Security versus Life Safety

                The key factor is that for most installations, a person must be able to exit a space with no special knowledge. This means that anyone should be able to walk up to the door and exit with “No Special Knowledge.” This includes people of other languages, nationalities, and cultures. It is unacceptable to have a special lock that requires manipulation of some switch that is marked in a language everyone does not understand.

          There is a common violation to this rule. It is common to see magnetic locks operated by a nearby red push button. Strictly speaking, this does not comply with NFPA 101.

The second applicable document is the International Building Code (IBC; formerly known as the Universal Building Code, UBC). In other countries a set of model building codes is used, which are often very similar to the IBC. Again, like the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code these are standards, not law. In all countries, local authorities are recommended to reference the relevant standards as a mandatory reference to follow when designing buildings.

          In the United States, the primary international Life Safety Standard is the Life Safety Code, published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and is known as NFPA 101. NFPA 101 is revised every three years. Despite its title, the document is a standard and not legal code. Its statutory authority is derived from local Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), typically the local Fire Department. The language of the NFPA 101 is crafted in a form that makes it suitable for mandatory application and is adopted into law by local authorities.

If there is a decision to be made between Security and Life Safety, it is simple. Life Safety wins, each time, every time. No matter how the argument is constructed, no matter how extenuating the circumstances, there has to be a provision for occupants to escape quickly in an emergency — freely and with no special knowledge of how to exit.

          Remember, in most cases the door with an electrified lock in an access control system is also monitored for intrusion. Any time the door opens it is because of a legal entry, a legal exit, or intrusion. Accordingly access controlled doors are almost always equipped with a door position switch, which monitors whether the door is opened or closed.

          The switch does not know if the door is opened for a legal entry, legal exit, or for an intrusion. It just reports that the door is open. So the Access Control Panel must make a decision as to whether the door opening is appropriate or a concern to be reported as an alarm. It does this when a valid credential is read (card, key code, biometric) and reported to the Access Control Panel. After this, the panel executes several actions including.

                The key factor is that for most installations, a person must be able to exit a space with no special knowledge. This means that anyone should be able to walk up to the door and exit with “No Special Knowledge.” This includes people of other languages, nationalities, and cultures. It is unacceptable to have a special lock that requires manipulation of some switch that is marked in a language everyone does not understand.

          There is a common violation to this rule. It is common to see magnetic locks operated by a nearby red push button. Strictly speaking, this does not comply with NFPA 101.