door swing
- Thread starter david gum
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Logan, Utah
Welcome to the forum.
That depends on if you are using the 2008 NEC and the size of the electrical equipment.
110.26(C)(3) (New to the 2008 NEC)requires that equipment rated 1200 A or more that contains overcurrent devices, switching devices, or control devices is installed and there is a personnel door(s) intended for entrance to and egress from the working space less than 7.6 m (25 ft) from the nearest edge of the working space, the door(s) shall open in the direction of egress and be equipped with panic bars, pressure plates, or other devices that are normally latched but open under simple pressure.
Chris
That depends on if you are using the 2008 NEC and the size of the electrical equipment.
110.26(C)(3) (New to the 2008 NEC)requires that equipment rated 1200 A or more that contains overcurrent devices, switching devices, or control devices is installed and there is a personnel door(s) intended for entrance to and egress from the working space less than 7.6 m (25 ft) from the nearest edge of the working space, the door(s) shall open in the direction of egress and be equipped with panic bars, pressure plates, or other devices that are normally latched but open under simple pressure.
Chris
- Location
- Logan, Utah
No, the 1200 amps value would be a single piece of equipment rated at that ampacity, not the accumulative value of multiple pieces of electrical equipment, such as 6 200 amp rated panelboards.
Chris
mcelweec@gmail.com
CMAC1
- Location
- NYC
- Occupation
- Electrician
is the less than 25ft rule new to 2008?
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Engineer
Yes it is. Earlier versions talked about doors that comprise entrances to the working space. Only in 2008 did it include any door within 25 feet of the working space.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
Here we do not require a door, but if it has one it will swing in the direction of egress. I cannot require panic hardware, but I can ask for it.
- Location
- Logan, Utah
2006 IBC section 1008.1.9 requires electrical rooms with equipment rated 1,200 amperes or more and over 6 feet wide that contain overcurrent devices, switching devices or control devices with exit access doors must be equipped with panic hardware and doors must swing in the direction of egress.
Chris
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
It is and it reads the same as the NEC. A room that contains electrical equipment is still an electrical room, but does not have required exiting.
See Chris's post as to the requirements.
We don't seem to be on the same page. I was refering to your comment where you said you could not require panic hardware.
The IBC requires panic hardware in some cases. The NEC does not.
Pierre C Belarge
Senior Member
- Location
- Westchester County, New York
If the door swings out into a hallway, and the hallway is part of the "path of egress", there are very specific building codes in regards to the door swing and the width of the path of egress.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
We are and we aren't. Per the NEC and the IBC code section that Chris posted, panic hardware is requied as is the door swinging in the direction of egress. If I do not have all of the conditions that are listed, but still have a door, I can have it swing in the direction of egress, but I can't require panic hardware.
And of course Pierre brings up some other points that need to be considered as well. Also the NEC allows a 24" door, but the smallest exit door allowed by the IBC is 30".
Pierre C Belarge
Senior Member
- Location
- Westchester County, New York
I understand the question/topic of this thread is the door to an electric room.
110.26(C) Entrance to and Egress from Working Space.
The above section generally is not specifically speaking about doors. The requirement is for entrance/egress of the working space. Before the 2008 NEC, there were more cases where the room/door is a building code issue, and the working space entrance was an NEC issue. The change in the 2008 has more or less married a lot of jurisdiction building codes with the NEC codes. I am sure that the discrepencies that may pop up between the two will be straightened out.
We ran into an issue on a job that could have cost tens of thousands, if not for the cooperation of the different inspectors/constractor/GC.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
Steve, I just reread you comment and you may be correct "......panic bars, pressure plates or other devices that are normally latched but open under simple pressure" is what the NEC says. Panic bars per say are not "required", but can be used. Where the IBC says "panic bars", but a panic bar is simply a "crash bar" and does not have to be alarmed. So while the wording is different, I believe that they are saying the same thing.
But again only under the conditions stated are they required.
But again only under the conditions stated are they required.
dcspector
Senior Member
- Location
- Burke, Virginia
Panic hardware and doors to swing outward were added due to if an individuals hands were burnt / injured one could simply escape out without using ones hands.
Cowboy:
I think you are correct, it can be a crash bar, and it doesn't have to be alarmed.
However, the NEC allows a simple lever type door knob. The IBC (somewhere in paragraph 1008) requires panic hardware to extend at least half way across the door. So a simple lever type knob wouldn't satisfy the IBC requirements.
So if there is a door, and the room has 1200 amp equipment 6' wide, you can require a panic bar.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
Well we're getting closer to being on the same page. I don't believe that the NEC allows lever hardware to be used. The idea of course, as Greg said, was to be able to open the door without using your hands. Now people may think that lever hardware can be used, but I wouldn't allow it.
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