ANSI/BHMA A156.10 is the American national standard that sets safety requirements for full-power automatic pedestrian doors in commercial buildings, covering sensor detection, closing speeds, contact force, signage, and emergency egress. The current edition was published in 2024 by the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association and approved by the American National Standards Institute. Because the International Building Code, NFPA 101, and the ADA Accessibility Standards all reference it, compliance is enforceable through your local permitting and inspection process.1ANSI Webstore. ANSI/BHMA A156.10-2024 Standard for Power Operated Pedestrian Doors
Which Doors the Standard Covers
A156.10 applies to three types of full-power pedestrian doors:
- Sliding doors, where panels move horizontally to clear the opening.
- Swinging doors, where a motorized operator pushes or pulls a leaf through an arc.
- Folding doors, where multiple panels collapse together in tighter openings.
It also reaches doors that open for small vehicular traffic such as motorized carts in warehouse retail. It does not cover custom installations, industrial doors meant for trained operators, or low-energy and power-assist doors. Low-energy operators run at slower speeds and forces and sit under ANSI/BHMA A156.19. Revolving doors fall under ANSI/BHMA A156.27.2ANSI Webstore. ANSI/BHMA A156.27-2019 Power and Manual Operated Revolving Pedestrian Doors If your door is a low-energy unit or a revolver, A156.10 is not your rulebook.
How the Standard Becomes Enforceable
The International Building Code and NFPA 101 both reference A156.10, so once your jurisdiction adopts a recent edition of the IBC, local building inspectors and fire marshals can enforce its provisions at permitting and occupancy inspections.3Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association. A156.10 – 2024 Power Operated Pedestrian Doors Compliance is not optional for full-power automatic doors under those codes.
The ADA Accessibility Standards also incorporate A156.10 for full-powered automatic doors. The U.S. Access Board notes that the ANSI/BHMA standards “address operating characteristics, including opening speed, safety features, sensors and activation devices, and labeling.” The ADA Standards currently reference the 1999 edition. Compliance with a later edition may satisfy the requirement under the ADA’s “equivalent facilitation” provision if the newer edition is comparable to or stricter than the referenced one.4U.S. Access Board. Chapter 4 Entrances, Doors, and Gates
Sensors and Detection Zones
Two sensor systems have to work together. Activation sensors detect an approaching person and trigger the opening cycle, usually with microwave or infrared motion detection. Presence sensors detect someone standing still in the door’s path and prevent the door from closing on them. Both must stay in communication with the door controller throughout the entire cycle, not only at activation.
For swinging doors, the presence sensor must monitor the full arc of the swing. For sliding doors, sensor coverage is required immediately in front of and behind the threshold. At a measurement height of 28 inches from the floor, the inactive zone (the gap where detection drops out) cannot exceed five inches. That 28-inch benchmark roughly matches the height of a small child or a person seated in a wheelchair, which is why the standard picks it.
Older installations sometimes use safety mats embedded in the floor to detect a person’s weight in the opening. Most modern systems use overhead infrared curtains instead, which tend to be more reliable and easier to maintain than mats that degrade from water, dirt, and traffic.
Speed and Force Limits
The standard ties allowable speed to door weight so kinetic energy at impact stays within safe bounds.
Sliding Doors
A sliding door weighing up to 160 pounds per leaf has a maximum closing speed of one foot per second. For heavier doors, the limit drops by a formula: velocity equals the square root of 160 divided by the door’s weight in pounds. A 400-pound sliding door works out to roughly 0.63 feet per second.
Swinging Doors
Swinging doors must take at least 1.5 seconds to open to 80 degrees. Closing times depend on width and weight. A 36-inch door up to 100 pounds needs a minimum closing time of 2.0 seconds; a 48-inch door up to 160 pounds needs at least 3.2 seconds. In the final 10 degrees before closing, the door must slow to a latch-check speed and take at least 1.5 additional seconds to travel through that last segment. This two-phase closing keeps the door from slamming shut where fingers are most likely to be caught.
