Panic and Fire Exit Hardware

[jj1289]

During inspections I am seeing more and more doors are being equipped with panic hardware. In most cases it is not required and a very expensive item to install. I have also been on inspections and another inspector (fire and building) would make the statement that panic hardware is required. They make the statement without researching first and I have corrected them for this. Below is an outline on the requirements, excluding some exceptions;

When is panic and fire exit hardware required?

It is required in the following situations:

• Swinging doors in Group H occupancies (1010.2.8)
• Group A room/space with occupant load > 50 (1010.2.8)
• Group E room/space with occupant load > 50 (1010.2.8)
• Refrigeration rooms > 1,000 sf (1010.2.8.1)
• Electrical rooms with equipment rated ≥ 800 amperes when exit access is < 25 ft from equipment (1010.2.8.2, NEC 110.26(C)(3) & 110.33(A)(3))

What is panic hardware?

[BE] PANIC HARDWARE. A door-latching assembly incorporating a device that releases the latch upon the application of a force in the direction of egress travel. See “Fire exit hardware.”

[BF]FIRE EXIT HARDWARE. Panic hardware that is listed for use on fire door assemblies.

The above references are based on the 2024 IBC, 2024 IFC and the 2023 NEC

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

A Cliff's Notes summary of the difference between panic hardware and fire exit hardware is that fire exit hardware can't be "dogged" open -- in the unlatched position. This is because fire exit hardware is for use on fire doors, and fire doors must always be self-closing and self-latching.

 

[Sifu]

Here is where I struggle. Codes require all doors "serving" any of the spaces you indicate. How far does this go? Discussed before on the forum, but always makes me uncomfortable. I currently have one where there are two A3 spaces with an OL > 50. The first has a direct exterior exit access, and one interior to a corridor. The second A3 space has two exit access doorways with interior corridor access leading to multiple exterior exit access doors. There are also 3 other smaller conference rooms that would not be considered as group A. Per 2018 IBC 1010.1.10 every exit access door in the building would need to be equipped with panic hardware since someone in any of the A3 or smaller conference rooms would be "served" by these doors. Commentary details this. Some of the doors are not "intended" as an exit access path, but are still "serving" those occupants, and even though they aren't marked as an exit access pathway, they would be the most commonly used doors by the occupants, which would likely mean they would be the way they choose in any accelerated exit scenario.

Pretty sure this has been debated for years, but no code change has ever been successful. Easy to require panic hardware everywhere, but harder to pay for it.

 

[steveray]

Here is where I struggle. Codes require all doors "serving" any of the spaces you indicate. How far does this go? Discussed before on the forum, but always makes me uncomfortable. I currently have one where there are two A3 spaces with an OL > 50. The first has a direct exterior exit access, and one interior to a corridor. The second A3 space has two exit access doorways with interior corridor access leading to multiple exterior exit access doors. There are also 3 other smaller conference rooms that would not be considered as group A. Per 2018 IBC 1010.1.10 every exit access door in the building would need to be equipped with panic hardware since someone in any of the A3 or smaller conference rooms would be "served" by these doors. Commentary details this. Some of the doors are not "intended" as an exit access path, but are still "serving" those occupants, and even though they aren't marked as an exit access pathway, they would be the most commonly used doors by the occupants, which would likely mean they would be the way they choose in any accelerated exit scenario.

Pretty sure this has been debated for years, but no code change has ever been successful. Easy to require panic hardware everywhere, but harder to pay for it.

I know it gets messy, but I would only go off of the required exits for the area as demonstrated by the designer on the con docs....If they are lazy and don't want to show it, put them everywhere....

 

[Yikes]

I've had multifamily projects where I've installed panic hardware even though it was not required by code, and I wasn't being lazy: Here's some reasons / examples:

• Laundry rooms, so a person holding a full basket of clothes could just lean into the panic bar to open it.
• Storefront main entry doors, where a panic bar aesthetically looks cleaner than lever hardware.
• Pairs of doors on a corridor, or some place where the bar seemed to work better with other hardware needs.

 

[Sifu]

Messy but see if it can be understood:

Given that IBC 1006.2 requires that rooms, areas or spaces shall be provided with the number of access to exits based on occupant load.

Two training rooms, each with > 50 occupants. Each training room provides 2 exit access doors. But each room is served by only one compliant exit pathway if each door in the pathway must swing in the direction of travel and be equipped with panic hardware. Both rooms have only one approved exit path if one of the exit access doors is compromised, one due to panic hardware, one due to door swing. Training room 1 (plan north) has an exit path to the exterior, but only one since the door with the red arrow swings the wrong way. Training room 2 (plan south) has an exit path to the exterior, but only one since neither of the doors marked by the red arrow have panic hardware.