ADA door hardware question!

[ElGrecus]

I have a question about ADA compliant door hardware in a commercial environment. Why are so many door levers U-shaped if a straight lever is allowed? I thought the lever had to turn back towards the face of the door resulting in the common U-shape. Someone told me that this is not an ADA requirement but a fire code req to keep the hose from getting trapped in the lever. Can anyone please shed some light on this?

[rwwon]

I'd never heard that before but it sounds reasonable to me. That extra return curve on the handle could block out a thick hose as the firefighter runs through a doorway and wraps around the door - unless the hose is still flat from not being filled with water yet. Another nice, yet minute feature, is with a return curve on the lever is when you turn it, your hand slides down into the curve, and doesn't slide right off the handle - less grip strength required.

[ElGrecus]

Yeah, wish I had a definitive answer. I keep seeing "ADA-compliant" door levers that do NOT have the return curve. Just want to make sure I am specifying the right thing. Thanks.

[rwwon]

Yeah, an ADA compliant door handle just needs to be a lever so that if you don't have a hand, you can still push on it with an arm or stick in a rotational motion to open it. Having the curve may be an additional requirement be another AHJ or code outside of ADA.

[ElGrecus]

Yup. Just can't find that code though... Coach... any sage advice here?