Doors open and close, and almost never do they fail to do that unless there’s something physically preventing it from happening. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case with around 2,400 fire locks that have been recalled in the US. This is because due to faulty firmware, it prevented the doors from opening.This is especially dangerous because during a fire, people would naturally head to the fire exits. If the fire exits are locked and fail to open due to software failure, it would be like a horror movie waiting to happen.
These locks are made by a company called dormakaba and were installed by contractors across the US between October 2019 to March 2021. Thankfully, there haven’t been any reported injuries as a result of the doors failing to open, but obviously this needs to be addressed ASAP.
These types of locks, known as delayed egress locks, are typically used for fire exits. They don’t open unless pressed for a specific period of time. According to the CPSC, “Delayed egress locks are typically used on perimeter exit doors and internal fire doors to discourage or delay unauthorized exit while providing a safe means of escape during a fire or other catastrophic emergency.”
Filed in . Read more about Safety and Security. Source: gizmodo