Panic Lock: What is a Panic Lock?

An anti-panic lock, also called a panic lock, is a type of lock designed for emergencies and is primarily used on escape doors. It can be opened by simply pressing a door handle or push bar and is intended for situations where speed is essential and/or people are too panicked, nervous, or agitated to use a key or even enter a code.

The purpose of an anti-panic lock is to enable a person to leave a building with a single action and without prior knowledge, completely without tools or loss of time, thereby preventing panic. This is why the term “anti-panic lock” is somewhat more accurate than the term “panic lock,” although the latter is also used and can likewise be explained: If someone is already in a state of panic, such a lock makes it much easier to escape the dangerous situation, because people in panic often have difficulty finding the correct key, turning it in the lock, or remembering the correct code.

Legally, anti-panic locks are referred to as “emergency exit devices,” and they are subject to the European standard DIN EN 179, which defines the requirements for their manufacture, usability, and testing.

How Does an Anti-Panic Lock Work?

A door is officially considered locked—particularly for insurance purposes—when both the latch and the deadbolt engage in the designated opening in the door frame. With a conventional lock, such as a cylinder lock or warded lock, pressing the door handle retracts the latch, but the deadbolt can only be retracted from the door frame back into the lock case by using a key.

With an anti-panic lock, however, both components—the latch and the deadbolt—are unlocked simply by pressing the door handle, and the door opens. This only works from the inside. From the outside, the door must be opened with a key like any other door.

Re-Locking an Anti-Panic Lock

Re-locking an anti-panic lock can be done in different ways. Some anti-panic locks require the deadbolt to be extended again using a key. On the other hand, there are also self-locking panic locks. These automatically lock themselves by spring tension as soon as the door closes.

The lock cylinder of an anti-panic lock must be a so-called double-cylinder with emergency function; otherwise, the lock cannot be opened if a key is inserted in the cylinder from the outside. This type of cylinder is also referred to as having an “emergency function.”

Where Anti-Panic Locks Are Used

Anti-panic locks are installed on emergency exits, escape route doors, and evacuation routes, and they must be present wherever large numbers of people gather. This includes schools, cinemas, event halls, hotels, factories, restaurants, and concert venues.

Locksmith Munich – Mario Pichelmaier Installs Anti-Panic Locks on Your Emergency Exits

Wherever large groups of people gather for public events, there must be an emergency exit equipped with an anti-panic lock. This is a legal requirement, and for good reason. Locksmith Munich – Mario Pichelmaier is a reliable, highly skilled, and professional locksmith service that will gladly handle the installation, maintenance, or repair of your emergency exit device.

Are you planning to open a restaurant and need someone to install a professional and secure anti-panic lock on your emergency exit? For our experienced locksmiths, that is no problem at all. They are also happy to service, replace, or repair the anti-panic locks in your cinema, hotel, or factory. It is, of course, of utmost importance that an emergency exit device functions flawlessly at all times and can always be opened without difficulty. It is hard to imagine the catastrophe that could occur if an emergency such as a terrorist attack or a fire were to happen and the emergency exit door could not be opened!

Your Experienced Locksmith in Munich and the Surrounding Area – Available 24/7 with a Fixed-Price Guarantee!

Locksmith Munich – Mario Pichelmaier is a family-run business based in Munich that handles all locksmith services, whether for private individuals, businesses, or public authorities. We open doors for people who have locked themselves out of their homes, install security technology in commercial buildings, reliably maintain anti-panic locks on emergency exits, and even accompany the police on operations to open doors when they have a search warrant but nobody answers.

We are on duty around the clock, 365 days a year, because we are an emergency locksmith service. For us, it is only natural never to abandon people in need. Of course, we can also arrange appointments, for example when creating a burglary protection concept. However, if someone is locked out, we do not make them wait—we set off immediately. In most cases, we arrive at our customers’ locations within about 30 minutes.

At Locksmith Munich – Mario Pichelmaier, you can always rely on fixed prices, because we guarantee them. We will tell you the price for the service you require while still on the phone, and it is not an estimate but a fixed price. The exact amount communicated will appear on the invoice—this is our promise, and we keep it.

Whether you need an anti-panic lock repaired or a door opened in the middle of the weekend, Locksmith Munich – Mario Pichelmaier is here for you! Contact us for any locksmith-related matter. We are available around the clock and ready to set off immediately!