http://idighardware.com/2014/10/6-accessibility-changes-to-watch-out-for/
"""""Operable Force for Hardware
Prior to the 2010 edition of the ADA standards, there was no specific limit on the amount of force required to operate door hardware. But an editorial change was made to the 2010 edition in Section 404.2.7 Door and Gate Hardware, which now references Paragraph 309.4 – Operation: “Operable parts shall be operable with one hand and shall not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist. The force required to activate operable parts shall be 5 pounds (22.2 N) maximum.” By referencing Paragraph 309.4, a limit for the operable force of for hardware was established.
Editorial changes are normally used to address errors or make clarifications that do not affect the scope or application of the code requirements. These changes do not go through the normal code development process (i.e. committee hearings and opportunities for public comment). In other words, this change was unexpected. Most lever-operated hardware already met the 5-pound limit, but panic hardware did not, since panic hardware is required by most codes and standards to operate with a maximum of 15 pounds of force. Panic hardware has since been developed which operates with 5 pounds of force, and a new UL listing has been created to certify that the products meet the requirements for panic, fire resistance (where required), and operable force.
ICC A117.1 does not currently include a limit on the force to operate hardware, although a change has been proposed for the 2015 edition. If approved, the proposal would establish a limit of 15 pounds maximum for hardware operated by a forward, pushing, or pulling motion, and 28 inch-pounds maximum for hardware operated by a rotational motion.
The 2013 California Building Code (CBC) includes language virtually identical to the 2010 ADA operable force requirements, and requires hardware to operate with 5 pounds of force, maximum. However, the code contains conflicting language in Section 1008.1.10 – Panic and Fire Exit Hardware, which requires panic hardware to operate with a maximum of 15 pounds of force.
While there is still some confusion in the field about the 5-pound requirement and the potential conflicts, there are projects where the 5-pound limit is being enforced for both lever-operated hardware and panic hardware. For each project, a decision must be made regarding whether to use hardware meeting the requirements of the IBC (and its referenced standard, ICC A117.1), or whether to specify hardware that meets the 5-pound limit to avoid a conflict with ADA standards.""
