Every single day, millions of people, worldwide, enter, use, and exit public buildings. We work, shop, study and play in commercial buildings. Most people take for granted that public buildings are deigned for their safety, and that elements like doors are going to perform properly and as expected every single time. If we had to stop and think about how the door might work every time we entered a public building, it would put a real strain on how we do business and go about daily life. Fortunately, it’s organizations like the ISO that help make all of this easier, by providing peace of mind for consumers and users of everyday products, like commercial door hardware.
The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) was formed in 1947. It is a network made up of the national standards institutes of 157 different countries around the world. It works with scientists, manufacturers, and other industry experts to create product standards that “meet both the requirements of business and the broader needs of society.” The ISO serves to ensure that international standards for products and technology are developed, encouraged, and adhered to by whole industries, including product manufacturers. International Standards “provide a reference framework, or a common technological language, between suppliers and their customers.”
1) Products will perform in the same manner no matter what part of the world they come from. Pertaining to commercial door hardware, such as exit devices, the devices will perform safely and in the expected and acceptable manner just as it if were made in the United States.
2) Technology is shared. ISO member countries work in partnership with one another. They share information and technology.
Commercial property owners and entrepreneurs have a lot to think about when setting up a store. Planning the building, office, store or warehouse design is typically left up to contractors while the owner concentrates more urgent business matters, like inventory and staffing.
But neglecting to get involved in the design process may lead to unexpected and potentially detrimental issues, such as inadvertently lead to excluding patrons with disabilities. It may ultimately result in a lawsuit. Choosing ADA compliant commercial door hardware is the responsibility of all parties involved in the building process, including both the contractor and the business or property owner. The United States Department of Justice enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.)
The Act became law in 1990, designed to protect Americans with disabilities from discrimination, by providing them with equal opportunity to jobs, shopping and everything else encountered in everyday. The ADA requires commercial property owners to design their buildings, offices, store space, etc. such that they are fully accessible to people with disabilities. The word “disabilities” has a broad definition, but for the purposes of commercial building designs, it speaks of Americans with limited mobility.
Commercial door hardware can be expected to perform to the standards set out by the ISO. These standards apply to the United States, as well as the other 156 member countries around the world. Within the United States, commercial door hardware also meet the requirements of the ADA.