LGreene
Registered User
This is a multiple-part question, so bear with me. The NEC requires doors to certain electric rooms to have panic hardware or devices that are normally latched but operate under simple pressure. Although there are other types of locks that would meet the simple pressure requirement, most of the AHJs in my area want to see panic hardware on these doors.
If I'm reading the NEC right, this applies to electric rooms with >600V or >1200A if there is a door within 25' of the working space, and also transformer vaults. The IBC has a requirement for panic hardware on electric rooms, but it doesn't apply to the same rooms as the NEC: "Electrical rooms with equipment rated 1,200 amperes or
more and over 6 feet (1829 mm) wide that contain overcurrent devices, switching devices or control devices with exit or exit access doors shall be equipped with panic hardware or fire exit hardware. The doors shall swing in the direction of egress travel."
Here are the questions:
a) Someone just pointed out to me that NEC section 110.31 (B) (2) says this: "In Places Accessible to Qualified Persons Only. Indoor electrical installations considered accessible only to qualified persons in accordance with this section shall comply with 110.34, 110.36, and 490.24." The paragraph about the panic hardware is in 110.33 - not one of the sections listed in 110.31 (B) (2). I'm not that familiar with the NEC, but it doesn't seem possible that the intent is that for places accessible to qualified persons only those are the only 3 sections that need to be met. Can you help educate me?
b) The IBC is only addressing rooms with >1200A. Is this just an inconsistency or is there more to the story?
c) How common is it for an electric room to have >600V or >1200A? I'd like to have a rule of thumb...would the main electric room for most commercial/institutional buildings qualify? Or only buildings of a certain size or type? Can you give me some insight into this?
As always, thanks in advance for your help. You are all a wealth of information.
If I'm reading the NEC right, this applies to electric rooms with >600V or >1200A if there is a door within 25' of the working space, and also transformer vaults. The IBC has a requirement for panic hardware on electric rooms, but it doesn't apply to the same rooms as the NEC: "Electrical rooms with equipment rated 1,200 amperes or
more and over 6 feet (1829 mm) wide that contain overcurrent devices, switching devices or control devices with exit or exit access doors shall be equipped with panic hardware or fire exit hardware. The doors shall swing in the direction of egress travel."
Here are the questions:
a) Someone just pointed out to me that NEC section 110.31 (B) (2) says this: "In Places Accessible to Qualified Persons Only. Indoor electrical installations considered accessible only to qualified persons in accordance with this section shall comply with 110.34, 110.36, and 490.24." The paragraph about the panic hardware is in 110.33 - not one of the sections listed in 110.31 (B) (2). I'm not that familiar with the NEC, but it doesn't seem possible that the intent is that for places accessible to qualified persons only those are the only 3 sections that need to be met. Can you help educate me?
b) The IBC is only addressing rooms with >1200A. Is this just an inconsistency or is there more to the story?
c) How common is it for an electric room to have >600V or >1200A? I'd like to have a rule of thumb...would the main electric room for most commercial/institutional buildings qualify? Or only buildings of a certain size or type? Can you give me some insight into this?
As always, thanks in advance for your help. You are all a wealth of information.