLock
For schools and college campuses without an upgraded security system, you can easily find products that adhere to most district budgets and effectively protect students. When considering school safety solutions, the TeacherLock is a school safety product designed for quick use and effective strength. Easy-to-install, cost-effective, and reliable, the TeacherLock is a good example of a barricade designed to prevent intruders from entering. Concerned parents will no longer wonder how they can get school safety products in their child’s school.
TeacherLock features include:
- Compliance with International Building Code, ADA, and NFPA Life Safety guidelines
- Cost-effectiveness, perfect for a range of school budgets
- Easy installation on any door
- Bullyproof: only individuals with a small activator can trigger the lock. This activator gives control to a specific individual, the teacher. Some alternative door locks can be accessed by anyone, moving control from the teacher alone to the students.
- Fast deployment: the lock bolts within seconds, utilizing an activator. Because the teacher does not have to bend over or kneel, deployment is efficient, effective, and ergonomic.
- Accessible by emergency personnel from the outside
Safebolt
The Safebolt Barricade Lock which activates with the press of a button, is designed for simplicity, speed, and effective safety. With such a simple activation method, teachers can deploy the lock instantaneously, then focus on sheltering or evacuating students. Like the TeacherLock, Safebolt is code compliant, east-to-install, and reliable.
Safebolt features include:
- Compliance with all life safety and ADA codes
- Easy deployment: no lock or activator required; pressing the red button deploys the bolt in under one second
- Easy installation: the Safebolt lock mounts directly over existing locksets for accurate installation.
- Staff and first responders have keyed access from the outside via standard or high security rim cylinder, depending on preference. Inside the classroom, one simple turn of the door handles retracts the bolt and latch.
- A 1-inch locking bolt, made of heavy stainless-steel
- Once the bolt is activated, a high visibility deployment indicator ensures that occupants know the door is bolted
Why is Workplace Safety Important?
As a business owner or school administrator, prioritizing workplace safety is important first and foremost because it's the right thing to do. Nobody should have to come into an environment and be in a constant state of fear that something terrible might happen.
But more than that, when people know they are safe, they are more likely to give their all in terms of productivity. The quality of work from employees rises, as does a student's ability to learn. Both of these are critical for an organization's success and are a big part of the reason why workplace safety is so essential for us all.
A Solution for Safety and Security
Regardless of what facility you need security and safety improvements for, you can always find or make a solution. At School Safety Solution, our mission is to empower you with the right materials that provide efficient protection in emergencies. In addition to emergency door barricades, we provide hardware and security systems. This includes lockdown shades, classroom door locks, and other safety products for schools, non-profit organizations, office buildings, and medical facilities. If you are interested in pursuing our door barricade hardware and additional security systems, request a quote or get in touch today at (888) 733-0406. We look forward to walking beside your school, business, or facility in safety.