Escape HardwareCape Town
An exit door has to open instantly for the people inside and stay shut to everybody outside. We advise on and install escape hardware that does both, across Cape Town.
Escape hardware
Out in seconds, without a key, without thinking about it.
In an emergency, people have to get out fast. That is harder than it sounds when there is smoke, noise and a crowd. Escape hardware exists so that anybody can find the release on an exit door and get through it without instructions, a key or a spare hand.
It has a second job at the same time: keeping unauthorised people out of the building the rest of the year. Hardware that only does one of those two things is the wrong hardware.
In South Africa, buildings holding 25 or more people are usually required to have hinged, outward-opening doors as fire escapes and emergency exits. In those buildings the doors must open under sheer bodyweight — no hands, just leaning against them — which means proper emergency escape hardware. In smaller buildings with under 25 people and no special fire hazard, a latch lock with a normal handle or thumb-turn may be enough, provided it is genuinely easy to operate.
Emergency doors must open easily from the inside, be self-closing, and open without a special tool or key. The exit door should open in the direction of the escape path. Running fire drills is worth it: people need to have done it once before the day it matters.
Call 073 444 3773
What regulations do not allow
These are the ones that catch buildings out at inspection, and they are all common. If any of them describe your exit doors, call.
- A lock needing a key from insideNo escape door may require a key to open it from the inside. That includes keys kept in glass-fronted boxes beside the door.
- A deadlocked escape doorNo escape door should ever be deadlocked. It is the most common shortcut and the most dangerous one.
- Anything needing a special tool or skillIf a device takes knowledge, a tool or two working hands to release, it does not belong on an exit door.
- A door that opens the wrong wayThe exit should open in the direction of the escape path, and it should close itself behind people.
What happens when you call
The building and its occupancy decide what the law asks of you. That is the first thing to establish, before anybody quotes on hardware.
- 01Tell us about the building
What it is used for, roughly how many people occupy it, and how many exit doors there are.
- 02We assess the doors
Which doors are escape routes, which way they swing, and what is currently fitted to them.
- 03We recommend the devices
Our staff are trained to advise which escape device suits which scenario, rather than fitting the same bar everywhere.
- 04It is installed and demonstrated
Fitted, tested, and shown to whoever runs the building, so your next fire drill goes the way it should.
Trained to advise, not just to fit
AAA Locksmiths has served the Cape Peninsula since 1999, for individuals, businesses, banks and several European consulates. Our staff are fully trained and equipped to recommend and install escape hardware and to advise which devices suit which scenarios.
- PSIRA-registered security service provider
- Members of the Locksmith Association of South Africa
- Certified and registered BBBEE company
- Manufacturer warranty on the hardware we install
- Branches in Cape Town, Somerset West, Bellville and Claremont
Where we help
We work right across the Cape Town metro, out of the branch nearest to you. Pick your area to see who answers.
Cape Town CBD
The City Bowl, the Foreshore and the harbour, out through Woodstock and Observatory. Office blocks, flats and parking garages, at any hour of the night.
Common questions
If you are preparing for an inspection, call and describe the building.
Does my building legally need escape hardware?
Buildings holding 25 or more people are usually required to have hinged, outward-opening emergency exit doors fitted with proper escape hardware. Smaller buildings with no special fire hazard may manage with a latch lock and an easy handle or thumb-turn.
What does "opens under bodyweight" mean?
In larger buildings the exit door must open without hands — somebody leaning against it in a crowd should be enough to release it. That is what a panic bar or push bar is for.
Can I lock the fire exit to stop people using it as a shortcut?
Not with anything requiring a key from the inside, and never with a deadlock. If people are misusing an exit, the answer is an alarmed device rather than a lock, and we can advise on that.
Is a key in a glass box acceptable?
No. Keys housed in glass-fronted boxes are not an acceptable arrangement for an escape door. The door has to open without a key at all.
How do I keep the building secure with an unlocked exit?
Escape hardware is designed to release from the inside only. From outside there is no handle and no easy entry, so the door stays secure while remaining instantly openable from within.
Tell us about the building and its exits
What it is used for, roughly how many people, and how many exit doors.