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Small office space

Examiner

Examiner

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Joined
Oct 22, 2009
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521
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USA
Looking at several small one person offices with some furniture as follows;

Desk, two chairs, file cabinets, credenza

I am concerned that the egress width from the desk chair and/or the visitor chair around any furniture is too narrow and if ADA applies to the inside of the office.

Any input on required egress clearances needed would be welcome. I think that 36-inches is to be the minimum egress width.

As for ADA, if the worker is not physically disable but a visitor is; can the visitor and worker meet in a room that would be large enough for the meeting?

Is the office space required by Building Code to be large enough for accessibility maneuvering?

1103.2.3 Employee work areas. Spaces and elements within employee work areas shall only be required to comply with Sections 907.9.1.2, 1007 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, that are less than 150 square feet (14 m2) in area and elevated 7 inches (178 mm) or more above the ground or finish floor where the elevation is essential to the function of the space shall be exempt from all requirements.
 
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Not every office needs to be accessible, public and common use areas such as hallways, conference rooms, break rooms, and restrooms need to be accessible and reasonable accommodations need to be provided for disabled employees
 
The Inernational Building Code, Ansi 117.1 nor ADAAG establish which or how many offices must be made accessible.
 
Except for the access to the room, it is not a building code issue.

Since the furniture is movable, the office is adaptable and can be made accessible if need be.
 
The Section referenced does not require the work area to be accessible (“within employee work areas”) but does require the work area to be “constructed so that individuals with disabilities can approach, enter and exit the work area.”

That reads to me that unless the employee becomes physically disable the work area is not required to be designed for the possibility of the employee becoming physically disable. I do understand that if any employee does become physically disable then their work space may be relocated or modified to accommodate their disability. However, the access to the work space and leaving the work space must be accessible. That would mean having required turning space or floor clearances inside the work space to enter and leave. Therefore, any furniture placed in the required floor clearances, needed for used by the physically disable to leave or enter the work space, must be removed. The Commentary’s example is a private work station in a lab having access to and from the private station but the station alone does not have to be designed for the physically disable.

Also the clear width for egress is to be 36-inches where egress occurs between furniture.

Am I reading this wrong?
 
Maneuvering space and accessible or adaptable elements (e.g, work surfaces) will facilitate accommodation of employees. For this reason, it is recommended that where multiple work stations of the same type are provided (e.g., ticket and toll booths) at least 5 percent be fully accessible.

http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/about/guide.htm#Work Areas [4.1.1(3)]

Recommended, NOT REQUIRED

Access not required for all employee work areas.
 
What you're presenting falls under Title I (Employment) within ADA, not Title III which is what is enforced for public access. It's not our job as code officials to enforce Title I provisions.
 
Codegeek said:
What you're presenting falls under Title I (Employment) within ADA, not Title III which is what is enforced for public access. It's not our job as code officials to enforce Title I provisions.
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Nor is it your job to enforce title III, unless you area design professional, or if your state requires compliance with the ADA
 
approach, enter and exit the work area.

So door and space access it is if an individual work area must meets that minimum

not evey desk and work area must comply but any visiting my cubeical mut be able to access, enter , then exit.
 
It seems like there is no hard track line to follow when a space has multiple small rooms that all have different functions critical to the primary occupancy.
 
codegeek and Mark nailed it. ADA is not a CEO's jurisdiction, DoJ gets that. CEO's need to ensure compliance with the Code and (by reference) ICC/ANSI A117.1 for accessibility.
 
One item that neither the Code (mercifully) or ADA really addresses is window offices should an employee become disabled. I say that because I've learned that law offices, for example, rent/buy space based on the windowed offices for those who "get" windowed offices. A tenant may rent 40,000 sf to get 20 offices with a nice view (really). If a lawyer breaks their back skiing and returns in a wheel chair.. well, it's an ADA issue.. (but they might lose that precious corner office).
 
peach said:
One item that neither the Code (mercifully) or ADA really addresses is window offices should an employee become disabled. I say that because I've learned that law offices, for example, rent/buy space based on the windowed offices for those who "get" windowed offices. A tenant may rent 40,000 sf to get 20 offices with a nice view (really). If a lawyer breaks their back skiing and returns in a wheel chair.. well, it's an ADA issue.. (but they might lose that precious corner office).
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This scenario is covered under Title I, which is not the responsibility of the jurisdiction to enforce.
 
