A panic bar (also called panic hardware, an exit device or a crash bar) lets people open an exit door by pushing a bar across the door, without a key or any special knowledge. Whether a particular door in your building needs one is decided by Ontario's building and fire rules together with the way your building is used. This guide explains which rules apply, what decides the answer for your door, and the practical steps to take before changing exit hardware. If you already know you need hardware installed or repaired, see our panic bar installation and repair service.

Have a door that is sticking or will not latch? Call (613) 707-4884 and we can arrange a visit.

Which Ontario Rules Apply to Exit Hardware

Two provincial regulations matter for exit doors in an Ottawa business:

  • The Building Code (O. Reg. 163/24 under the Building Code Act, 1992) sets the requirements for exits, exit doors and their hardware when a building is constructed, altered or changes use. The Province publishes the current Building Code Compendium, and a free digital version is available through Publications Ontario.
  • The Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07 under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997) applies to existing buildings. Fire services stress that a means of egress must be maintained in good repair and kept free of obstructions — and that includes the doors people use to get out.

In practice, the Building Code decides what hardware an exit door should have, and the Fire Code expects that hardware to keep working every day the building is occupied.

What Decides Whether Your Door Needs a Panic Bar

There is no single rule that says "every commercial door needs a panic bar." The answer depends on details of your building, including:

  • How the building is used. The Building Code groups buildings by use and occupancy — for example, assembly spaces, offices, shops and industrial premises — and exit hardware requirements differ between them.
  • How many people the space is designed for. The occupant load of a room or floor affects how its exits must work.
  • Whether the door is part of the exit route. A door that serves as a required exit, or sits along the path people use to leave, is treated differently from a storage-room or office door.
  • The door itself. Fire-rated doors, doors in fire separations and doors with electric locks or access control all affect what hardware can be used.

Because these factors interact, the requirement for a specific door should be confirmed with your building designer, the City of Ottawa's Building Code Services or your fire safety advisor. A locksmith can install and maintain the hardware, but cannot certify that a building complies with the Code.

Common Exit Door Problems to Avoid

Most exit door issues we see in Ottawa businesses are not about choosing the wrong panic bar — they are about what has been added to the door later:

  • Extra deadbolts, slide bolts, chains or padlocks on an exit door that make it hard to open quickly from the inside.
  • Panic bars that stick, need several pushes or no longer latch properly, so the door either won't open easily or won't stay secure.
  • Stock, carts or garbage stored in front of exit doors or in exit corridors.
  • Drilling or replacing hardware on a fire-rated door with parts that are not suitable for that door, which can compromise its rating.
  • Electric strikes or magnetic locks added for security without checking how the door releases for people leaving.

If you need better security on a rear exit, there are ways to add it — such as exit devices with alarms, monitored access control or better-reinforced doors and frames — but they should be chosen with the exit requirements in mind. Our access control service page explains some of the options.

Before You Install or Replace a Panic Bar

1. Confirm what the door needs

For a new building, a renovation or a change of use, the exit hardware should be shown in the approved drawings. For an existing door, ask your designer, property manager or Building Code Services whether the door is a required exit and what type of hardware it needs.

2. Check whether a permit is involved

The City of Ottawa requires a building permit for the construction of a new building, an addition or an alteration. Replacing worn hardware with a matching device is different from changing how an exit works — if you are unsure, contact the City through 3-1-1 before work starts.

3. Choose the right type of device

Panic bars come in several styles — surface (rim) devices, vertical rod devices for double doors, and mortise devices — and in versions for fire-rated doors, alarmed exits and electrified access control. The door's size, frame, rating and how it is used all affect which one fits.

4. Keep it maintained

Test exit doors regularly. A panic bar should release smoothly with one push, the door should close and latch on its own, and nothing should be blocking it on either side.

How Best K Locksmith Can Help

We install, repair and adjust panic bars and exit devices for Ottawa offices, stores, restaurants, warehouses, schools and places of worship. We can replace a failing device, fix doors that drag or fail to latch, remove unsuitable add-on locks and work with your designer or property manager when a door needs a specific type of hardware. For broader security work, see our commercial locksmith services.

For a site visit or quote, call (613) 707-4884.

Official Sources

This article is general information, not legal advice. For the current wording of the rules, see Ontario's Building Code and O. Reg. 163/24 (Building Code), the Ontario Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07), and the City of Ottawa's building permit guidance.