Build a release matrix for every electrically locked egress door

Source facts: the locking application determines the evidence

UL Solutions’ guidance on controlled and delayed egress locking devices explains that lock hardware is one part of an access or egress control system. The article describes model-code considerations that can include integration with fire detection or suppression, behavior on loss of power, fail-safe or fail-secure functions, emergency planning and drills, delayed-release limitations, signage, and resistance to unauthorized entry.

The source also distinguishes certification categories. Depending on the application, an opening may contain components evaluated under UL 294 for access control or special locking arrangements, UL 1034 for burglary-resistant electric locking mechanisms, UL 305 for panic hardware, UL 10C for fire-door assemblies, or other categories. A mark on one device does not establish that every component, interconnection, installation detail, and operating state of the finished opening is correct.

Adopted codes, occupancy, door function, listed equipment instructions, approved plans, and decisions of the authority having jurisdiction determine what is permitted for a particular opening. This article is operational guidance, not a code interpretation or legal conclusion. Do not copy another site’s release logic or assume every electrically locked door should react identically.

DSE recommendation: commission from an approved state matrix

Create one record per opening before programming. Identify the door, room and egress direction; occupancy and approved locking arrangement as provided by the design professional; lock and latch type; door and frame rating where applicable; reader; request-to-exit devices; position and latch monitoring; power supply; fire/life-safety interface; emergency release; controller; network dependencies; and approved restoration method.

Across the top of the matrix, list every relevant input or condition. Down the side, state the expected lock, latch, alarm, monitoring, annunciation, and access-control event behavior. At minimum, consider:

normal authorized entry, denied entry, and ordinary mechanical egress;

request-to-exit sensing or hardware, door-held and door-forced conditions;

loss and restoration of branch power, lock power, controller power, and communications;

approved fire-alarm, suppression, emergency-control, or building-system inputs;

manual emergency release and any approved delayed or controlled-egress sequence;

controller restart, schedule change, lockdown or other authorized security mode; and

faulted contacts, broken conductors, stuck relays, and other supervised conditions supported by the design.

Coordinate testing with the owner, monitoring parties, fire/life-safety provider, design professional, and authority when required. Place affected systems in the approved test state, protect occupants, prevent an unintended dispatch, and never defeat an egress or safety function merely to complete a convenient test.

Inspect before energizing. Match product identifiers, certification information, approved drawings, wiring, power, door hardware, labels, signage, and manufacturer instructions.

Test the physical opening. Verify alignment, latching, closing, egress-side operation, door swing, and required clearances under normal conditions before attributing a mechanical problem to software.

Trigger one condition at a time. Observe the actual lock and latch, the person’s ability to use the approved egress method, local indications, access events, fire/life-safety status, and remote monitoring.

Test combined and restoration states. Exercise the approved sequence when two material conditions overlap, then prove that restoration does not relock, suppress an alarm, or clear an event prematurely.

Record discrepancies by opening. Capture expected versus actual behavior, time, witness, evidence, corrective owner, retest, and approval. A global “doors tested” checkbox is not adequate.

Keep the approved matrix with the as-built record and controlled operating instructions. Revalidate after lock, power-supply, controller, reader, request-to-exit, fire-interface, schedule, firmware, or door-hardware changes. Also test after unexplained unlocks, failed releases, door work, or emergency-plan changes. The objective is a door that preserves the approved balance of entry control, egress, fire/life-safety operation, and auditable restoration in every state the site depends on.

Official references

UL Solutions, Proper Application of UL Standards for Controlled or Delayed Egress Locking Devices—UL 294 & 1034, March 5, 2021.

NFPA, free online access to NFPA 101, Life Safety Code; use the adopted edition and project-specific approval.