Security Checklist for School Doors

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    School Door Security Checklist

    Tips for Keeping Children Safe

    Every school year brings a heightened awareness and focus on ensuring that classrooms and all areas of the school are properly secured.

    There are steps that can be taken immediately to help protect students, faculty and staff – many of which are relatively simple and affordable. There are many trusted organizations whose sole mission is to help schools create a safe and secure learning environment for students and teachers, such as:

    Here are some safety guidelines for schools to follow as it pertains to doors and door hardware:

    1.  Conduct an audit of all doors and look for the following:

    PERIMETER DOORS:

    –  Are they locked & secure?

    –  Are there objects being used to prop the doors open?

    –  Are all components functioning properly (door, frame, lock, closer)?

    CLASSROOM DOORS:

    –  Do the doors have locks that lock?

    –  Can they be locked from the inside, preferably without using a key?

    –  Are all components functioning properly (door, frame, lock, closer)?

    2.  Conduct weekly inspections of all doors to ensure proper function.

    –  Include exterior door inspections (ensuring doors are closed & locked)

    –  Performed at least 1x week while school is in session

    3.  Review and update access control policies and procedures such as:

    –  A policy in place ensuring exterior doors are closed & locked to visitors

    –  Visitors are only allowed to enter through primary entrances

    –  Staff is trained on visitor procedures including what ID is required

    –  Staff is aware of when and where visitors are allowed in the school

    –  A policy requiring classroom doors to be locked during instruction hours

    –  A diverse team should identify strengths & weaknesses of the facility

    4.  Implement an intruder detection audit program.

    –  Conduct random inspections to identify weak access points

    –  Consider equipping exterior doors with door monitoring technology

    For more information on how the model codes are evolving to address school security, take a look at this article on Looking Ahead to the 2027 I-Codes.

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