This post was printed in the November 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware
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Beginning with the 2002 edition, the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) has included requirements for some electrical rooms to have doors that open in the direction of egress, and are “equipped with panic bars, pressure plates, or other devices that are normally latched but open under simple pressure.” These requirements have changed with the subsequent editions, and the 2014 edition of NFPA 70 includes some substantial changes and clarifications.
The terminology originally used to describe the hardware for some electrical room doors was not very specific, leaving it open to interpretation. “Simple pressure” would typically be a motion in the direction of egress to release the latch, rather than turning a knob or lever. By this definition, a hospital latch or paddle-type release could be considered devices that are normally latched but open under simple pressure, but because the words “panic bar” are used in the code this has prompted many code officials to require panic hardware for these locations. The purpose of this requirement is to provide egress for someone working in the electrical room if an incident occurs which injures their arms or hands and makes it difficult for them to operate a knob or lever. Injuries to a technician’s vision can also effect their ability to exit safely.
According to Article 110 of the 2002 edition, hardware that operates with simple pressure was required for rooms housing equipment with more than 1200 amperes (amps) or more than 600 volts, and for transformer vaults. The 2005 edition made a slight change with regard to room size requirements, and the 2008 edition added language that would require this hardware if the door was within 25 feet of the nearest edge of the required working space around the electrical equipment (the section on transformer vaults does not include the 25-foot requirement). The 2011 edition added some specifics for electrical vaults, including a requirement for a 3-hour-rated fire door, with the same description of the hardware – panic bars, pressure plates, or other devices that are normally latched but open under simple pressure.
For some rooms housing electrical equipment (not just rooms that are officially designated as “electrical rooms”), the 2014 edition of NFPA 70 has removed the “simple pressure” terminology, and now requires “listed panic hardware.” Personnel doors within 25 feet of the working space and intended for entrance and egress are required to have panic hardware in the following conditions:
- Where equipment is 600 volts or less and 800 amps or more and contains overcurrent devices, switching devices, or control devices (110.26 (C) (3))
- Where equipment is 600 volts or more (110.33 (A) (3))
- Battery rooms (480.9 (E))
The hardware is no longer left up to interpretation for these rooms – listed panic hardware is required. Note that the requirement for 600 volts or less and 800 amps or more was changed from the previous editions, which was 600 volts or less and 1200 amps or more. The sections for electrical vaults (110.31 (A)), transformer vaults (450.43 (C)), and modular data centers (646.19) still state “Personnel doors shall swing out and be equipped with panic bars, pressure plates, or other devices that are normally latched but that open under simple pressure.” However, if these rooms meet the criteria for voltage and/or amperage stated above, and the doors are intended for entrance/egress and located within 25 feet of the work space, they would be required to have panic hardware, not just a latch that opens under simple pressure.
The International Building Code (IBC) also includes a requirement for panic hardware that pertains to electrical rooms. Section 1008.1.10 of the 2012 edition states that panic hardware or fire exit hardware is required for rooms with equipment rated 1,200 amperes or more and over 6 feet wide, that contain overcurrent devices, switching devices or control devices (note that this is different from what is required by NFPA 70-2014). NFPA 101 – The Life Safety Code does not include specific requirements, but does reference NFPA 70 in section 7.4.2 – Spaces About Electrical Equipment.
Although your jurisdiction may not have adopted the 2014 edition of NFPA 70 yet, I think it’s clear that the intent is for panic hardware to be used on any door intended for entrance to/egress from these rooms, and located within 25 feet of the working space. The code is not specific regarding whether both leaves of a pair would require panic hardware, so this would be left up to the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Some would say that the inactive leaf is not intended for entrance/egress; others would point out that NFPA 70 says, “doorS…shall be equipped with panic hardware.”
The same would be true for “extra doors”…doors that are not required by code but may be included in the design for convenience. If the code requires two doors for a large electric room, but the plans show three, is that third door intended for entrance/egress? If it is, the AHJ would likely require panic hardware there. A technician with a serious injury probably won’t stop to think about which doors can be used for egress. And if there are additional doors a technician would need to pass through that are within 25 feet of the work space, those doors need to have panic hardware as well. For example, if the entrance to an electrical room is a vestibule with two doors in series, and both of those doors are within 25 feet of the work space, both doors would need panic hardware. The code doesn’t specifically address this situation if one of the doors has push/pull hardware and no latch, but in my opinion the push/pull hardware would meet the intent of NFPA 70 as long as the door with the push/pull hardware was not fire rated.
A utility company may have additional requirements, and I have seen several AHJs require existing electrical room doors to be retrofitted with panic hardware. Keep in mind that if the door is fire rated, it must have fire exit hardware – the type of panic hardware used on fire doors. Fire doors with fire exit hardware require a label stating the use of fire exit hardware, so existing fire doors may need to be replaced when changing from a lockset to panic hardware to ensure that the door construction is appropriate for use with fire exit hardware. Keep in mind that there are many other considerations with regard to electrical rooms, beyond the requirements for panic hardware. As always, the Authority Having Jurisdiction should be consulted for specific interpretations and final decisions.
