Door hardware and egress in depth: exit devices, release methods and delayed egress
Beyond strikes and maglocks: electrified locksets and exit devices, latch retraction and positive latching on fire doors, stair re-entry, and the four ways codes allow egress doors to be electrically locked or delayed (sensor release, door hardware release, delayed egress and controlled egress), at the level published summaries describe them. Builds on lv-access-control; the code edition adopted locally and the AHJ decide.
- Level
- Advanced
- Length
- About 60 minutes
- Contents
- 3 lessons · 1 video · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 3 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Distinguish electrified trim from electric latch retraction and explain what each does on a fire-rated door
- Explain why free egress is separate from fail-safe or fail-secure and give the free egress test
- Compare sensor release, door hardware release, delayed egress and controlled egress at the level the cited summaries state
- Check a door hardware schedule for entries that conflict with fire door rules and query them
- Decide which egress and fire door questions belong to the designer, fire alarm contractor and AHJ
Course outline
- 1.Door hardware and egress in depthVideo · 2 min
- 2.Electrified hardware beyond strikes and maglocksLesson · 20 min
- 3.Electrically locked and delayed egressLesson · 22 min
- 4.Working from the door scheduleLesson · 16 min
- 5.Door hardware and egress in depth: exit devices, release methods and delayed egress: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 17 questions
- 6.Final exam9 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- iDigHardware: Decoded, electrified hardware refresher (free egress; fail-safe trim for stair re-entry; electric strikes on fire doors fail-secure; positive latching on fire alarm; check local amendments)
- iDigHardware: Decoded, access-controlled egress doors (NFPA 101 2018 / IBC 2015-2018 summaries: sensor release and door hardware release of electrically locked egress doors)
- iDigHardware: Decoded, delayed egress and controlled egress locking systems (model codes allow a 15-second delay; release on fire alarm, sprinkler and power loss; controlled egress in some healthcare units)
- NFPA 101: Life Safety Code (means of egress; check the edition your jurisdiction adopted)
- NFPA 80: Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives
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