ANSI Updates for Automatic Doors? Know What the Inspectors Know

AAADM creates public-facing quiz for building owners, architects, contractors

If you own or manage a building with automatic doors, you’re likely aware that the ANSI standards cover requirements for their safe operation and required signage. The American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM) has a dedicated certification program to ensure industry inspectors and technicians are up to date on the latest standards.

AAADM’s Certification Committee recently created a quiz to accompany this year’s changes to the ANSI/BHMA standards for automatic doors, and now that quiz is available to the public. AAADM is inviting facility owners, managers, and operators, as well as building architects and contractors, to learn the subtle changes in the standards and then take the quick, seven-question quiz. These updates, along with the quiz, were already sent to all AAADM Certified Inspectors to keep them informed.

At the beginning of the quiz, there is a recap of the changes for individuals to use during their quiz, which is informational and voluntary. Click here for the public quiz: https://testmoz.com/q/13989380.

The changes are minor, mostly to add clarity to a few definitions and some performance requirements, and improve some of the illustrations in the appendix.

In Section 1.5, Tolerances, linear dimension tolerance has increased from +/- 1/16th in. to +/- 1/8th in. In Section 6, Guide Rails, the “exceptions” for guide rails have been revised and moved to the end of the swing section to provide a smoother flow of the section and include a better description for when longer rails are required. Sections covering door mounted presence sensors for swing doors have updated the maximum inactive zone from the face of the door, changed from 5 inches to 8 inches.

There have also been changes to sections covering Knowing Act Devices, specifically non-contact wave plates, breakout requirements for emergencies, and changes to appropriate signage.

For more information about AAADM, visit https://www.aaadm.com/.