I know this is an old article, but I want to bring up how wrong
Absolutely, and it is rare that an MEP tries to wiggle out of it. If they balk at it I point to IBC 1205.1 and say you must provide the space with light whether the electric is working or not. Then I tell them how some maintenance man may be checking the breaker box in the dark and the power might come back on while his hand is groping around in the wrong place. The law suit will read MEP talks AHJ into not putting in emergency lighting.
While I know this is an old thread, I wanted to reply in order to point out the inaccurate statements made in this thread, starting with the above, for the sake of future readers who may come across this thread amidst their research.
The building code establishes a distinction between illumination and emergency illumination. The above code states
..artificial lighting will be provided in accordance with Section 1205.3..
and if we take a look at 1205.3, it states:
Aritificial light shall be provided that is adequate to provide an average illumination of 10 foot candles over the area of the room at a height of 30 inches above the floor level.
Hence, the requirement is only stating to provide lighting. Not emergency lighting. Had we followed the logic gbhammer is proposing, all spaces would require emergency lighting, including storage rooms, officers, and other spaces we don't typically see emergency ligthing. However, his logic does not hold true to the intent of the code.
If we go further down the lighting article of the building code, it has a section titled 1205.5, 'Emergency Egress Lighting', which directs us to Section 1006.1. Section 1006.1 reads
The means of egress, including exit discharge, shall be illuminated at all times the building space served the means of egress is occupied.
It then states the criteria for said illumination, which is 1 FC minimum at the walking surface in 1006.2. Even further down, 1006.3, titled Illumination
emergency power states
The power supply for means of egress illlumination shall be provided by the premises electrical supply. In the event of power supply failure, an emergency electrical system shall automatically illuminate the following areas:"
and it goes on to list the areas that require said emegency illumination. It then provides a
separate criteria for emergency illumination on Section 1006.4.
If it were the intent of the code to require at all spaces that are intended to be occupied by a human to require emergency lighting, it'd be quite a roundabout way of doing so. But as we know, that isn't the intent of the code, since, when the code does want to require certain spaces require emergency lighting, it explicitly states it.
So while I do agree it is good design practice to provide emergency lighting in the electrical room (and I personally as an electrical engineer provide it, unless ownership asks us to remove it, at their own risk, and against our recommendation), it is
not required per the 2006 IBC.
P.S. Please note, at the time of this writing, the recent 2018 IBC has added electrical equipment rooms, fire command centers, fire pump rooms, generator rooms, and even public restrooms to the list of spaces that require emergency lighting.