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or had the calm to handle a door knob [...] we mandated [...] push-to-open emergency latches Tangent, is that about focus & presence of mind or the knob gettin
by ip26 8y ago
or had the calm to handle a door knob [...] we mandated [...] push-to-open emergency latches
Tangent, is that about focus & presence of mind or the knob getting hot? Much easier to push open a hot latch with your clothed shoulder than to turn a red-hot knob.
- crooked-v 8y agoProbably both. Safety is important, but people will also literally forget how to use clearly-labeled doors in emergency situations.
- lolc 8y agoIf that knob is red-hot you are either dead or you don't want to go to the other side. It takes time for a knob to heat to scalding temperature. If you haven't opened it until that time you are already dead.
- kd5bjo 8y agoThere were a few incidents where people were crushed to death by a panicked crowd trying to flee burning buildings. With that much force behind you, there’s no way to open an inward door. It’ll also generate a lot of friction between the bolt and strike plate, making a traditional doorknob hard to open. The new-style emergency exit door is designed to act like a pressure release valve— if a person is pressed up against the inside with life threatening force, the door opens automatically and lets the fleeing crowd out.