Here's where I was looking, Mark. In the 2009 IBC:
1008.1.2 Door swing. Egress doors shall be of the pivoted or side-hinged swinging type.
Exceptions:
1. Private garages, office areas, factory and storage areas with an occupant load of 10 or less.
2. Group I-3 occupancies used as a place of detention.
3. Critical or intensive care patient rooms within suites of health care facilities.
4. Doors within or serving a single dwelling unit in Groups R-2 and R-3.
5. In other than Group H occupancies, revolving doors complying with Section 1008.1.4.1.
6. In other than Group H occupancies, horizontal sliding doors complying with Section 1008.1.4.3 are permitted in a means of egress.
7. Power-operated doors in accordance with Section 1008.1.4.2.
8. Doors serving a bathroom within an individual sleeping unit in Group R-1.
9. In other than Group H occupancies, manually operated horizontal sliding doors are permitted in a means of egress from spaces with an occupant load of 10 or less.
Doors shall swing in the direction of egress travel where serving an occupant load of 50 or more persons or a Group H occupancy.
The section you referenced is for power operated sliders. In the case of the small workroom, they would like to use a manual slider.