Next to the training and preparedness of school teachers and staff, there’s one factor that’s incomparably important in keeping schools safe for attendees, and that’s proper school doors.

School administrators and contractors working on school buildings have come to see doors as one of the most important aspects in neutralizing school security threats, allowing for quick exiting of the building during fires and drills, and reducing the transmission of germs via surface materials and door contact points. Read these top three safety features before choosing doors for your school building project.

1. School Door Safety Mounting and Strength Features

Schools of all sorts can expect to undergo more wear and tear on their doors and walkways than most other buildings, as there’s an increased amount of foot traffic and people passing through between classes. That’s why it’s important to use commercial and industrial-grade mounting hardware and doors in all school buildings.

Many commercial doors offer top-mounted hinges that can withstand thousands of uses per month and are more easily maintained than traditional doorways. Check the expected lifetime, maintenance requirements, and strength metrics of any door you’re considering installing in a school building to ensure you won’t need to replace it any time soon. Top-mounted school doors can also protect against pinched fingers, vandalism, or intentional damage.

2. Automatic School Doors for Lowering the Spread of Germs

A newer trend in school doors is the increasing use of automatic doors. This can drastically reduce the transmission of germs that cause illness within your school, as no physical contact is needed to open or close the doors.

Consider installing automatic doors in any doorway that allows for it, such as main entrances and between connected buildings and hallways. Hospitals often use these doors for the same reason, and they can be purchased with additional security measures such as badge readers and backup open or close buttons if the sensors ever fail to work.

3. Door Locking Options for Maximum School Safety

It’s not only wise to purchase school doors with advanced two-way locking systems, in many areas it’s required by law or local building codes. Teachers need to be able to lock the door from the inside to protect students during emergencies, as well as being able to lock the door from the outside or hallway.

These types of locks do allow for persons inside the room to exit, while the doors are locked from the outside, but prevent others on the outside of the room from entering. Not only will these types of locks give your students and staff a sense of security, but they have also proven themselves useful in real-world situations in recent past years.

Choosing the right doors for your school building will increase the security of your students and staff, as well as keep your building up to code and compliant with regulations. Newer automatic doors and two-way locks can be vastly beneficial in increasing your school’s safety concerning emergencies, natural disasters, and reducing the transmission of illness-causing germs in your building.