how to handle engineering problem

When I need to move from one level to another in campus, sometimes if it's just a few storeys I'll just use the staircase instead of the lift.

So today I was at Engineering E1A when I wanted to go from Level 4 to Level 3. I walked down the stairs and this is what I saw...


Other than the questions of the choice of materials or the design of the handle, most importantly how do I get out from that pull door? Through the small window I saw some girls walking along the corridor at Level 3, and I almost wanted to bang the door or scream "HELP!" to ask them to open the door from the other side. That would seem stupid. Now, what if it was emergency and you can't open the exit door?

So in the end I walked back up, went to adjacent Block EA, and walked down one level. Come to think of it, I could have just waited for the lift.