Security
Fail-Safe vs Fail-Secure
Two electric lock behaviours on power loss: fail-safe unlocks, fail-secure stays locked. Which is correct depends on egress code and the door's role.
Life safety decides this, not preference. Doors in an egress path generally must release on power loss and on fire alarm; a server room or storeroom door is normally fail-secure so an outage does not open it. Magnetic locks in particular carry strict requirements for fire alarm interface and manual release devices.
This is where access control stops being an IT project. The authority having jurisdiction inspects egress behaviour, and getting it wrong is both a failed inspection and a genuine hazard — so lock function per door gets confirmed against code and the life-safety drawings before hardware is ordered.
Related terms
- Access Control
- A system that decides electronically who may open which door, when, and records every attempt — replacing mechanical keys with credentials and policy.
- Request to Exit
- A device — motion sensor, push bar, or button — that signals the access control system of a legitimate exit so leaving does not register as a forced door.
- AHJ
- The local official or agency — building department, fire marshal, electrical inspector — with authority to interpret and enforce code on a given project.
More Security terms
Support305 in the press
All press coverageNeed this specified correctly?
Our engineers will review your drawings or quote and tell you exactly where Fail-Safe vs Fail-Secure belongs in the design.
Talk to an engineer