Is Your Building ADA Compliant?
The accessibility standards of the ADA serve to make buildings safer and more accessible for all occupants. Failure to comply can lead to lawsuits and fines. The requirements of the ADA are rather extensive, and you may consider consulting an expert on accessibility when building or moving into a new structure or building.
Let’s Talk Door Closers
A door closer is a mechanical device that closes a door after someone opens it. Door closers are required for fire-rated doors, which need to remain closed, to help prevent the spread of fire and smoke. Door closers have internal springs & hydraulic oil with cylinders and valves that adjust the speed of the door closing and latching. Practically every door in modern commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings is operated by a person passing through and closed by a mechanical door closer which keeps the door closed and under control at all times. For ADA Compliance, door closers have to be adjusted so that from an open position of 90 degrees, the time required to move the door to a position of 12 degrees from the latch is 5 seconds minimum. Meaning, in lay terms, that the door cannot close too quickly
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Accessible Doors
Under most recent Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifications, when opening a lock on an accessible route door, it must be able to be operated by applying a maximum of five pounds of force. These regulations also require that any lock hardware does not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist to operate. There are a number of specifications and exceptions for accessible route doors; just like with egress door exit devices. In order to ensure that your locks are up to regulation, and assure you won’t be facing liability in the future, it is wise to an exit device expert.
Automatic Door Openers
While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) doesn't require an automatic operator in order for a door to be considered accessible, using automatic doors is a great way to ensure accessibility for a wide range of people. Wave to open door operators offer effortless operation for access control, door automation, alerts, and handicap accessibility. These door openers offer ADA Compliance in addition to reducing the spread of germs, its a win-win!
Contact us anytime to find out how we can help you and your business meet the ADA compliancy standards. Make your business easier to access, as well as limiting the germs. We have solutions available for all businesses, so let us help.