One way to keep healthcare facilities both safe and efficient is with delayed egresses. Delayed egress doors are door locking systems designed to prevent a door from opening immediately when someone tries to exit. They serve many purposes, but their primary function is to protect people. They are usually seen in schools and senior care facilities in order to prevent children and residents from wandering out the door. Designing an environment where there is only one way in and one way out of a building helps staff ensure that everyone is accounted for at all times. For example, imagine a nursing home resident attempts to exit a facility through a delayed egress door, bypassing the staff. In that case, the door will not open for a set amount of time, usually 15 or 30 seconds. This gives nurses and caretakers time to redirect an individual back to the appropriate area and prevent an accidental exit altogether.

An emergency, or delayed egress, door with instructional safety signage on the door and to the right of the door

But what happens during an emergency? Under these conditions, delayed egress doors allow uninhibited movement through exit passageways to the final exit of a building. Residents and guests can quickly move through these doors, which would have an otherwise delayed opening. Delayed egress doors are equipped with electronics that release the locking mechanisms once the fire detection system or sprinkler system have been activated. Likewise, if there is no emergency, the doors are generally not for use by anyone other than authorized personnel.

What are the Signage Requirements?

A delayed egress door in a healthcare facility, with appropriate signage mounted on the door

Like most other means of egress features, delayed egress doors are covered under your jurisdiction’s fire code. If your jurisdiction has adopted the ICC I-Codes, you’ll find the specifications for delayed egress door signage under section 1010.2.13.1(6) of the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC). Or, depending on how your facility is legally categorized, you’ll look to Section 7.2.1.6.1(4) of the NFPA Life Safety Code for delayed egress signage specifications. However, even though the ICC and NFPA are different organizations (both are not adopted in every jurisdiction), the essential rules are the same. Whether your inspector references the IFC or the NFPA 101, three components are necessary, whatever the circumstance.

  1. The sign text must meet the visual specifications of the ICC A117.1 (and ultimately the ADA), which means the minimum character height is 5/8 of an inch, among other visual elements.
  2. The text must express the direction of the door swing, if pushed or pulled open.
  3. The time delay stated on the sign must correspond with the delay set on the electronic system. Typically, this can be 15 seconds or 30 seconds. In addition to these guidelines, the sign should be placed above and within 12 inches of the door hardware.  And if your facility is located in the state of California, California requires both the visual sign on the egress door and another tactile sign on the latch side of that door.

All of these codes may seem a tad confusing, especially if your medical facility is only recently installing delayed egresses. For that reason, HealthcareSigns.com is here to help explain all of the intricacies of ensuring that your egress, as well as the delayed egress signage installed near it, are up to regulation standards. Contact our Customer Service team to get started with what you need in a delayed egress, and we’ll be sure to make your healthcare facility safer for everyone there.