In recent years, concerns about school safety have intensified, prompting educators and administrators to seek effective ways to protect students and staff from a variety of threats. From active shooters to fires, natural disasters, bullying and violence, and other emergencies, schools face complex challenges that require thoughtful, multi-layered security strategies.
Several states require schools to conduct drills to practice lockdowns, evacuations and shelter-in-place, but the question remains: Are your school’s security solutions actively helping or hindering these safety procedures?
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School safety has never been more scrutinized, and the push to do more often leads schools to layer on new solutions without fully understanding their implications. Classroom locks play a critical role in a layered approach to school security, but the effectiveness of any solution hinges on comprehensive staff training and strong administrator buy-in.
Classroom indicator locks provide valuable peace of mind in classrooms, but sometimes schools may feel like they need to do more to protect students and staff. This can result in the adoption of solutions or policies that don’t always address the school’s safety needs, or create new safety issues, including the use of non-code compliant classroom barricade devices.
Educating schools on the importance of code compliance, innovative technologies and effective policy models can help prevent dangerous entrapment risks and work toward creating safer, more secure spaces for students and staff alike.
What Are Classroom Indicator Locks and How Do They Improve Safety?
Classroom indicator locks are a strategic element in enhancing school safety. Indicators may appear on the locks themselves, and show clearly in words, pictures, colors or a combination of the three, the locked or unlocked status of the exterior side of the door, from the inside. This allows teachers and students to quickly and easily verify whether a door is locked without turning the handle or even being near the door.
This visual confirmation improves situational awareness and provides valuable peace of mind, especially during emergencies when every second counts. Best practices also emphasize that locking the classroom should be simple to operate from inside the classroom, enabling staff to secure the door swiftly without needing to step into the hallway, which helps maintain safety and control in critical moments.
If upgrading every classroom lock isn’t in the budget, retrofitting existing locks with indication trim may be possible.
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Classrooms are not the only space where visual indicators are effective. Assembly areas, cafeterias, gyms and other large mixed-use spaces that typically require panic hardware can benefit from visual indicators to show whether a door’s exterior side is locked or dogged (the interior always allows free egress). In these spaces, it may be more difficult to see at a distance whether a door is locked or dogged. Indicators with large windows and bright colors or lights may be especially beneficial.
While indicator locks offer important benefits, their effectiveness depends on proper use within a comprehensive safety strategy. When used correctly, they can help reduce confusion and maintain order during lockdowns or other emergency situations.
However, indicator locks alone do not provide a complete security solution. To maximize their potential, leading practices suggest integrating them into broader safety plans that include thorough staff training and clear, well-communicated protocols. This approach ensures that all personnel understand how to operate the locks effectively and reinforces consistent safety practices throughout the school.
Why is Building, Fire, and Life Safety Code Compliance Essential?
Building, fire and life safety codes outline which locking and security devices are appropriate for use in schools. These codes are designed to help ensure that doors can be securely locked while still allowing safe and rapid egress during emergencies, such as fires or other necessary evacuation situations. Compliance with these codes is essential not only to protect students and staff but also to meet accessibility standards, including those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
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This standard outlines that all occupants, regardless of ability, must be able to operate locks easily, safely and efficiently. To help maintain a safe environment and reduce liability, schools can conduct regular inspections and adhere to guidelines set forth by local, state and national regulations governing school security hardware.
Schools sometimes choose to adopt solutions like door blockers or barricade devices that violate these safety codes. While these devices may seem like effective ways to protect classrooms, they can create potentially dangerous situations by restricting emergency exits or trapping occupants inside. Such non-code compliant devices pose serious life-threatening risks and can hinder emergency responders’ ability to access classrooms quickly.
Additionally, these unintended consequences may increase the liability of the school and/or district. For these reasons, schools should avoid these unsafe measures and focus instead on code-compliant locking solutions. When used properly and maintained regularly, evidence shows classroom door locks provide sufficient security. Additional devices are not needed.
Simply stated, it’s important for schools and their communities to remember that building, fire and life safety codes are more than just another set of regulatory guidelines. They drive value by promoting leading practices and proven measures of protection. They’re constantly evolving to meet the safety challenges and needs of today. Adhering to them can be the difference between lives saved and lives lost in critical situations.
What Are the Dangers of Non-Compliant Barricade Devices?
