You’ve probably pushed through one of these doors hundreds of times without thinking about it. The horizontal bar across the middle of a commercial door, the one you press with your hip or forearm when your hands are full. That’s a panic bar, also called a panic device, crash bar, or exit device.

They’re everywhere once you start noticing them: the back exit of a restaurant, the stairwell doors in an office building, the emergency exit at a movie theater.

And they’re not just a convenience. In most commercial buildings, they’re required by fire code.

Here’s what they actually do, why they exist, and what Colorado Springs property owners need to know about them.

What Is a Panic Bar, and Does Your Building Need One?

The One Job a Panic Bar Does (and Does Well)

A panic bar solves a specific problem: people under stress push. They don’t pull, they don’t twist knobs, and they don’t stop to look for a handle. In a fire or emergency, a crowd of people moving toward a door will push against it. If that door requires any action other than pushing to open, people get hurt.

Panic bars work with that instinct. Push the bar from the inside, the latch retracts, the door opens. No keys, no turning, no reading a sign. The mechanism is designed to release with as little as 15 pounds of force.

That simplicity is the whole point.

Why They’re Required in Commercial Buildings

Colorado follows the International Fire Code, which under Chapter 10 (Means of Egress) requires that doors serving assembly, educational, high-occupancy, and certain commercial spaces allow unobstructed egress without requiring special knowledge or effort to operate.

Panic hardware is the standard way to meet that requirement on outswinging exit doors. The general rule: if a space is used by the public, has an occupant load over a certain threshold (typically 50 people for assembly spaces), or falls under specific occupancy classifications, panic hardware is required on exit doors.

Practically speaking, that covers:

• Restaurants, bars, and event venues, Office buildings and retail stores with significant foot traffic, Schools, churches, and community centers, Any space with a designated fire exit

If you’re a business owner and you’re not sure whether your doors are up to code, the safest move is to have them inspected. Failing a fire inspection because of door hardware is one of the more avoidable problems a property owner can face.

The Different Types of Panic Bars

Not all panic bars are the same, and the differences matter depending on how your door is used.

Rim Exit Devices mount on the surface of the door and engage a strike on the door frame. These are the most common type you’ll see on standard commercial exit doors. They’re relatively straightforward to install and work well on most single-door applications.

Mortise Exit Devices use a mortise lock body built into the door itself, which makes them more secure and more durable under heavy use. They’re typically found on high-traffic doors where the hardware takes a beating daily.

Vertical Rod Devices operate rods that extend up and down from the bar to engage strikes at the top and bottom of the door frame rather than on the side. These are the right choice for double doors or doors where a standard side-mounted strike won’t work.

Concealed Vertical Rod Devices do the same thing but hide the rods inside the door, which gives a cleaner appearance. You’ll see these in offices or commercial spaces where aesthetics matter alongside function.

Fire Exit Hardware is a specific category. A standard panic device and fire exit hardware are not the same thing. Fire exit hardware is rated for fire door assemblies and is tested to function after exposure to fire conditions. If your exit door is part of a fire-rated assembly, it requires hardware that carries the appropriate rating.

Entry from the Outside: What Panic Bars Don’t Do

Here’s a common misunderstanding. A panic bar controls exit, not entry. From the outside, the door is typically locked. If the business needs controlled access from both sides, that requires additional hardware: a key cylinder, a keypad, a card reader, or some combination.

Getting this wrong is a real problem. A building owner installs panic hardware for egress compliance, then discovers there’s no way to re-enter from the parking lot without propping the door open. Don’t prop the door open. That defeats both the security and the fire code intent of the hardware.

The right solution is an exit device with an outside trim option that matches your access control setup. ApexAccess Security can spec the combination that works for your space.

Maintenance: The Part Most Buildings Neglect

Panic hardware is mechanical equipment. Rods get misaligned. Latches wear down. Springs lose tension. A device that worked fine three years ago may not fully retract today, which means the door appears closed but isn’t latching, or it’s latching but not releasing cleanly under pressure.

Fire code requires that exit hardware be kept in working order. A device that’s stuck, stiff, or misaligned is a liability and a code violation. The time to find out your emergency exit doesn’t open smoothly is not during an emergency.

Annual inspection of exit hardware is standard practice for any commercial property. If your building hasn’t had one recently, that’s worth scheduling.

What ApexAccess Does

ApexAccess Security serves commercial and residential customers across Colorado Springs. For panic hardware specifically, that means:

• Evaluating which exit devices are required for your occupancy type, Supplying and installing rim, mortise, and vertical rod devices from commercial-grade manufacturers, Retrofitting outside trim and access control hardware to paired entry doors, Inspecting and servicing existing panic hardware that isn’t operating correctly

If you’re opening a new commercial space, renovating, or you’ve never had your exit hardware professionally checked, reach out for an assessment.

ApexAccess Security
(719) 203-1374
apexaccesssecurity.com