When it comes to commercial buildings, safety needs to always be top of mind. Evacuation plans are a big part of how a building operates, especially in larger, higher-traffic places. If there’s a fire, earthquake, or other incident that requires evacuation, your building needs a clear path outside. Pedestrian doors play a big part in creating an evacuation plan that keeps everyone safe and ensures they can all get outside when necessary.

In this blog, we’ll go over the details of the role pedestrian doors play in your building’s evacuation plan.

What Are Pedestrian Doors?

Pedestrian doors are any doors that are used by pedestrians to enter or exit a building. This can include fire escapes, staff entrances, and customer entrances. Typically, pedestrian doors are made from heavy-duty metal for security and safety but can also be manufactured from impact-resistant glass. You can choose either a manually operated door or an automatic slide or swing door, depending on your needs.

Pedestrian Doors Create Safer Escape Routes

In the event of a fire or other safety incident, it’s important that a building’s occupants are able to evacuate quickly and safely. Pedestrian fire doors are made from high-quality, fire-resistant materials that allow them to withstand intense heat for a period of time.

These doors are placed strategically within a building to create compartmentalized areas that can help contain the fire to a smaller area while the occupants leave safely. Without fire doors, fire and smoke can spread into the hallways, blocking escape routes and putting lives at risk.

Being able to contain the spread of the fire also buys precious time for the fire department to arrive. Fires can spread fast in the right conditions. The time you gain from having good fire doors may end up making the difference between the fire being put out with minimal damage and your entire building going up in flames.

Compliance with Local Building Safety Codes

Pedestrian doors are more than just recommended—they’re often required by local building codes and regulations. Meeting those building safety codes requires quality fire doors and emergency exit hardware to ensure the safety of all occupants during an incident. Any pedestrian doors that are installed along a designated escape route must be equipped with a manual swing option and crash bar to ensure that everyone can safely evacuate when needed.

If you do not have functional, up-to-date pedestrian fire doors that are properly maintained, you may face fines, legal consequences, or even the closure of your business. To ensure your pedestrian door operates as intended, you should have it installed and tested by trained and experienced technicians.

Ensure Your Doors Are Up-to-date and Functional

Regular inspections from a trustworthy company can make sure your pedestrian doors are still functional. Over time with usage, your doors may start wearing out, which leaves them less effective in the event of an emergency. They may not be as effective at stopping the fire from spreading, or you might find that they’re harder to open due to rust. It may also leave you vulnerable to break-ins and weather damage.

Your doors should be properly installed. Improper installation can cause extra wear and tear, leading to more malfunctions. The door experts at Creative Door Services™ can oblige, providing top-quality and reliable installation services for pedestrian doors and all the emergency exit hardware you require. The hardware includes:

• Opening mechanisms – automatic doors have sensors and electronic parts that require proper installation and specialized tools. Meanwhile, the lever handle needs to also be installed properly so it can handle frequent heavy use.
• Safety features – closers must be installed correctly to prevent the heavy door from crashing shut and hurting people. Automatic doors need sensors that prevent them from closing if something is in the way.
• Trim – the door’s trim is an important part of keeping your building clean and comfortable. A trim prevents water, insects, and other debris from getting in.
• Emergency exit hardware – Hardware, such as crash bars, is also essential for emergency situations, ensuring people can exit the building safely and swiftly. These bars allow the door to open outward as people crash into it when trying to evacuate during an emergency.

Planned Maintenance

The Creative Door Services™ team offers planned maintenance on fire doors and pedestrian doors to help you minimize downtime, reduce repair costs, and improve the safety and security of your site. Planned maintenance is important for catching potential problems while they’re still small and easily repaired.

Planned maintenance for pedestrian doors includes:

• Cleaning the exterior of the door to prevent rust
• Examining the frame for warping, ensuring its level and square
• Checking that the weatherstripping isn’t loose, brittle, cracked, torn, or deformed
• Inspecting the strike plate for loose screws and to ensure it’s aligned properly
• Lubricating the hinges and locks to make sure they continue to move smoothly and quietly
• Inspecting the door operator, push plates, sensors, transmitters, receivers, and access control systems on any automatic doors

Regular planned maintenance is important for commercial spaces. It decreases downtime by resolving issues before they result in complete failure and can increase the lifespan of your doors. You’ll improve the safety of your site which can also improve the morale of your occupants.

Creative Door Services Provides Maintenance and Installation for Pedestrian Fire Doors

Creative Door Services™ offers installation and planned maintenance programs for commercial pedestrian doors and fire doors throughout the Western Canada region. We can also provide fire doors, emergency exit hardware replacement and upgrades, and access control solutions. Hiring our experienced technicians means you’re getting quality work and quality products. We have been providing high-quality pedestrian doors for commercial buildings for more than 55 years.

To learn more about our garage door products or request a quote, contact us today. We’re happy to serve you from one of our eight locations. You can find us in Kelowna, British Columbia; Vancouver, British Columbia; Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; Fort McMurray, Alberta; Regina, Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and Winnipeg, Manitoba.