Forget the Feds requirements for accessibility and just concentrate on SECTION 1103.2.3 in the 2006 BUILDING CODE and how it reads…”Spaces and elements within employee work areas shall only be required to comply with Sections 907.9.1.2, 1007 and 1104.3.1 and shall be designed and constructed so that individuals with disabilities can approach, enter and exit the work area….”

The employee work area is not required to be accessible but the ingress and egress is required to be accessible for each employee work area. The individuals with disabilities, I would assume you would call them visitors, do not have to maneuver within the employee’s work space but they certainly have to be able to enter and leave the employee’s work space.

The Building Code does not give any percentages of office that have to be accessible that I can find.

The office design I am reviewing has lots of furniture in the room. I would surely hate to show the client a room filled with furniture that will not be allowed due to egress width issues. Not counting the accessibility requirement to enter and leave the space, the means of egress around the items or between things like, file cabinets and desk, are less than 36” clear width.

Can the means of egress be less than 36” between furniture in a single employee work area?

Would you use clearance distance similar to Section 1014.4.3 Seating at Tables for clearances between the items in the room?
 
Examiner said:
Forget the Feds requirements for accessibility and just concentrate on SECTION 1103.2.3 in the 2006 BUILDING CODE and how it reads…”Spaces and elements within employee work areas shall only be required to comply with Sections 907.9.1.2, 1007 and 1104.3.1 and shall be designed and constructed so that individuals with disabilities can approach, enter and exit the work area….”The employee work area is not required to be accessible but the ingress and egress is required to be accessible for each employee work area. The individuals with disabilities, I would assume you would call them visitors, do not have to maneuver within the employee’s work space but they certainly have to be able to enter and leave the employee’s work space.

The Building Code does not give any percentages of office that have to be accessible that I can find.

The office design I am reviewing has lots of furniture in the room. I would surely hate to show the client a room filled with furniture that will not be allowed due to egress width issues. Not counting the accessibility requirement to enter and leave the space, the means of egress around the items or between things like, file cabinets and desk, are less than 36” clear width.

Can the means of egress be less than 36” between furniture in a single employee work area?

Would you use clearance distance similar to Section 1014.4.3 Seating at Tables for clearances between the items in the room?
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Unless this project is in California, yes, there can be less than 36" between furniture in a single employee work area. No, I wouldn't use the provisions in 1014.4.3 as a guideline.
 
Examiner said:
Can the means of egress be less than 36” between furniture in a single employee work area?Would you use clearance distance similar to Section 1014.4.3 Seating at Tables for clearances between the items in the room?
Click to expand...
When I review office layouts, I make sure the door is accessible and has the appropriate clear floor space requirements for someone to successfully open and enter the office (a 24"x36" clear floor space within inside the room). I do not require the furniture layout in the office to be compliant minimum widths for accessible routes, but do recommend they acknowledge that, as shown, there is not the minimum clear floor space at the door and/or insufficient room to change directions and then exit.

From the accessibility seminars I have attended, it appears that if the door opens into the office, a 24" x 36" clear floor space would be sufficient to allow the person back out of the office. Personally I do not agree with this assessment, as disabilities concerning mobility vary greatly, this may work okay for those in wheel chairs (especially motorized), but may not work so well for someone on crutches or in braces.
 
offices and office cubicles are different things; 32" clear opening, not a 36" door is the standard for the areas needing to be accessible, which may (or may not) be a person's work space.
 
To get a 32" minimum clear width in an opening that has a door, the door's width has to be 36". The clear width is measures with the door in a 90-deg open position, from the face of the door to the face of the rabbet on the strike side of the door's frame.

Ex: a hollow metal door frame's rabbet is 5/8" and the door's inside face toward the opening measures about 2 1/2" from the hinge face so, 36" - (2 1/2" + 5/8") = 32 7/8" clear width at the door opening.

As for clear width around or between furniture for means of egress from any point in the room, does the Code give a minimum dimension other than the 36" clear width?

If so what is it and please reference the Section in the 2006 IBC.
 
2006 IBC 1008.1.1 Size of doors. The minimum width of each door opening shall be sufficient for the occupant load thereof and shall provide a clear width of not less than 32 inches. Clear openings of doorways with swinging doors shall be measured between the face of the door and the stop, with the door open 90 degrees. Where this section requires a minimum clear width of 32 inches and a door opening includes two door leaves without a mullion, one leaf shall provide a clear opening width of 32 inches. The maximum width of a swinging door leaf shall be 48 inches nominal. Means of egress doors in a Group I-2 occupancy used for the movement of beds shall provide a clear width not less than 41.5 inches. The height of doors shall not be less than 80 inches
 
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