Egress from electrical equipment

[Francis Vineyard]

Assuming the equipment in question is 1200 amp or more with a 3 ft. wide door.



What the code says is there can be a single entrance provided that there is an unobstructed way of exit travel. My spin on this if opening the panel or door obstructs the path to the entrance (access) then another exit is required. The entrance or access to the room is not necessarily the exit. Otherwise on both sides of the equipment you need clear access or an entrance (exit).

As Gregg said the second exception is there is at least 6 ft. of clearance in front and the entrance (exit) is at least 3 ft. away, hence a 3 ft. clear path around the door.



To install equipment with a door in the manner previously described goes against the grain of safe design.

Francis

It's confusing to try and explain NFPA with ICC terminology.

 

[peach]

It's not always the Electrical contractor or designer; sometimes it the architect who can't make outswinging doors work, and doesn't want to make the electrical room bigger.

 

[north star]

* *

IMO, most of all, you do not want someone to get electrocuted by poor design

of the space.......If the Board of Appeals will sign off on this [ potential ] liability,

then you will have tried.....Good luck & let us know how it turns out.

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[Paul Sweet]

Could IBC 1005.2 be applied? "Doors in any position shall not reduce the required width by more than one-half."

 

[rktect_IL]

My company is engaged in designing replacement switchgear in an existing room. The room is over 34 feet long and about 15 feet wide. The new switchgear is going to be perpendicular to the short end (5'), creating a deadend back space behind the equipment. As I understand the NEC, under 110.26©(2) requires two separate doors out of the space, specifically to provide a way out if someone is behind the equipment. The IBC (International Building Code) 2009 also has similar language in it, under 1008.1.10.

My concern is the building code requires that egress doors from rooms be not less than 32" clear width (IBC 1008.1.1), which is achieved with a 36" wide door, while the NEC states that a 24" wide door is sufficient, under 110.26©(2).

My electrical engineer is saying that I should adhere to the NEC requirement, while I professionally feel the most restrictive code should govern, forcing the door width to be 36". It should be noted that in providing a 36" door, additional reconfiguration of the space and other items must be done. We are a self-AHJ entity.

What is your opinion - should the door, with panic hardware and a 2 hour fire-rating, be the 36" as required by IBC or 24" as indicated by the NEC?

 

[gbhammer]

32" clear width is required.

 

[north star]

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rktect_IL,

" gbhammer " is correct!....The 32" width is the minimum requirement.



From the `09 IBC, SECTION 102 - APPLICABILITY.

102.1 General. Where there is a conflict between a general requirement and

a specific requirement, the specific requirement shall be applicable........Where,

in any specific case, different sections of this code specify different materials,

methods of construction or other requirements, the most restrictive shall

govern.

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