Security and Safety: The Latest in Door Hardware for K-12 and Higher Education

11/18/2024

Securing educational facilities is at the forefront of many facilities managers’ minds because they house vulnerable and virtually defenseless youth. In addition, with hybrid learning models taking hold in higher education, universities are looking for ways to make their facilities more flexible for their students’ needs. Door hardware is shifting towards changing and evolving on both fronts. 

Facility Maintenance Decisions spoke with door hardware manufacturers to better understand the current forces influencing trends in door hardware for educational facilities that maintenance and engineering managers need to be aware of. 

FMD: How have evolving security and safety needs for K-12 schools influenced door hardware products?   

“Post-pandemic cleanliness preferences emphasize the need for door locks that are easy to disinfect, and that can withstand cleaning-mediated corrosion. Touch-less entry mechanisms (through technologies like RFID chips in ID cards and door hardware that can validate identity and actuate entry) can improve security by reducing the risk of unauthorized personnel entering a school, reducing the spread of infection and allowing disabled individuals an equally simple way to navigate entryways. These networked ID-verifying door hardware systems can also allow administrators to customize in-school accessibility -- where certain groups of users have access to some rooms at certain times, but not others.” 

— Anatoliy Kaverin, product manager, Vizilok 

“K-12 schools have distinct safety and security challenges that demand robust security but also need to be minimally intrusive where possible to maintain welcoming and comforting environments for young students and faculty alike. 

Although traditional secured entry solutions like revolving doors and turnstiles are typically associated with mainstream corporate/industrial and government applications, their use in K-12 schools can help better manage and control access throughout the day and provide a clear and present deterrent to bad actors. Although the installation of such security-intensive entrance solutions may be warranted in select K-12 schools that need this level of entrance security to help mitigate a high-frequency of incidents, most K-12 schools across the country do not warrant this level of protection yet need to be prepared for worse case scenarios. 

Whereas most schools today have implemented some form of electronic access control to effectively lock-down schools in the event of a potentially dangerous event or have procedures in place to ensure that school entrances are manually locked down, they are still often easily compromised by forced entry through glass doors. New bullet resistant glass coatings transform any glass door into a more robust and effective barrier from intruders. These coatings can be added to existing and new architectural revolving and swing doors with relative ease and low costs, adding an all but invisible and unobtrusive added layer of protection to K-12 school entrances. 

For more specialized access management applications at K-12 schools, security turnstiles provide an effective means of controlling entry to playing fields, auditoriums and gymnasiums where high-volume public access is expected for special events both during and after school hours. These solutions can help K-12 schools more effectively manage traffic flow into defined spaces to help maintain occupancy compliance and enhance overall security and safety without inhibiting fast and easy entry and egress.” 

— Amanda Powell, marketing manager, Boon Edam 

“K-12 environments have unique security and safety challenges requiring a delicate balance of robust preventive solutions, while maintaining open environments that are conducive to learning, and respect personal privacy.  

The addition of visual status indicators provides several distinct advantages that transcend the mechanical and aesthetic advantages of even the most modern door control solutions. The intrinsic simplicity of visual status indicators makes these lock and exit devices a truly user-friendly solution, employing large, color-coded windows users can effortlessly confirm whether a door is unlocked (green) or locked (red) at a single glance.  

As security and social challenges continue to arise at K-12 schools for example, the demand for heightened personal privacy and safety has never been more pronounced. In addition to adding another layer of safety and protection to classroom doors, locks with visual status indicators are ideal for use in single use bathrooms, offices, treatment and counseling rooms, and various other areas that warrant enhanced privacy measures.” 

— Mia Merrel, director of product management for mechanical and electromechanical hardware, ASSA ABLOY 

FMD: How has the shift to hybrid learning models in higher education facilities affected door hardware products? 

“Smaller in-person classroom sizes reduce the need for large, multi-user restrooms. Using single-user restrooms instead brings several benefits like reduced opportunities for student peer-pressure-motivated malfeasance, as well as better mental health by eliminating gender considerations (if restrooms are unisex) and promoting peace of mind when students may feel most vulnerable (while using the restroom). Door hardware-wise, this means standard privacy door locks are more in use over stall locks. Vacancy-indicator privacy locks are especially useful because they reduce the need for those outside the room to disturb those inside by attempting entry into an occupied room.” 

— Anatoliy Kaverin, product manager, Vizilok 

“The same security and safety imperatives that K-12 schools face also exist for conventional and hybrid learning models at higher education facilities. The need to protect students and staff is required 24/7, although higher ed campuses are typically larger in scale with numerous buildings to accommodate residence halls classrooms and various centers and labs, as well as larger areas like athletic stadiums, gymnasiums and quads. The magnitude and diversification of higher ed campuses make safety and security challenges more complex. 

To help mitigate these challenges, security entrances can be used. Once a security entrance is installed, it creates accurate audit trails of who has entered and exited a facility via integration with access control systems, eliminating error prone manual visitor management processes. Security entrances also provide accurate occupancy information to help maintain compliance, as well as the ability to identify “hotspots” that require additional security measures such as tailgating into cafeterias, laboratories or any areas that warrant controlled access.” 

— Amanda Powell, marketing manager, Boon Edam   

Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor for the facilities market.