Contact force is capped at 30 pounds needed to stop a swinging door in the last 10 degrees of its opening arc, measured one inch from the lock edge. That measurement point corresponds to where a person is most likely to be standing as they enter.3Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association. A156.10 – 2024 Power Operated Pedestrian Doors
Required Signage
Every door covered by the standard has to display specific safety decals, with defined types, colors, sizes, and mounting heights.3Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association. A156.10 – 2024 Power Operated Pedestrian Doors
- A green circle with a black direction arrow on a white background, at least six inches in diameter, visible from the approach side of a swinging door.
- A red circle reading “DO NOT ENTER,” at least six inches in diameter, on the side of doors that swing or fold toward pedestrians going the wrong way.
- An “Automatic Caution Door” decal in black on yellow, at least six inches in diameter, visible from the swing side of doors serving both entry and exit traffic.
For swinging doors, signs mount at a centerline height of 58 inches from the floor, plus or minus five inches. Decals on other door types must be centered between 36 and 60 inches above the finished floor.5American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers. RecordUSA-Pickers AIA Presentation Owners have to keep the decals visible and replace them when they fade or peel. Missing or illegible signage is one of the first things an inspector flags.
Emergency Egress and Power Failure
Automatic doors sit on escape routes, so people have to be able to get out even when every electrical system fails. For swinging doors, the manual opening force during a power failure cannot exceed 30 pounds, applied one inch from the lock edge.
Sliding doors handle this differently. Because panels ride on tracks and cannot simply be pushed open, many sliding installations use a breakaway device that lets the panels swing outward in an emergency. The force to activate that breakaway is capped at 50 pounds, measured one inch from the leading edge. Breakaway panels must include a self-closing device or an interlock that stops the operator when the panel is in breakout mode.
Battery backup systems that open or park the doors during an outage are common, as is fire alarm integration that signals the controller to open the doors and hold them until the alarm resets.
Daily Safety Checks
A brief daily check catches most problems before someone is hurt. Walk toward the door at normal pace from different angles to confirm the activation sensor reliably triggers the opening cycle. Then stand in the threshold to verify the presence sensors keep the door from closing. If the door fails to detect you, closes early, or behaves erratically, shut it down and call for service.6American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers. Safety
Log the checks. If a pedestrian is injured and files a negligence claim, the first thing a plaintiff’s attorney requests is maintenance and inspection records. A consistent log demonstrates reasonable care; missing logs create the opposite inference.
Annual AAADM Inspection
The American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers recommends that every automatic door be inspected at least once a year by an AAADM-certified inspector. Certified inspectors use calibrated instruments to measure door force, closing speed, sensor detection range, and the other parameters set by A156.10. The visit is also the chance to flag adjustments needed for any changes in the standard since the last inspection.7American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers. Technical Bulletin 107 – Automatic Pedestrian Door Standards and Inspections
When a door passes, the inspector applies a compliance label showing the date it was verified. Confirm the inspector’s AAADM certification before the visit. An inspection by someone without proper credentials carries little weight if compliance is ever challenged.
What Non-Compliance Costs You
Automatic door injuries typically fall under premises liability. Property owners, management companies, and maintenance contractors all owe a duty to keep the doors working safely. When that duty is breached, injured parties can pursue medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. A separate product liability claim can run against the manufacturer if a design or manufacturing defect in the sensor, motor, or control system caused the malfunction.
Compliance with A156.10 is the strongest defense you have. Courts look at whether the owner followed the applicable industry standard, conducted required inspections, and responded to known problems. A current AAADM inspection label, a daily-check log, and prompt repair records make a plaintiff’s job hard. A door with an expired label, no records, and deferred maintenance makes it easy. The cost of an annual inspection and a few minutes of daily diligence is small next to the exposure from one serious injury claim.