Do push bars (also called panic bars) actually keep your door locked if they can be opened with a single push? The mechanism consists of a spring loaded bar that falls across the door and is activated when you push on it. However, you can only open it from one side – pulling from the other side of the door doesn’t work. That means if people try to pull on the emergency exit door when it’s closed from outside the building, it won’t open. What’s to stop someone from opening it from the inside and keeping it open? Modern versions have alarms that notify you when someone has used them.
