Common question
How do fire and egress codes affect door hardware?
Fire-rated and egress openings carry hardware requirements set by code rather than by preference, and those requirements decide function before anyone considers finish. The governing documents are NFPA 80 and NFPA 101 from the National Fire Protection Association, the International Building Code from the International Code Council, and the ANSI/BHMA A156 series from the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association.
What code decides
Function before finish.
On a fire-rated opening the assembly has to stay an assembly. That constrains the hinges, the latching, the closing, and anything cut into the door or frame. On an egress opening the requirement is that a person can leave in one motion without special knowledge, which rules out a range of hardware that would otherwise be convenient.
Which edition of each document applies is set by the jurisdiction the project sits in, and adopted editions differ between states and municipalities. ASC writes to the edition the project’s authority having jurisdiction has adopted, and names it in the specification rather than leaving it implied.
Related questions
Which code edition applies to my project?
The one adopted by the authority having jurisdiction where the project is built. Adopted editions vary, so the specification names the edition rather than assuming it.
Does accessibility come into hardware selection?
Yes. Operable hardware requirements govern lever selection, operating force, and mounting height alongside the fire and egress requirements.
What happens when fire and security requirements conflict?
They get resolved at the opening, in writing, before anything is ordered. That resolution is part of what the specification records.
Build note, remove before publishing. This page names standards and issuing bodies but deliberately does not state edition years, because adopted editions vary by jurisdiction and a wrong year is worse than none. Your spec asks for an edition year on every compliance claim. If ASC works predominantly in one jurisdiction, tell me which editions it has adopted and they get named here.
Start here
Bring the openings to the desk.
Send the drawings, the schedule, or the question. ASC will tell you what the specification needs.