Crash bar covers are a smart investment for nearly all business owners and facility managers. Consisting of fittings that cover crash bar handles on doors, they enhance the aesthetics of the doors with which they are used while simultaneously protecting against the transmission of germs. You’ll need to choose the right crash bar covers, however, to take advantage of their benefits.
Antimicrobial Material
You should choose crash bar covers made of an antimicrobial material. Otherwise, they won’t protect against the transmission of terms. Materials are considered antimicrobial if they destroy or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Infection-causing bacteria, viruses and fungi are microorganisms. While they can grow just about anywhere, they are particularly common on door handles, including crash bars.
As people enter and leave your commercial building through a door, they’ll touch the door’s crash bar. Some people will transfer germs from their hands to the crash bar, whereas others will pick up these germs. Antimicrobial materials can neutralize germs.
There are copper crash bar covers. They are made of over 99% pure copper. Copper is an antimicrobial material. It can destroy and inhibit the growth of microorganisms in the following ways:
- Disrupts the cell membranes of microorganisms
- Interferes with the microorganisms’ proteins
- Generates oxidative stress
Horizontal vs Vertical
Crash bar covers are available in horizontal and vertical styles. The former style is the most common. Horizontal crash bar covers are designed for use with horizontal crash bars. If your commercial building features standard, horizontal crash bars that occupants must push to open, you should choose horizontal crash bar covers.
Vertical crash bar covers are designed for use with vertical crash bars. You can still find them in the same antimicrobial materials, such as copper. The difference is that vertical crash bar covers are used on doors that occupants must pull to open, whereas horizontal crash bar covers are used on doors that occupants must push to open.
The Size
Don’t forget to consider the size when choosing crash bar covers. Whether horizontal or vertical, crash bar covers are available in different sizes.
You’ll need to ensure that the crash bar covers will fit the door or doors with which you intend to use them. Crash bar covers are installed on crash bar-style door handles. They are designed to cover the surface of the crash bars that occupants touch. If a crash bar cover is too small, it may not fully cover the crash bar. You can avoid this headache by measuring the crash bar, followed by choosing a crash bar that’s long enough and tall enough to cover it.