Do you want to know one of my favorite things?

(I’m going to tell you regardless, but keep reading! It’ll be fun!)

I love those blooper videos of people walking into doors; they never fail to make me laugh. And while yes, I’m copping to a chuckle at someone else’s misfortune, it’s okay (at least in my mind), because I’ve done the plate glass faceplant myself. (We have video proof here.)

While my incident didn’t involve a door equipped with delayed egress, I’ve seen countless other videos where people slam into a door they think is going to open right up—only to find themselves met with a buzzing alarm and a bruised forehead.

So yes,that is today’s topic: Delayed egress!

What is Delayed Egress?

Have you ever heard an alarm start to buzz as you try to exit a building, leading you to think that the alarms are now going off on every floor? And that the police will be arriving any minute? And that you’re going to have to explain this as one big misunderstanding?

And then the door opens after about 15 seconds of buzzing.

Well that, my friends, is delayed egress. It’s a locking feature that allows for the delayed opening of the door. Once the lock has been engaged, an alarm will sound continuously for a designated amount of time (typically 15 seconds) before it actually unlocks.

This feature is incredibly helpful if you have a lot of merchandise mysteriously disappearing through the back door. Obviously, thieves aren’t going to get very far if they have to wait 15 seconds, with a loud alarm blaring, before making a break for it.

Delayed Egress Rules

The rules and regulations for delayed egress are lengthy and depend on your exact location. It’s based on the jurisdiction in which your building is located, but there are a couple of overall rules that apply to anyone using delayed egress.

First, there must be a sign posted on the door that reads:

Push Until Alarm Sounds. Door May Be Opened in 15 (or 30) Seconds.

The sign has to be placed above and within 12 inches of the device.

Secondly, you have to have a fire system that is tied into the delayed egress hardware. That way, if there is a fire, the delay feature will no longer be intact, and the doors will open automatically.

Later this week we’ll get into implementation, and I’ll also provide into on hardware options. In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding delayed egress, let us know! We’ll be happy to help you out!