Electric Room Doors

[LGreene]

I have been trying to get a definitive answer on these 3 questions from the IBC or by talking to the ICC/NFPA, but I'm having no luck. Please share your thoughts.

a) Certain electric rooms require panic hardware per the NEC. When a pair of doors is provided on an electric room for the purpose of moving equipment in and out - do both leaves need to have panic hardware or could one leaf have flush bolts?

b) If the inactive leaf has flush bolts, would you require automatic flush bolts which release automatically once the door with the panic device is opened, or could manual flush bolts be used (these require someone to manually retract them - 2 per door)?

c) If there are 2 exits directly to the exterior (with panic hardware) for egress, and an additional door to the interior for convenience, does the extra door need to meet egress requirements? The security preference for the extra door is that it would be locked in both directions with card reader access. There is no exit sign.

 

[steveray]

A and B...........1008.1.9.4 Bolt locks. Manually operated flush bolts or surface bolts are not permitted.

Exceptions:

1. On doors not required for egress in individual dwelling units or sleeping units.

2. Where a pair of doors serves a storage or equipment room, manually operated edge- or surface-mounted bolts are permitted on the inactive leaf.

C gets a little more debateable...but I would probably side with code allows it, maybe a not an exit sign....

 

[north star]

& &



Lori,

See Section 1008.1.9 in the `06 IBC for panic hardware requs.......If

you are using another version of the IBC, then I can look that up for

you.

If only one egress exit is required out of the electrical room, then no

exit sign is required [ RE: Section 10011, Exception # 1, `06 IBC ]

A lot of the code officials and electrical contractors believe that

emergency lighting should be provided in the electrical rooms as well.

Hope this helps!

& &

 

[Gregg Harris]

2011 NEC 110.26

© Entrance to and Egress from Working Space.

(1) Minimum Required. At least one entrance of sufficient area shall be provided to give access to and egress from working space about electrical equipment.

(2) Large Equipment. For equipment rated 1200 amperes or more and over 1.8 m (6 ft) wide that contains overcurrent devices, switching devices, or control devices, there shall be one entrance to and egress from the required working space not less than 610 mm (24 in.) wide and 2.0 m (6½ ft) high at each end of the working space.

A single entrance to and egress from the required working space shall be permitted where either of the conditions in 110.26©(2)(a) or ©(2)(b) is met.

(a) Unobstructed Egress. Where the location permits a continuous and unobstructed way of egress travel, a single entrance to the working space shall be permitted.

(b) Extra Working Space. Where the depth of the working space is twice that required by 110.26(A)(1), a single entrance shall be permitted. It shall be located such that the distance from the equipment to the nearest edge of the entrance is not less than the minimum clear distance specified in Table 110.26(A)(1) for equipment operating at that voltage and in that condition.

70-38

(3) Personnel Doors. Where equipment rated 1200 A or more that contains overcurrent devices, switching devices, or control devic1es is installed and there is a personnel door(s) intended for entrance to and egress from the working space less than 7.6 m (25 ft) from the nearest edge of the working space, the door(s) shall open in the direction of egress and be equipped with panic bars, pressure plates, or other devices that are normally latched but open under simple pressure.

(3) Doors. Each doorway leading into a vault from the building interior shall be provided with a tight-fitting door that has a minimum fire rating of 3 hours. The authority having jurisdiction shall be permitted to require such a door for an exterior wall opening where conditions warrant.

Exception to (1), (2), and (3): Where the vault is protected with automatic sprinkler, water spray, carbon dioxide, or halon, construction with a 1-hour rating shall be permitted.

(4) Locks. Doors shall be equipped with locks, and doors shall be kept locked, with access allowed only to qualified persons. Personnel doors shall swing out and be equipped with panic bars, pressure plates, or other devices that are normally latched but that open under simple pressure.