Exterior lighting requirements

[shockin]

I have a question regarding the minimum exterior lighting requirements for a commercial day care. The community is on the '03 IBC which is where I believe I would find the answer if I had a copy. The reason I ask is that there are zero exterior lights installed. I would have thought that some would have been required through the building code at least for egress. I serve on this communities planning and zoning commision and I should have noted the lack of exterior lighting at the time of site plan approval but I didn't. Now that it's open for business it seems pretty obvious.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[raider1]

1006.1 of the IBC requires the means of egress, including the exit discharge, to be illuminated at all times the building space served by the means of egress is occupied.

What is the occupant load of the building?

This would be used to determine if emergency power would be required for the means of egress lighting.

Chris

 

[shockin]

I don't know the calculated occupant load. I do know that they serve just over one hundred children daily plus the staff required for this.

The reason I noticed the lack of lighting was due to the fact that at 6:30am when I'm going to work the dark parking lot is filled with children rinning from the cars to the building.

Bad idea IMO

 

[raider1]

I don't know the calculated occupant load. I do know that they serve just over one hundred children daily plus the staff required for this.

The reason I noticed the lack of lighting was due to the fact that at 6:30am when I'm going to work the dark parking lot is filled with children rinning from the cars to the building.

Bad idea IMO

Well it appears that there is an occupant load of more than 50 people so this usually will required that the building has 2 or more exits (Without an actual occupant load the actual number can't be calculated).

So the IBC would require emergency powered lighting for the means of egress including the exit discharge.

Chris

 

[shockin]

Would the emergency lighting requirement have been required with the '03 IBC?

 

[raider1]

Would the emergency lighting requirement have been required with the '03 IBC?

Yes, 1006.3 5 requires the portion of the exterior exit discharge immediately adjacent to exit discharge doorways in building required to have two or more exits to be provided with Illumination emergency power.

Chris

 

[RETRAINDAILY]

Here in Arizona every city has different requirements and restrictions. some have none.
The police have some say in it in a couple of the areas and come to check with a light meter.

 

[Mr. Bill]

The situation that you're describing is different and probably won't help by adding wall packs over the doors. It might add a little light but not much. They might siloute the children on a foggy morning but light source is on the wrong side to help the drivers see the kids.

There's nothing in the building code that requires parking lot lights. It's just something that building owners want to add safety to the parking lots. But there seems to be no short supply of building owners that only want the Code minimum to save on extra costs. I'd also doubt that there a city ordinance requiring parking lot lights. Limits on heights if you do install one, but nothing requiring one.

Probably the only way they'll add lights now is if a group of parents all petition to have them add a light, or a child gets hurt.