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Panic hardware in existing building

Mr. Inspector

SAWHORSE
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
4,072
Location
Poconos/eastern PA
2015 icodes. An assembly room is being added to a very large one story S-2 existing building. It's like a break room with 516 occupants. On the plan review I told them to have panic hardware on egress doors. They only added them on the one exterior double door and two single doors that go into the S-2 space. The S-2 space has 43 exit doors. How many of these 43 exit doors need to have panic hardware?
 
2015 icodes. An assembly room is being added to a very large one story S-2 existing building. It's like a break room with 516 occupants. On the plan review I told them to have panic hardware on egress doors. They only added them on the one exterior double door and two single doors that go into the S-2 space. The S-2 space has 43 exit doors. How many of these 43 exit doors need to have panic hardware?

in my opinion every required emergency egress door requires panic hardware and I'm certain your local fire code shares my opinion.
 
Why not all of them!!!

Two at least.

Closest ones that are not hidden and easily accessible

Do they need a few more doors out of the break room??

Plus ones to handle half??

I Will need to look at the code for support
 
TABLE 1006.3.1

MINIMUM NUMBER OF EXITS OR ACCESS TO EXITS PER STORY

501-1,000 3
 
1029.2 Assembly main exit.
A building, room or space used for assembly purposes that has an occupant load of greater than 300 and is provided with a main exit, that main exit shall be of sufficient capacity to accommodate not less than one-half of the occupant load, but such capacity shall be not less than the total required capacity of all means of egressleading to the exit. Where the building is classified as a Group A occupancy, the main exit shall front on not less than one street or an unoccupied space of not less than 10 feet (3048 mm) in width that adjoins a street or public way. In a building, room or space used for assembly purposes where there is not a well-defined main exit or where multiple main exits are provided, exits shall be permitted to be distributed around the perimeter of the building provided that the total capacity of egress is not less than 100 percent of the required capacity.
 
Rick, Chapter 10 does not have the word accessory in it, the Means of egress is still required to mean Chapter 10 requirements for all spaces.

The designer should designate which doors are exit and ensure they are readily recognizable from other doors as exits - or else they all shall be provided with the required hardware.
 
This is confusing. The code says doors "serving" the Group A occupancy. It doesn't say anything about "egress" or "means of egress" doors. Other sections in the door sections always specify a door that is part of the "means of egress" but not in 1010.1.10. So are the 43 other exit doors in the building serving the lunch room? Are doors to a kitchen or closet in this lunch room "serving" this lunch room?

1010.1.10 Panic and fire exit hardware. Doors serving a
Group H occupancy and doors serving rooms or spaces
with an occupant load of 50 or more in a Group A or E
occupancy shall not be provided with a latch or lock other
than panic hardware or fire exit hardware.
Exceptions:
1. A main exit of a Group A occupancy shall be permitted
to be locking in accordance with Section
1010.1.9.3, Item 2.
2. Doors serving a Group A or E occupancy shall be
permitted to be electromagnetically locked in
accordance with Section 1010.1.9.9.
Electrical rooms with equipment rated 1,200 amperes or
more and over 6 feet (1829 mm) wide, and that contain
overcurrent devices, switching devices or control devices
with exit or exit access doors, shall be equipped with panic
hardware or fire exit hardware. The doors shall swing in
the direction of egress travel.
 
The 2006 required panic hardware throughout the entire means of egress

1008.1.9 Panic and fire exit hardware.
Where panic and fire exit hardware is installed, it shall comply with the following:
1. The actuating portion of the releasing device shall extend at least one-half of the door leaf width.
2. The maximum unlatching force shall not exceed 15 pounds (67 N).
Each door in a means of egress from a Group A or E occupancy having an occupant load of 50 or more and any Group H occupancy shall not be provided with a latch or lock unless it is panic hardware or fire exit hardware.

That language went away in the 2009 so I do not believe the intent today is to require panic hardware on any of the 43 exit doors.
 
So, you leave the "A" occupancy through the doors equipped with panic hardware. Now you are in an "S" occupancy which does not require panic hardware. I believe that the intent of the code has been met, to get you quickly out of the more hazardous "A" occupancy.

GPE
 
This is confusing. The code says doors "serving" the Group A occupancy. It doesn't say anything about "egress" or "means of egress" doors. Other sections in the door sections always specify a door that is part of the "means of egress" but not in 1010.1.10. So are the 43 other exit doors in the building serving the lunch room? Are doors to a kitchen or closet in this lunch room "serving" this lunch room?

1010.1.10 Panic and fire exit hardware. Doors serving a
Group H occupancy and doors serving rooms or spaces
with an occupant load of 50 or more in a Group A or E
occupancy shall not be provided with a latch or lock other
than panic hardware or fire exit hardware.
Exceptions:
1. A main exit of a Group A occupancy shall be permitted
to be locking in accordance with Section
1010.1.9.3, Item 2.
2. Doors serving a Group A or E occupancy shall be
permitted to be electromagnetically locked in
accordance with Section 1010.1.9.9.
Electrical rooms with equipment rated 1,200 amperes or
more and over 6 feet (1829 mm) wide, and that contain
overcurrent devices, switching devices or control devices
with exit or exit access doors, shall be equipped with panic
hardware or fire exit hardware. The doors shall swing in
the direction of egress travel.


