• Welcome to The Building Code Forum

    Your premier resource for building code knowledge.

    This forum remains free to the public thanks to the generous support of our Sawhorse Members and Corporate Sponsors. Their contributions help keep this community thriving and accessible.

    Want enhanced access to expert discussions and exclusive features? Learn more about the benefits here.

    Ready to upgrade? Log in and upgrade now.

Restroom in a guard shack for a gated community

jar546

jar546

CBO
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
12,723
Location
Not where I really want to be
A guard shack without a restroom is being demolished and another built in its place that will be twice the size and they want to include a restroom. I cannot find any exceptions whatsoever to the scoping that would exclude the restroom from being accessible. Is this your opinion too?
 
Since in most cases a guard shack like this is really nothing more than a gatekeeper to know who comes in and out of the property to guard in many cases can be disabled and still carry out the functions Req. It's not as if they go out look at ID, walk around the vehicle to check for inappropriate materials etc. I see no way to exempt this from being accessible. If your post referenced above was a military installation which is a completely different situation.
 
Msradell said:
Since in most cases a guard shack like this is really nothing more than a gatekeeper to know who comes in and out of the property to guard in many cases can be disabled and still carry out the functions Req. It's not as if they go out look at ID, walk around the vehicle to check for inappropriate materials etc. I see no way to exempt this from being accessible. If your post referenced above was a military installation which is a completely different situation.
Click to expand...
I agree there is no exception for this.
 
1103.2.2 Employee work areas. Spaces and elements
within employee work areas shall only be required to comply
with Sections 907.5.2.3.1, 1009 and 1104.3.1 and shall
be designed and constructed so that individuals with disabilities
can approach, enter and exit the work area. Work
areas, or portions of work areas, other than raised courtroom
stations in accordance with Section 1108.4.1.4, that
are less than 300 square feet (30 m2) in area and located 7
inches (178 mm) or more above or below the ground or
finished floor where the change in elevation is essential to
the function of the space shall be exempt from all requirements.

1103.2.6 Raised areas. Raised areas used primarily for
purposes of security, life safety or fire safety including,
but not limited to, observation galleries, prison guard towers,
fire towers or lifeguard stands are not required to comply
with this chapter.

[BE] 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.

Toilet rooms are not employee work areas or not used primarily for purposes of security, life safety or fire safety so the toilet room is not exempt but the rest of the guard shack can be exempt if 7" above the ground but not if the guard also uses the space to take breaks ;).
 
tomtomtom said:
We are renovating an existing second story apartment into two units, in a conforming mixed use building (two commercial units on the first floor, two apartments on the second).
There is an interior stair which exits outdoors, which will serve one unit: existing no change.
The second unit will be served by an exterior staircase: the existing one is non-conforming, and will be replaced: this stair serves only a single apartment/unit, and goes from the second floor unit to a parking lot: consensus in our office, and with a code consultant is that this is a residential component and can be built, as the existing interior stair, to IRC, not IBC- the building official has stated that he believes it should be built per IBC stair requirements: which is a lot of stair for a an apartment with an occupant load under five people..
I do not see an explicit code exception for this, but then, we also don't need to follow commercial plumbing code for the residential unit... so I'm looking for something definitive in terms of interpretation or explicit exception to end the conversation.
Click to expand...

Rick18071 said:
1103.2.2 Employee work areas. Spaces and elements
within employee work areas shall only be required to comply
with Sections 907.5.2.3.1, 1009 and 1104.3.1 and shall
be designed and constructed so that individuals with disabilities
can approach, enter and exit the work area. Work
areas, or portions of work areas, other than raised courtroom
stations in accordance with Section 1108.4.1.4, that
are less than 300 square feet (30 m2) in area and located 7
inches (178 mm) or more above or below the ground or
finished floor where the change in elevation is essential to
the function of the space shall be exempt from all requirements.

1103.2.6 Raised areas. Raised areas used primarily for
purposes of security, life safety or fire safety including,
but not limited to, observation galleries, prison guard towers,
fire towers or lifeguard stands are not required to comply
with this chapter.

[BE] 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.

Toilet rooms are not employee work areas or not used primarily for purposes of security, life safety or fire safety so the toilet room is not exempt but the rest of the guard shack can be exempt if 7" above the ground but not if the guard also uses the space to take breaks ;).
Click to expand...
Could possibly use this...(although not likely)
Exceptions:
1. Toilet rooms or bathing rooms accessed only
through a private office, not for common or public
use and intended for use by a single occupant,
shall be permitted to comply with the specific
exceptions in ICC A117.1.

And....

1103.2.6 Raised areas. Raised areas used primarily for
purposes of security, life safety or fire safety including,
but not limited to, observation galleries, prison guard towers,
fire towers or lifeguard stands are not required to comply
with this chapter.
 
Must the guard shack be accessible? A seated guard would need to be elevated to be able to see into SUV or truck cab.
 
steveray said:
Could possibly use this...(although not likely)
Exceptions:
1. Toilet rooms or bathing rooms accessed only
through a private office, not for common or public
use and intended for use by a single occupant,
shall be permitted to comply with the specific
exceptions in ICC A117.1.
Click to expand...
I don't think they are calling it a office. But even if they could it still would need to be the same size with only 2 exceptions: water closet and lavatory heights.
 
Jeff, the door to the guard shack and toilet room does not need to be fully accessible, there are a lot of exceptions for doors only used by security personnel.

Odd that the toilet room is required to be accessible but not the door to it.
 
Last edited:
To save space, why not have the guard sit on the toilet while waving people through the gate? ;)

When asking the Federal, State, and local AHJ if we can do it the easy way - or do we need to do it the hard way, the answer is always very predictable.
 
jar546 said:
A guard shack without a restroom is being demolished and another built in its place that will be twice the size and they want to include a restroom. I cannot find any exceptions whatsoever to the scoping that would exclude the restroom from being accessible. Is this your opinion too?
Click to expand...
Will that guard employee need to be a gun toting, fast, running, leaping, jumping, able bodied type guard?
 
These cases always seemed odd. You can make this building not accessible - just show it has to be high (7"?) - but that otherwise inaccesible restroom has to be accesible.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top