Is an emergency light required in conference room?

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I have found when dealing with the fire marshall if I base what I want to do on this (Life safety code) and point out what it states they basically leave us alone. I have found if you bug them enough the leave you alone.
 
IBC definitiion of means of egress "a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from ANY occupied portion of a building or structure to a public way. A means of egress consists of 3 separate and distinct parts: the exit access, the exit and the exit discharge"


Exit access... "that portion of a means of egress system that leads from ANY occupied portion of a building or structure to an EXIT"...

the conference room is part of the exit access
 
I believe the part of the IBC that requires the conference room to have emergency lighting is 1006.3 "1. Exit access corridors, passageways, and aisles in rooms and spaces which require two or more means of egress." If the conference room is required to have two exits it needs exit and emergency lighting. If it doesn't need two doors, it isn't required to have emergency lighting, even if the building as a whole is required to.

Jim T
 
Not so sure the building official would agree with that arguement... and you don't base occupancy or exiting on number of chairs, btw... table 1004.1.2 does not give you the maximum occupant load for an area... it's the maximum area per occupant (really.. the minimum occupant load you're going to figure for egress/exiting plans) .. unless it's FIXED seating, the chairs mean nothing..
 
Ragin Cajun said:
As I do design for "conference" rooms, I tend to play it on the safe side. A bug eye, fluorescent battery pack, etc. on the plans is in the grand scheme of things cheap, ~<$100. BUT, get some inspector, FD, etc. with a wild hair who wants it AFTER the fact and you're looking at $2-300 and a ticked off client.
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From my experience here in MA, that would be a very smart way to go if your interested in saving the client some money.

Here it is the fire chief for the city or town that checks the e-lighting and they can ask for whatever they want. We as the EC do not have the time or even the motivation to fight with the FD over what is really required vs what they want. We want the CO so we can get done and move on.

It's all 'extra' for us so why would we fight it, but surly someone ends up paying.

So IMO Rajin's cover all the bases design saves the customer money.
 
I would disagree with this.

I would disagree with this.

llverbeek said:
every part of every building is part of the means of egress...
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Per OSHA

Means of egress shall be continually maintained free of all obstructions or impediments to full instant use in the case of fire or other emergency.

If you consider the whole building a means of egress you would not be able to place anything in it.
 
gosh, raider.. why do you think the building codes have "travel distance"... it's to an EXIT..

IBC 1015 "exits shall be so located on each story such that the maximum length of exit access travel, measured from the most remote point within a story to the ENTRANCE TO AN EXIT along the natural and unobstructed path of egress travel, shall not exceed the distances given in Table 1015.1 (in most cases 200 feet without sprinkler, 250 with).

this is why plans examiners often ask for a fixture plan... so they can measure the distance to an exit..
 
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gosh, raider.. why do you think the building codes have "travel distance"... it's to an EXIT..
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Boy are we a little touchy? I do understand the "travel distance" to an exit.

I just found Muskiedog's post humorous, thats all.

Chris
 
mike9999 said:
If I connect emergency night light in the conference room then there is no way I can turn it off for video presentation.
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I see you have solved the problem, but when it comes up again, Bodine has relays to allow you to switch the night light.
 
1003.2.11 Means of egress illuminations. The means of egress, including the exit discharge shall be illuminated at all times the building space served by the means of egress is occupied"....
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This section does not require "illumination emergency power" for a means of egress. the "illumination emergency power" requirements come from IBC section 1006.3.

Here is a section 1006.3 from the 2006 IBC

1006.3 Illumination emergency power. The power supply for
means of egress illumination shall normally be provided by the
premises? electrical supply.
In the event of power supply failure, an emergency electrical
system shall automatically illuminate the following areas:
1. Aisles and unenclosed egress stairways in rooms and
spaces that require two or more means of egress.
2. Corridors, exit enclosures and exit passageways in buildings
required to have two or more exits.
3. Exterior egress components at other than the level of exit
discharge until exit discharge is accomplished for buildings
required to have two or more exits.
4. Interior exit discharge elements, as permitted in Section
1024.1, in buildings required to have two or more exits.
5. Exterior landings, as required by Section 1008.1.5, for
exit discharge doorways in buildings required to have
two or more exits.
The emergency power system shall provide power for a
duration of not less than 90 minutes and shall consist of storage
batteries, unit equipment or an on-site generator. The installation
of the emergency power system shall be in accordance
with Section 2702.
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So this section does not require emergency illumination for a room or space that does not require two exits. It does require emergency illumination for corridors, exit enclosures, and exit passageways of buildings that are required to have two exits.

The original question was about emergency lighting in a conference room. As I pointed out earlier, if the conference room doesn't require two exits, then the room doesn't require "emergency illumination".

Chris
 
I think Radier has it right.

If you are going to require a emergency light in a conference room that doesn't need two exits, then every single room in the building would need an emergency light. Never had a building official require that.

Steve
 
steve66 said:
I think Radier has it right.

If you are going to require a emergency light in a conference room that doesn't need two exits, then every single room in the building would need an emergency light. Never had a building official require that.

Steve
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You are exactly right, where do you draw the line if you require emergency lighting in a conference room that doesn't require two exits, then does an office for a single occupant require an emergency light? How about a janitors closet?

Chris
 
sparkie001 said:
Bodine has relays to allow you to switch the night light.
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1. I just learned today that Highlites also makes the relay.

2. As an aside, about the only thing special about a conference room is that it needs a strobe if you put a fire alarm in the building.
 
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