Tactile exit signs in apartments

[Mr. Inspector]

2009 IBC 1011.3 Tactile exit signs.
A tactile sign stating EXIT and complying with ICC A117.1 shall be provided adjacent to each door to an area of refuge , an exterior area for assisted rescue, an exit stairway , an exit ramp , an exit passageway and the exit discharge .

An existing 3 story apartment (triplex) building is to be completely remodeled inside. The apartments exit through a one hour protected stairway. None of the apartments are accessible. Do each apartment need an tactile exit sign inside their entry door and one at the main exit? Don't see any exceptions but I never seen an tactile exit sign in an apartment before.

 

[steveray]

Worst case...at each entrance to the stairs and the discharge. Best case...If only one exit is required, no signs at all...

 

[mtlogcabin]

The exceptions are in "1011.1 Where Required" which applies to all exit signs.

1011.1 Where required.
Exits and exit access doors shall be marked by an approved exit sign readily visible from any direction of egress travel. The path of egress travel to exits and within exits shall be marked by readily visible exit signs to clearly indicate the direction of egress travel in cases where the exit or the path of egress travel is not immediately visible to the occupants. Intervening means of egress doors within exits shall be marked by exit signs. Exit sign placement shall be such that no point in an exit access corridor or exit passageway is more than 100 feet (30 480 mm) or the listed viewing distance for the sign, whichever is less, from the nearest visible exit sign.

Exceptions:

1. Exit signs are not required in rooms or areas that require only one exit or exit access.

2. Main exterior exit doors or gates that are obviously and clearly identifiable as exits need not have exit signs where approved by the building official.

3. Exit signs are not required in occupancies in Group U and individual sleeping units or dwelling units in Group R-1, R-2 or R-3.

4. Exit signs are not required in dayrooms, sleeping rooms or dormitories in occupancies in Group I-3.

5. In occupancies in Groups A-4 and A-5, exit signs are not required on the seating side of vomitories or openings into seating areas where exit signs are provided in the concourse that are readily apparent from the vomitories. Egress lighting is provided to identify each vomitory or opening within the seating area in an emergency.

 

[Mr. Inspector]

IBC 1110.3 Other signs.
Signage indicating special accessibility provisions shall be provided as shown:
1..
2. At each door to an area of refuge , an exterior area for assisted rescue, an egress stairway , exit passageway and exit discharge , signage shall be provided in accordance with Section 1011.3.

This section seems to skip 1011.1 where the exceptions are and goes directly to 1011.3 and requires each door..........
but I'm not sure what it means by special accessibility provisions.

 

[ADAguy]

Consider that disabilities come in many flavors, even if the units are not mobility accessible they still must consider those with sight and hearing limitations, therefore signage and alarms may be necessary as either an accommodation or if units are altered.

 

[Mr. Inspector]

Just talked to ICC, I was told that 110.3 (2) was not written right and should include the exceptions in 1011.1.

 

[ADAguy]

What would they do without "our" eyes and ears?
How often do their errors go unchallenged?

 

[Mr. Inspector]

I'm using the 2009 IBC and it still wasn't fixed in 2015.

I would think we can't just the go by exceptions in 1011.1 for tactile exit signs without using the rest of the section for tactile signs.

"exit sign readily visible from any direction of egress travel". Not sure how to achieve this if ANSI A117.1 requires the sign to be in a specific place by a door.

"Exit sign placement shall be such that no point in an exit access corridor or exit passageway is more than 100 feet". Not sure how you do this if there is no door within 100' to mount the tactile sign next to.

"or the listed viewing distance for the sign, whichever is less, from the nearest visible exit sign". What is the listed viewing distance of braille?

 

[ADAguy]

would seem to imply that it can be ceiling mounted as it indicates "visible" not tactile. Code gives a chart indicating increasing letter size based on distance from sign.

 

[Mr. Inspector]

Now I just talked to the PA UCC. The state checks our work here so I need to go by what they say. They told me the opposite of what ICC told me. They told me that every exit is to have a tactile exit sign and the exeptions in section 2015 IBC 1013.1 do not apply since 2015 1111.3 (2) says "At each door to an area of refuge , an exterior area for assisted rescue, an egress stairway , exit passageway and exit discharge , signage shall be provided in accordance with Section 1011.3."

So It looks like they need to have a tactile exit sign in the apartments.

 

[JBI]

Now I just talked to the PA UCC. The state checks our work here so I need to go by what they say

Maybe you should've started there...