Exiting from kitchen storage, through a kitchen

[Yikes]

CBC 1014.4 says that means of egress shall not pass through kitchens. In my case, I have a commercial (church) kitchen that has its own ~200 SF dry storage room in the back, for storing kitchen goods (coffee, rice, paper plates, etc.). I believe this room is part of /accessory to the kitchen, and therefore this room does not need its own separate exit. This dry storage room is not used for any other purpose than to support the kitchen.

Do you agree that the kitchen storage can be accessed from / exited solely via the kitchen?

 

[fatboy]

Yes, over the years, more than once, I have commented to my plans examiner that how do I get out of a kitchen, or storage area, without exiting though the same???

 

[cda]

Sounds good to me

 

[Francis Vineyard]

According to the 2012 & 2015 commentary "the intent is a customer means of egress should not be through the working portions of a commercial kitchen in a restaurant or the stock storage area of a storage room in a mercantile occupancy."

Underlined emphasis is mine; I didn't see this word in the 2009 commentary edition for this provision.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[ADAguy]

It depends:

1. Size of kitchen vs size of storage rm (storage room not greater than 10% of kitchen served?).

2. Sprinklered or not?

3. Can be an accessory to the area served.

4. Assumes that no prep work is taking place in the storage room?

5. Similar use to a walk-in.

 

[Yikes]

It depends:1. Size of kitchen vs size of storage rm (storage room not greater than 10% of kitchen served?).

2. Sprinklered or not?

3. Can be an accessory to the area served.

4. Assumes that no prep work is taking place in the storage room?

5. Similar use to a walk-in.

1. I'd say it's about 15% of the total kitchen space.

2. Sprinklered

3. Yes, that is the intent, it is an accessory to store items for the kitchen itself, like a walk-in cupboard

4. No prep in the food storage room

5. It is similar in size to a large walk-in refrigerator.

 

[mtlogcabin]

CBC might be different

Section 1014 of the IBC deal with exit access from an occupied space. A storage room is not an occupied space by definition. An employee may enter the room to retrieve products being stored there but that employee is not engaged in labor while in that room. His labor is in the kitchen. Similar to a janitor does not engage in labor in the janitors closet.

OCCUPIABLE SPACE. A room or enclosed space designed for human occupancy in which individuals congregate for amusement, educational or similar purposes or in which occupants are engaged at labor, and which is equipped with means of egress and light and ventilation facilities meeting the requirements of this code.

EXIT ACCESS. That portion of a means of egress system that leads from any occupied portion of a building or structure to an exit.

 

[ADAguy]

Good expansion; in some older kitchens you often fine pathways through them leading to restrooms and rear exits.

Dry storage racks are often placed along the walls of those corridors obstructing their widths. That was then (pre-ADA and health codes (in some cases)).

This can also be an issue with older churches who wish to expand their kitchens to serve homeless and seniors but overlook code limitations.

This is where some revert to use of sea containers and Shed City to store their dry and donated goods.

If it is as Yikes describes, this shouldn't be an issue. More important to maintain cleanliness.