Safety in public and work environments should go hand in hand with technological innovation, but unfortunately this is not always the case. Assoferma has therefore prepared the "Objective Safety" guide on the correct installation, maintenance and use of devices along escape routes.
There are two types of emergency exits related to the type of situation that can arise in public places: panic exits and emergency exits. In both cases, it is vital to find adequate escape routes from danger and, above all, that they function at the right time.
- Panic exits are all those escape routes in places where panic situations can occur and which are frequented by large numbers of people who are unfamiliar with the use of exit routes and the devices installed on them (for example cinemas)
- Emergency exits are those escape routes habitually used by people trained in the use of the exits and the devices installed on them (e.g. offices in a company) where the competent authorities consider that dangerous situations can be controlled and therefore panic does not arise
The devices installed on the two types of exits are regulated by two product standards, harmonised in accordance with Directive 89/106/EEC on construction products, which in fact make CE marking of these products compulsory from 1 April 2003.
EN 1125 establishes the requirements that the anti-panic device must have in order to guarantee a safe and effective escape route, through a door that can be opened by simply pushing it, with minimal effort and without prior knowledge of the device installed on it. The intended use is for doors installed on panic exits which open in the direction of escape.
EN 179 specifies the requirements that the emergency device must have in order to guarantee a safe and effective escape route, through a door whose opening takes place with a single operation, although this may require prior knowledge of the device installed on it. The intended use is for doors installed on emergency exits.
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