Choosing the Right Lock Functions for School Security
School security has always been a top-of-mind concern, but recent events have highlighted how essential door locks and hardware are to ensuring the safety of students, teachers, and staff at K-12 schools and universities. Unfortunately, there is no "one size fits all" hardware for every school or even every opening within a school. Each lock function has its own set of benefits and capabilities. Choosing the best hardware solution to protect classroom and perimeter doors comes down to understanding the differences in lock type and functionality.
Classroom Lock Functions
In hardware speak, the way a lock "behaves" or how a door is operated by a user is called the lock's function. Most lock functions have been standardized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to make them easier to understand and compare. All manufacturer's door hardware, including bored and mortise locks, offer at least some of these standardized functions. In addition, hardware manufacturers produce "custom" functions that are built on ANSI standard functions and provide different features for specific applications.
Popular lock functions used on classroom entries are:
- Storeroom
- Classroom
- Classroom Security
- Corridor/Dormitory
- Entry/Office
Each of these functions is available with bored and mortise locks, and each has different features and capabilities. Choosing the right lock type and function for your classroom will depend on the features desired or required by your school system.