Panic bars · fire exit hardware · Manchester
The one door in your building that must never be locked.
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- From £140 per door
- EN 1125 / EN 179
- Service £45-90
- Invoiced accounts
- £1m public liability
A fire exit has one job. In the worst ninety seconds of somebody's life, in smoke, in the dark, possibly being pushed from behind, it opens. No key, no code, no thinking, no reading a sign. Push, and out.
Everything else about that door is secondary to that, and it is the reason we will refuse some of the things people ask us for.
EN 1125 or EN 179: which one is your door?
Two standards, and fitting the wrong one is a genuine failure rather than a technicality.
EN 1125 — panic
Horizontal bar across the door. For places the public go, where people may not know the building and there may be a crowd. Works if you fall against it. Shops, venues, schools, anywhere with numbers.
EN 179 — emergency
Lever or pad. For staff-only areas where everyone knows the building and the exit. Offices, back rooms, plant rooms. Cheaper, and not acceptable where the public are.
The test is not the door. It is who is behind it. A panicking crowd cannot find a lever. They fall on a bar and it opens. That is the entire reason EN 1125 exists.
What we get called to
| Problem | What it means |
|---|---|
| Bar stiff, needs a real shove | Worn or dirty. Would fail in a real evacuation. |
| Padlocked or chained | Unlawful. Remove today. |
| Bar removed, key lock fitted | Unlawful. Someone did this to stop theft. |
| Wedged open with a bucket | Also wrong. Fire door has to close. |
| Door drags, won't latch | Alignment. The closer is fighting the frame. |
| Bar works, door won't shut | Closer failed. Fire door is now a hole. |
The chain conversation
We have this one regularly and it always starts the same way: "people were coming in through the fire door, so we put a chain on it."
We will take the chain off. We will not put it back. A chained fire exit is an offence under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it will fail any inspection, and if there is a fire it is the thing the investigation finds first.
The actual fix is an alarmed exit device: the bar still opens instantly from inside, and a local sounder goes off when it does. People stop using it as a shortcut within a week, because they get noticed. Nobody dies for it.
What it costs
| Job | Price |
|---|---|
| EN 179 lever / pad exit device, fitted | £140-220 |
| EN 1125 single panic bar, fitted | £180-300 |
| EN 1125 double door set | £320-550 |
| Alarmed exit device | £220-380 |
| Service and adjust existing bar | £45-90 |
| Outside access device (key from outside) | £60-120 |
| Removing a chain from a fire exit | free |
That last line is not a joke. Ring us and we will take it off and we will not charge you, because the alternative is worse for everybody.
Door closers · Access control · Commercial locksmith
Questions people actually ask
What's the difference between EN 1125 and EN 179?
EN 1125 is panic hardware: a horizontal bar across the door, for places the public go, where people may not know the building and there may be a crowd. It works if somebody simply falls against it, which is what happens in a real evacuation. EN 179 is emergency hardware: a lever or a pad, for staff-only areas where everyone knows the building and where the exit is. The test is not the door, it is who is behind it. A panicking crowd cannot find a lever, and that is the entire reason EN 1125 exists.
Can I put a chain or padlock on my fire exit to stop people coming in?
No, and we will not do it. A chained or padlocked fire exit is an offence under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it fails any inspection, and if there is ever a fire it is the first thing the investigation finds. The proper fix for people using your fire door as a shortcut is an alarmed exit device: the bar still opens instantly from inside, but a local sounder goes off when it does. People stop within about a week because they get noticed. That is £220 to £380.
How much does a panic bar cost in Manchester?
An EN 179 lever or pad exit device is £140 to £220 fitted. A single EN 1125 panic bar is £180 to £300. A double door set is £320 to £550. An alarmed exit device is £220 to £380, and an outside access device that lets you get back in with a key is £60 to £120 on top. Servicing and adjusting an existing bar is £45 to £90. Business accounts are invoiced and we work around your trading hours at no extra cost.
My panic bar is stiff and needs a real shove. Does that matter?
Yes, enormously, and it is the failure mode people ignore because the door does technically still open. In a real evacuation the person hitting that bar may be in smoke, may not be able to see, may be pushed from behind and may be a child or somebody frail. A bar that needs a determined adult shove is a bar that will not open in the situation it exists for. A service and adjustment is £45 to £90 and it is one of the cheapest things on this site.
Can I have a fire exit that also stops people getting in from outside?
Yes, and that is normal. A panic bar always opens from the inside, but the outside face can have no handle at all, which is the default, or an outside access device that lets you in with a key or a code. The rule is only ever about getting out: nothing on the outside may prevent the bar working from inside. So you can secure the door against entry as much as you like, provided the exit side is untouched.