Daughter "locked" herself in room with faulty catc

[PeterRayner]

My daughter (adult) had to hammer and chisel her way out of an unlocked room because the catch part of the door handle did not respond when she tried to open the door and get out of the room. She had only shut the interior door.
She was not alone and they removed handles on both side of the door and used screw driver instead to try to work the mechanism on both sides - but couldn't open door. The room had small window with bars on outside.
The door was not locked ( it only has a small bolt catch on inside). She or someone else could have been there for days as the door was the only way out. Aside from repairing the door - what can be done to stop something like this happening again? All the door handles in that property are the same. Should they all be changed?
thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[holmslaw]

I've seen it happen before, its because the square shaft is too short and it is fully inside the other handle. Solution is to make sure the shaft engages with both handles even when fully inside one of them.

 

[PeterRayner]

Thanks holmslaw - will make a note of what you say.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Aside from repairing the door - what can be done to stop something like this happening again?

You could always install one of these in every room?

 

[PeterRayner]

Ha ha ha - yes that would do the trick! It was really a shock!

 

[Burnerman]

So you mean they took the handles off, pulled out the follower bar and they still couldn't turn the square latch hole? Had a few with short follower bars as per holmslaw but never one with a busted mechanism like that. John

 

[PeterRayner]

Yes Burnerman - that is what I understand they tried to do. They took the door handles off first - but still could not make the catch turn. I'm not closing doors too often at the moment - I have never hear of this either but I guess a warning to everyone - especially people who live alone and can't climb out of a window!

 

[masona]

Not heard of it either, might be best to change all the locks for your safely specially with fire

 

[ColJack]

credit card?
it's fairly simple to use one to open an internal door.. there's usually nothing stopping the card from the inside..

you might try replacing the regular cathches with roller catches.. then you just push or pull the door open and don't need to turn the handle..

 

[PeterRayner]

Thanks Coljack - good ideas.