EN179 and EN1125 Emergency Escape Regulations Explained Simply

EN179 and EN1125 are the two most popular Emergency Escape Regulations that apply to doors on an Emergency Exit Route out of a Public or Commercial Building. Emergency Escape Regulations are there to maximise the health and safety of all users in Public and Commercial buildings and these regulations are designed to save lives in the event of a real life emergency.

EN179 and EN1125 are Harmonised European Norms which means it is a mandatory legal requirement for any employer, business or organisation who operates a a commercial or public building to adhere, it is a serious offence for any organisation to open their facility to the public without adhering to these standards.

But what is EN179 and EN1125 and what is the difference between them ?

EN179 applies to Emergency Exit doors within a building where there is an occupancy of less than 50 users, all of whom are familiar with the layout of the building and the operation of the device. EN179 applies to doors on an Emergency Exit route indicated by the Green Running Man Sign but on doors where a panic situation is not foreseen. EN179 mandates that you must be able to unlock the door in one single action, the doors can be inward or outward opening. It is not acceptable for the solution to simply operate as outlined but the door hardware must also carry the Certificate of Conformance to the regulation and have undergone the certified independent test.

This short video will show what an EN179 Compliant solution operates like.

EN1125 applies to any Emergency Exit door in a building which is opened to the general public who are not familiar with the layout of the building, where an occupancy of greater than 50 people is expected and where the users are not familiar with the operation of the door. EN1125 applies to doors where a panic situation could be foreseen in the event of an emergency. For EN1125 the doors must be fitted with a Panic / Touch bar mechanism spanning atleast 66% the width of the door and the door must be outward opening. Again all door hardware must have the certificate of conformance and have undergone the certified independent test.

This short video will show what an EN1125 compliant solution will operate like.

As of June 1st 2022 it is now mandatory for all Access Control Installations in the Republic of Ireland to conform to EN179, EN1125 or EN13637 for Emergency Escape Compliance.

All of our Installations are carried out in full compliance with all Emergency Escape, Fire Containment, Building Regulations and are also installed to industry best practices under the Disabilities Act to ensure our solutions are user friendly for users of all abilities to operate.

Please note that the above details are not the legal definitions of EN179 and EN1125, these are simplified explanations to help people understand the key points outlined in these Regulations. The legal definitions of EN179 and EN1125 are available from the Door Hardware Federation upon request.

About us…

At MD Lock & key we are a family run business that specialises in providing the very best of electronic and mechanical locking systems along with other locksmith activities in a thoroughly professional manner.

Our unique approach in working closely with our client to develop and install a solution that meets their every requirement and is installed to the highest standards combined with our policy to deliver a quality of service that exceeds the needs of our clients.