Kind of a silly name for an important item, otherwise known as an exit device. Simply put, panic hardware is type of door-locking device that is designed to grant instant exit from an area, usually by pressing on a crossbar (a.k.a. touch or push bar) and releasing a latch or locking bolt. It is designed to be operable in the direction of egress travel. If tested and approved, this kind of exit hardware can have a fire-rating label certifying its suitability for use on fire-rated emergency doors. Such hardware may be one of the following:
1. mortise type, having the lock mechanism mortised into the edge of the door or concealed within the door
2. rim type, having the lock mechanism mounted on the interior face of the door
3. vertical rod type, surface or concealed, having the latches in or on the top and/or bottom of the door and activated by the cross bar through a rod linkage extending vertically on or in the lock stile of the door
