One or all accessible routes to employee work areas

[Mr. Inspector]

A whole new building is an employee work area in the whole building. There are multiple doors that connect the same office area to the main warehouse area. The office area and warehouse area have their own separate exterior exit doors.

2009 IBC 1104.3.1 "Common use circulation paths within employee work areas shall be accessible routes". This is not saying at least one accessible route to each employee work area. This section does not seem to care how many accessible routes go into an employee work areas but is specific to "Common Use Circulation Paths" which I would think mean all Common Use Circulation Paths within employee work areas shall be accessible routes.

This seems odd because it would require more accessible routes than a public area would require. IBC 1104.3 only requires an accessible route to a space.

All of these employee work areas are over 300 sq. ft. (new code says 1,000 sq ft. which we will use next year)

So do all the doors between the warehouse need to be accessible or only one?

 

[steveray]

When in doubt, go to the definitions....

EMPLOYEE WORK AREA. All or any portion of a space
used only by employees and only for work. Corridors, toilet
rooms, kitchenettes and break rooms are not employee work
areas.
An employee work area is different in an office versus
on a factory line. An employee work area may
expand past the station or desk where an employee
performs his or her job. An employee work area could
include common use spaces, but not public use
spaces. Depending on the duties of the employee, it
may also include copy areas, stock rooms, filing
areas, an assembly line, etc. (see also the commentary
for the definitions of “Common use” and “Publicuse
areas”).
Note that not all employee-only areas are considered
part of employee work areas (i.e., bathrooms,
corridors, breakrooms).

 

[Builder Bob]

It may be an designer's option, however, Having only one accessible route leads to a large amount of signage needed to assist people in finding the accessible route - look at Section 1111 signage closely.

 

[steveray]

Good call BB!....I am trying harder to get this spelled out on plan review as I am sick of fighting it at CO time....

 

[Mr. Inspector]

When in doubt, go to the definitions....

EMPLOYEE WORK AREA. All or any portion of a space
used only by employees and only for work. Corridors, toilet
rooms, kitchenettes and break rooms are not employee work
areas.
An employee work area is different in an office versus
on a factory line. An employee work area may
expand past the station or desk where an employee
performs his or her job. An employee work area could
include common use spaces, but not public use
spaces. Depending on the duties of the employee, it
may also include copy areas, stock rooms, filing
areas, an assembly line, etc. (see also the commentary
for the definitions of “Common use” and “Publicuse
areas”).
Note that not all employee-only areas are considered
part of employee work areas (i.e., bathrooms,
corridors, breakrooms).

This gets complicated. Some of the doors connect the warehouse area to corridors and some to office rooms that connect to corridors on the opposite side of the room.

So if it is warehouse area (employee work area) is on one side of the door it's a Common use circulation paths within employee work area and all Common use circulation paths within employee work area shall be accessible but on the corridor side of the door it is a accessible space which only requires one accessible route to it.
The corridors have 3 doors that connect to the warehouse and the doors are far apart from each other. Do all these door need to be accessible? Or would all the doors on the warehouse side would have to be accessible but on the corridor side only one door would have to be accessible?

The reason I'm asking because they screwed up with the doors that are all ready installed and don't have the required maneuvering space on the corridor/office side to make them accessible and I need to know if all of these doors need to be accessible.

It may be an designer's option, however, Having only one accessible route leads to a large amount of signage needed to assist people in finding the accessible route - look at Section 1111 signage closely.

I can't see that it is the designers option if 2009 IBC 1104.3.1 says "Common use circulation paths within employee work areas shall be accessible routes"
It looks to me it is requiring all Common use circulation paths within employee work areas shall be accessible routes

 

[Mr. Inspector]

OK got the word from the state that all these doors are to be accessible.

 

[Mr. Inspector]

Now I also just got a written statement from ICC that all these doors are to be accessible.

 

[ADAguy]

Good point of clarification.