On June 16, 1883, inside the Victoria Hall in Sunderland, almost 200 children died due to an unfortunate incident. It was later identified that the incident was partly due to a door that wouldn’t swing open enough to allow them to exit simultaneously. This prompted Robert Alexander Briggs to invent the bolt which has been applied and used in all public and commercial buildings in the UK. At present, panic bolts have become important components of an effective emergency plan implemented in commercial and public buildings.

A safety bolt or a panic bolt is a device installed on doors that can be released by pressure. These are commonly used for emergency exit doors, especially in buildings that could house large crowds such as theatres, stadiums, and the like. Nevertheless, these are also used in smaller business establishments and other public buildings as mandated by The Order. Panic bolts are quite useful because they allow for a safe and swift escape of the occupants of a building in cases of fires or other emergencies.

Panic bolts come in different forms, the most common of which is the single panic bolt. This system consists of an upper rod on top of the door frame and a lower rod near the floor. In such a device, an auto-release mechanism holds the two rods in the open position when the bar is pushed. In accordance with the law, using this type of panic bolt must be accompanied by accompanying signs indicating proper usage. For example, the door where the bolt is installed must have a green “Push Bar to Open” sign on the inside and a white and blue “Fire Escape Keep Clear” sign on the outside.

Another popular type is the Redlam panic bolt, which contains a ceramic tube. As soon as this ceramic tube is smashed, the bolt will automatically slide back, quickly releasing the door lock and facilitating easy exit. More importantly, the ceramic tube used in this type of bolt is weak enough to be broken in case of an emergency, but strong enough to prevent burglars from entering the premises from the outside. Among the types of panic bolts, this is the easiest and safest way to ensure that a fire or emergency exit door will operate properly and be safe against intruders, making it ideal for schools. Another feature of the Redlam panic bolt is that you can buy replacement ceramic panic bolt tubes should you use up the bolts through regular fire drills.  

Apart from this type of panic bolt, others such as the so-called panic latch also helps secure a fire exit or emergency door using only a single spring bolt on the edge of the door. Due to its simplicity, it is often used in smaller areas. In addition, panic bolts also come in many other forms such as the push pad set, as well as an integrated system for double doors.

Sometimes, even the best preventive measures cannot control emergencies and the panic that could ensue because of these, with panic bolts properly installed on emergency exit doors, safe exit can be performed, thereby preventing further accidents or tragedies.