"While inward-opening doors are generally safe for most residential homes, these may pose dangers when used in commercial buildings and business establishments.
Inward-opening doors have always been linked to high death rates in several fire accidents worldwide. With a design that only opens inward, this door cannot be opened unless if a person pulls it, something which may not be possible in the event of fire where people are already panicking, thus commonly resulting to stampede.
Federal Safety Standards for Commercial Buildings
Because inward-opening doors are virtually useless in the event of stampede, the federal and state governments are requiring all business establishments and commercial buildings to use doors which swing on both sides.
This safety standard has been introduced after the Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire accident in November 1942 which killed 492 people and injured hundredsmaking this one of the worst single-building fire accidents in the US history.
Meanwhile, most state building regulations also require commercial establishments to install side-to-side swinging exit doors. In some buildings which receive a huge number of visitors (like nightclubs, movie theaters, etc.), this type of door should also be used in the main entrance as several studies suggested that people, in the event of stampede, are more likely to use the main door where they have entered than the fire exit doors.
Aside from swinging doors, sliding doors are also generally considered safe in most business establishments as these will allow more people to enter or exitsomething which is important in the event of fire accidents and stampede.
Technological Breakthrough for Doors
Some inward-opening doors used in commercial establishments have a special feature that allows people to push it outward to open. This feature, which is called as breakaway, allows the door to swing outward if a person pushes this at its closed position.
Aside from this new improvement, several manufacturers offer doors which are fire-resistant, a design especially important for business establishments.
Door Failure and Defective Latch
There are reported cases in which people died or sustained injuries after failing to get out from a building or house on fire due to a defective door latch.
However, most cases of defective latch can be easily fixed by tightening all the screws on the latch and strike plate.
Meanwhile, such defect is not only common in buildings and homes. In 2004, Ford Motor Corp. has been charged with product-related lawsuit over its defective latch which may inadvertently open the door even in low-impact collision.
This type of defect was found to be more dangerous in the event of rollover crashes as these usually resulted to complete ejection of car passengers.
Due to this controversy, Fords doors have been called as suicide doors by some of its critics."
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