So 500 people walk out of two doors from an interior assembly room, into the same building/ business area

And exit the building through the Only One provided door?? Because the business itself only requites one door?? Or similar set up
 
I'd go similar to MT.....the A people need A egress all of the way to the discharge....We all would agree that that applies to width I imagine, so why would it not apply to hardware?
 
The double door to the outside is good for 1/2 of the 500 occupants. There is also a single egress door on each of the left and right interior walls of the lunch room that lead into the S-2 area which takes up almost all of the rest of the building that has 43 exit doors. It would be very expensive to change all of these doors to have panic hardware. I'm trying to see if only two of these exit doors are required to have panic hardware.
If there where exit signs with arrows leading the occupants to the closest exit door from the two left and right interior egress doors would that comply? Would the other 41 exit doors be not serving the Group A (lunch room) in this case?
 
“”building. It's like a break room with 516 occupants.””

Where did the other 16 go??

Fired, so they don’t have to put a third door in?
 
The double door to the outside is good for 1/2 of the 500 occupants. There is also a single egress door on each of the left and right interior walls of the lunch room that lead into the S-2 area which takes up almost all of the rest of the building that has 43 exit doors. It would be very expensive to change all of these doors to have panic hardware. I'm trying to see if only two of these exit doors are required to have panic hardware.
If there where exit signs with arrows leading the occupants to the closest exit door from the two left and right interior egress doors would that comply? Would the other 41 exit doors be not serving the Group A (lunch room) in this case?


I agree pick two easily seeable, close doors

Maybe do the striping on the floor thing, if needed.
 
where are these 516 people coming from?
From the (large) lunch room. Half can go out the double doors to the exterior and half goes into the S-2 space.
This new lunch room won't add to the occupant loads of the building because almost everyone in the building will use the lunch room at the same time when the conveyors stop. This is a major delivery company distribution hub with miles of conveyors.
 
the A people need A egress all of the way to the discharge....We all would agree that that applies to width I imagine, so why would it not apply to hardware?
I do not know why the code changed in 2009 and eliminated the requirement for panic hardware along the entire means of egress path. Perhaps as GPE you get the people out of the "A" occupancy quickly dispersing them.
However l believe
I agree pick two easily seeable, close doors

Maybe do the striping on the floor thing, if needed.
is the best solution for the owners and occupants who are familiar with the building. I do not see the occupants traveling around a bunch of conveyors to reach the other doors in an emergency.
 
Ok more of the story


“””From the (large) lunch room. Half can go out the double doors to the exterior and half goes into the S-2 space.””


If there is direct access to the outside,

Than would require only one door in the S-2 area to have panic hardware.

Closest not obstructed,,, Maybe paint the stripe on the floor

But still need three exits out of the room over 501
 
I do not know why the code changed in 2009 and eliminated the requirement for panic hardware along the entire means of egress path. Perhaps as GPE you get the people out of the "A" occupancy quickly dispersing them.
However l believe

is the best solution for the owners and occupants who are familiar with the building. I do not see the occupants traveling around a bunch of conveyors to reach the other doors in an emergency.


People react strangely sometimes
 
I do not know why the code changed in 2009 and eliminated the requirement for panic hardware along the entire means of egress path. Perhaps as GPE you get the people out of the "A" occupancy quickly dispersing them.
However l believe

is the best solution for the owners and occupants who are familiar with the building. I do not see the occupants traveling around a bunch of conveyors to reach the other doors in an emergency.


“””do not know why the code changed in 2009 and eliminated the requirement for panic hardware along the entire means of egress path. Perhaps as GPE you get the people out of the "A" occupancy quickly dispersing them. “””

Is there a code section to support this
 
2006 IBC specifically requires panic hardware along the means of egress path
1008.1.9 Panic and fire exit hardware.
Where panic and fire exit hardware is installed, it shall comply with the following:
1. The actuating portion of the releasing device shall extend at least one-half of the door leaf width.
2. The maximum unlatching force shall not exceed 15 pounds (67 N).
Each door in a means of egress from a Group A or E occupancy having an occupant load of 50 or more and any Group H occupancy shall not be provided with a latch or lock unless it is panic hardware or fire exit hardware.

2009 and forward does not require panic hardware for each door in the means of egress path from an A or E occupancy. The requirement was removed from the code.

2018 IBC
1010.1.10 Panic and fire exit hardware.
Swinging doors serving a Group H occupancy and swinging doors serving rooms or spaces with an occupant load of 50 or more in a Group A or E occupancy shall not be provided with a latch or lock other than panic hardware or fire exit hardware.
Exceptions:
1. A main exit of a Group A occupancy shall be permitted to have locking devices in accordance with Section 1010.1.9.4, Item 2.
2. Doors provided with panic hardware or fire exit hardware and serving a Group A or E occupancy shall be permitted to be electrically locked in accordance with Section 1010.1.9.9 or 1010.1.9.10.
 
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