Door overlap of a clear floor space

[Sifu]

Refer to the attached plan. The drinking fountain clear floor space is overlapped by the janitor's closet door. Is this allowed. I can't find a prohibition, but it is funky so I want to make sure. BTW, this is not a required MOE, just a circulation path.

 

[Mr. Inspector]

I don't see anything in the ICC/ANSI A117.1-2009 that would not allow the door to swing in the clear floor space

 

[ADAguy]

Is the Jan room large enough to be entered and occupied? If so, exiting while the DF is in use could be an issue.

 

[Sifu]

The room is only large enough for a person to stand at a mop sink. I suppose they could close the door behind them but if they did that they are probably up to no good. I did consider that as a potential issue but I don't think it would ever be a problem. This is the DP's 7th attempt, each time they tried they ran into another issue. They ended up pinching that hallway down in order to get a W/C accessible stall in, maintain the required space at the lavs and the DF clear floor space. Not an optimal design with the narrow passage and janitor's closet but I think it is approved. To their credit, they tried very hard to get a fully compliant bathroom into a building that was never designed for it.

 

[JBI]

I agree that the overlap is not an issue in the Code.

 

[rktect 1]

Unlike today I plan reviewed a walk in fridge door swinging into the full width of the passage through the kitchen.

 

[Yikes]

Are we assuming the janitor's closet does not need to be accessible? If it does, the drinking fountains are interfering with the 60" door clear floor space.

 

[JPohling]

I would be good with that!

 

[steveray]

Only issue I see there might be door blocking more than 50% of egress width?...Potentially...

1005.7.1 Doors. Doors, when fully opened, shall not reduce
the required width by more than 7 inches (178 mm). Doors in
any position shall not reduce the required width by more than
one-half.

 

[Sifu]

I looked at that, but that section is for encroachments into the required means of egress, which this is not.

 

[Tim Mailloux]

The room is only large enough for a person to stand at a mop sink. I suppose they could close the door behind them but if they did that they are probably up to no good. I did consider that as a potential issue but I don't think it would ever be a problem. This is the DP's 7th attempt, each time they tried they ran into another issue. They ended up pinching that hallway down in order to get a W/C accessible stall in, maintain the required space at the lavs and the DF clear floor space. Not an optimal design with the narrow passage and janitor's closet but I think it is approved. To their credit, they tried very hard to get a fully compliant bathroom into a building that was never designed for it.

What is the specified door hardware on the Janitors closet? Typically I design them to have closers and storeroom locksets. So if someone goes in that Janitors closet there is a very good chance the door is going to close behind them and they will be exiting the room opening the door blindly. In that instance I could see the door opening into the drinking fountain clear floor space being an issue.

 

[ADAguy]

Is the hallway rated construction or is the building sprinklered?
You say you narrowed the corridor, does it still meet required minimum width?
A disabled employee must still be able to exit the room if he/she can enter it to perform their duties.

 

[Sifu]

To be clear, I didn't narrow the hall, they have proposed doing it. But, the corridor at the most narrow point is 42", where the walls come in around the drinking fountain. I see this as an aisle, requiring only 36", same as for the accessible route. And, I don't believe the janitor's closet needs to be accessible. This is a B occupancy tenant space employee work area. T

 

[ADAguy]

If you can enter it from the hallway in a WC then you must be able to exit it.
If it is considered an employee work station be aware of Title 1 reasonable accommodation requests that may be made by an employee.
Though many of you on this site are AHJ's it remains necessary to understand the underlying requirements of the ADA relative to your codes compliance with them. Yes, you are "only" reviewing for code but the code must still at a minimum, being more than or equal to the ADASAD. The designer should be considering this when designing to your code.

 

[Sifu]

Future accommodation requests being understood, I still don't see a prohibition on the janitor door swinging over the clear floor space for the fountain. I do see a prohibition for such a condition within a toilet room (ANSI 603.2.2) but since that is under the main code of toilet and bathing rooms I don't think I can apply it here. I agree it is not an ideal situation, and won't be surprised if the owner balks when he sees the design, but the architect is trying to improve (vastly) the current facilities and if it means a funky design that meets code I am good to go.