When evaluating and adopting new security devices, schools sometimes consider using door blockers or barricade devices that violate the ADA, NFPA 101 – Life Safety Code, International Building Code (IBC), or other building or life safety codes designed to help occupants evacuate in emergencies or dangerous situations.
As stated previously, these devices come with the risk of entrapment and abuse. In some cases, an occupant may abuse these barricades to trap people inside a classroom, either by intruders, staff members wanting to inflict harm or students. Students may use barricade devices to commit student-on-student or student-on-teacher violence and bullying. With no way to enter from the outside, a bully or assailant may have a greater opportunity to carry out abuse or violence with less chance of disruption than if someone with a key — like staff or first responder — could enter the room to stop it.
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Beyond the immediate danger to occupants, the use of non-code compliant locking solutions exposes schools to potential legal risks.
“Premises liability differs from state to state but all property owners have a duty to keep their premises safe for anyone legally allowed to be there. In doing so, owners must exercise ‘reasonable care,’ a standard which varies depending on the circumstances,” according to “School Liability and the Law of Unintended Consequences”. “A higher degree of care is required when dealing with young children, for example, than when dealing with adults. This is especially true for schools, which have special responsibilities as custodians of their students.”
Schools have a duty of care to maintain a safe environment, which includes ensuring that all hardware and facilities meet applicable safety requirements. Failure to meet such requirements can result in various levels of legal exposure. However, just because a device or solution is compliant in other types of buildings or approved by a state does not mean it is equally appropriate or safe for the needs of a particular school building. It’s important to note that premises liability varies by state, and schools should refer to their local or state’s guidelines and laws, as well as the adopted building codes and fire codes, for more information.
How Do Training and Protocols Bolster a School Safety Strategy?
Products and solutions alone aren’t a complete safety and security strategy. Effective education and clear protocols are a core part of maintaining school security. Comprehensive training educates staff and students in how to properly operate classroom locks and other approved devices, with an additional emphasis on emergency procedures. Early involvement of school administrators helps build buy-in and reinforces consistent policy enforcement, with regular drills and refresher sessions to help staff remain prepared and confident during emergencies.
Effective safety and security protocols must also be inclusive, so that all students and staff, regardless of physical, sensory or cognitive abilities, can respond effectively during emergencies. This includes designing and implementing procedures that accommodate individuals with disabilities or special needs, such as visual or hearing impairments, mobility challenges or other conditions that may affect their ability to evacuate or respond quickly.
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For example, providing accessible alarm systems, visual cues or assistive technology can help ensure everyone is aware of emergencies and can participate in evacuation or lockdown procedures safely. Training staff to recognize and support these needs is equally important, fostering a culture of inclusivity that prioritizes the safety of every individual.
This collaboration among administrators, teachers, maintenance staff and local safety officials works toward a more unified approach to security. Ongoing education keeps staff informed about new technologies and evolving safety standards, enabling schools to adapt and improve their measures over time. The common goal is a culture of safety, helping ensure that everyone understands their roles and responds effectively to protect students and staff.
5 Key Takeaways for School Safety and Security
- Classroom locks are an essential part of a layered security strategy that includes comprehensive staff training and strong administrator buy-in to be effective. Evidence has not shown that additional security devices are needed.
- Classroom indicators improve situational awareness by showing the outside door locking status, allowing quick verification without needing to approach the door, which can be critical during emergencies.
- Non-code compliant door blocking or barricade devices pose serious safety hazards by restricting emergency egress and access for responders, creating a potential environment for abuse, violence and bullying.
- Compliance with building, fire, and accessibility codes, including the ADA and NFPA, is vital to help ensure locks provide security while allowing safe and efficient evacuation for all occupants.
- Ongoing education, inclusive protocols accommodating individuals with disabilities, and collaboration among administrators, staff, and safety officials foster a culture of safety and preparedness throughout the school community.
Promoting school safety is a complex, multi-layered effort that extends beyond installing locks or security devices. It requires ongoing support, education, clear protocols and a unified approach among administrators, teachers, maintenance staff and safety officials. By prioritizing code-compliant solutions that meet the needs of a school and investing in thorough training and policy enforcement, schools can work toward reducing safety risks, liabilities and the potential for unintended consequences.
Ultimately, a well-informed, coordinated strategy not only enhances security but also fosters a culture of preparedness and trust, creating a safer environment where students and staff can thrive.
By Ken Cook is the Director of National Education Safety and Advocacy for Allegion U.S.
Note: The views expressed by guest bloggers and contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, Campus Safety.
