Electronic door locks can become dangerous during fires. We need a solution
A fire in a commercial building in Lucknow killed 15 people on Monday. Poor safety standards and neglect by authorities may have played a role. But there is another problem that needs attention. Electronic door locks can turn a burning building into a deadly trap.
These locks are often called smart locks or biometric locks. They are becoming more common in homes, offices, and shops.
This year alone, many people have died in fires after getting trapped behind electronic locks. In January, six people died in a house fire in Delhi. In March, eight people died in a fire in Indore. In May, another Delhi fire killed nine people. In June, a hotel fire in Delhi left 21 people dead. Now, the Lucknow fire has added to this tragic list.
This does not mean electronic locks are always bad. Technology can make life easier and safer. But we need to find out whether these locks are making fires more dangerous.
A similar problem happened with car door locks about 20 years ago. People sometimes got trapped inside burning cars because electronic locks failed. Car makers and safety regulators fixed the problem. Now that electronic locks are becoming popular in buildings, we need a similar solution.
Electronic locks are not new. They have been used since the 1950s in places like bank vaults. But cheaper versions may not work well in extreme heat. Experts say that plastic parts inside some locks can melt during a fire and cause the lock to jam.
Whatever the reason, every electronic lock should have a simple backup system. If the electronic parts stop working, the door should unlock automatically or open easily with a manual button or lever.
New technology can be useful, but it can also be frustrating when there is no easy way to take control. Think about trying to talk to a customer service chatbot when you need a real person. Or trying to use a touchscreen with wet hands.
In fact, studies show that using a touchscreen while driving can slow a driver’s reactions more than driving after drinking the legal limit of alcohol. That is why some safety experts want important car controls, like the horn and windshield wipers, to have physical buttons.
The same idea should apply to electronic door locks. Every lock should have a manual way to open it during an emergency. No one should ever be trapped inside a burning building because a lock failed.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
