How many panic doors should I have?

[zdbleam]

Hello,

I work in generator packaging building enclosures for large generators, anywhere from 20kW to 3000kW. Recently a discussion in my company has come up with where and how many panic push bar doors should go on our enclosure. Many times we use doors as access points to equipment to meet working space clearances. Would these also count as entrance and egress points? So if I have an 800 amp breaker, and there are 3 doors within 25ft it, do they all need pushbars, or does one that is for accessing the equipment only count as access and not an entrance? One of the doors is a double door right in front of the breaker. They all lead to outside the enclosure. Does Exhibit 110.21 in the code book become ok if the equipment is under 1200A? That is the closest setup I could find in the code book to match the gensets, but I don't know if I should classify the whole genset as large equipment.

 

[tom baker]

Section 110.26 is very clear on egress means and clearances for electrical rooms. A caution if you are using the NEC handbook, some of the drawings are not correct per the NEC,

 

[petersonra]

JMNSHO.

I think you should consider carefully all the risks involved, and use that risk assessment to determine what access and exit is required, rather than just the bare minimum you can get by with per code. The extra cost of some hardware or another door is not worth someone's life.