Overview
Escape doors are life-safety devices, not standard doors placed on an exit route. They open outward in the direction of escape, use only hinged construction (sliding doors are not permitted on escape routes), and lead directly to a public space or an approved place of safety. Operation has to be immediate: no keys, tools or specialist knowledge, under emergency conditions, from anyone who reaches the door.
Applications
- Commercial buildings — designated escape routes from offices, retail and public areas
- Industrial facilities — escape routes from production and warehouse floors
- Public buildings — high-occupancy venues requiring rapid evacuation capability
- High-occupancy environments — venues where panic hardware is appropriate to crowd conditions
- Controlled-occupancy areas — spaces where emergency (rather than panic) hardware is appropriate
Performance
Escape doors are built to open reliably under emergency conditions, at ground level on the escape route, without requiring force, tools or prior knowledge of the mechanism.
Available configurations
- Panic escape doors — fitted with a horizontal panic bar across the width of the door, built for rapid exit from high-occupancy environments.
- Emergency escape doors — operated by push pad or lever handle, typically opening outward, suited to controlled-occupancy areas.
Hardware
- Horizontal panic bars (panic escape doors)
- Push pads
- Lever handles
Certifications and compliance
Escape doors are tested and certified to meet the means-of-escape requirements of the National Building Regulations, applied in South Africa through SANS 10400-T, alongside SABS and SANS industrial safety regulations. Test reports are held on file and not published online, because they contain proprietary construction detail. Certification evidence can be reviewed or supplied on request for a specified project — contact Alpha through the enquiry form or by phone.
Related solutions
- Fire-rated door systems — escape doors as part of a fire compartmentation strategy
- Commercial door systems — escape provision within commercial buildings