John Herts

Thanks Tom, very useful info on background. I'm not quite sure what you were saying in your second paragraph, can you clarify?

Why then does one not normally see panic bars on main entrance doors?

As all doors in the external envelope of a building can be used as a final exit when do you not have to put a crash bar/push pad type mechanism on a main entrance door or other frequently used door to a school building? E.g. some doors have a digital lock on them which has a lever handle internally.