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Here are the referenced sections from the 2014 edition of NFPA 70 – The National Electric Code:
600 Volts, Nominal or Less:
110.26 (C) (3) Personnel Doors. Where equipment rated 800 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 listed panic hardware.
Over 600 Volts, Nominal:
110.31 (A) Electrical Vaults
(4) Locks. Doors shall be equipped with locks, and doors shall be kept locked, with access allowed only to qualified persons. Personnel doors shall swing out and be equipped with panic bars, pressure plates, or other devices that are normally latched but that open under simple pressure.
110.33 (A) Entrance to Enclosures and Access to Working Space
(3) Personnel Doors. Where 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 listed panic hardware.
Transformer Vaults:
450.43 (C) Locks. Doors shall be equipped with locks, and doors shall be kept locked, access being allowed only to qualified persons. Personnel doors shall swing out and be equipped with panic bars, pressure plates, or other devices that are normally latched but open under simple pressure.
Battery Locations:
480.9 (E) Egress. A personnel door(s) intended for entrance to, and egress from, rooms designated as battery rooms shall open in the direction of egress and shall be equipped with listed panic hardware.
Modular Data Centers:
646.19 Entrance to and Egress from Working Space. For equipment over 1.8 m (6 ft) wide or deep, there shall be
one entrance to and egress from the required working space not less than 610 mm (24 in.) wide and 2.0 m (6 1⁄2 ft) high
at each end 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. A single entrance to and
egress from the required working space shall be permitted where either of the conditions in 646.20(1) or (2) is met.
Thank you to Nathan Burkhardt of Opening Technologies Inc. for sending the photos!
This post was originally created on September 20, 2013, and was printed in the November 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware magazine.
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I’m confused about the wording of the electrical limits. Let me see if I have this right: so if the electrical room has 550 volts (less than 600), AND has 800 amps or more, then it requires panic hardware. And if the room has 600 volts or more, regardless of the amps, it requires panic hardware (sorry, fire exit hardware). I think I just had to work that out in my head to fully understand the requirements.
Yes, that’s right. And it may be panic hardware or fire exit hardware depending on whether the doors need to be fire rated. I just remember it as >600 volts or >800 amps (previously 1200 amps).
What about other rooms that house high voltage switchgear like generator or mechcanical rooms. Not technically “Electrical” rooms. Would they require panic hardware?
That’s a good question. I will try to find out.
Hi Jack –
I checked into this and found that this would apply to various types of rooms housing equipment with these voltages/amperages. So if the room is labeled “mechanical room” but it has equipment in it that would require panic hardware per the NEC, it needs panic hardware even though it is not technically being called an electrical room.
– Lori
Jack,
Lori is correct, the rule does not say anything about “electric rooms”. The equipment rated over 800 amps that contain overcurrent devices can be all types of equipment: generators, motor control centers, main disconnect panels, etc. Often times it is usually an electric room where this rule would apply, but not always. especially now that this requirement has been reduced from 1200 amps to 800 amps. Unfortunately, the IBC 2015 code Section 1010.1.10 does not recognize NFPA70 110.26(C)(3) new rule. It is still at 1200 amps
NEC 110.26(C)(3):”Where equipment rated 800 A or more that contains overcurrent devices, switching devices, or control devices”
Just curious… Would an unoccupied electrical room’s overpressure during an event activate the panic bar and unnecessarily open the door into an occupied area of the building allowing fire and smoke into said occupied area? Has this been tested?
Great article though.
Paul C.
Locksmith and fire alarm technician.
Hi Paul –
Panic hardware and fire exit hardware are required to operate with a maximum of 15 pounds of force. Fire exit hardware is designed to keep fire doors latched during a fire, but I don’t know if any testing has been done with regard to an electrical room’s overpressure, or how much pressure that would be. It’s an interesting question though, especially because the 2010 ADA and the new California code require hardware (including panic hardware) to operate with 5 pounds of force maximum. I imagine that with the reduced operational force, the fire exit hardware would not provide the same amount of protection in this type of event.
– Lori
Highly unlikely that overpressure could release a panic device. On a typical 3/0 x 7/0 door with 2/3 push pad you would technically need very low PSI to overcome the 5 pound releasing requirement and this would be an issue already seen in many high rise stairwells. There are a couple of factors mitigating this risk. A. The pressure is not uni-directional. Most devices are not sealed between the bar and the push pad so even if you have a high pressure, the very nature of air pressure would make this push pad have nearly equal forces working on it. B. Then on top of that you have nearly 30x the pressure enacted on the push pad (48 sq in) being applied to the latch (3,024 sq in door face assuming 1/2 of the face would have the pressure applied to the hinge side ). This is going to cause extreme levels of friction and also prevent the push pad from operating.
Does the panic hardware rule apply to outdoor enclosures?
Hi Paul –
It depends. Tell me more about your outdoor enclosure.
– Lori
I have an electrical room at a power plant that has three doors. two of them are single doors with panic bars. the third door is a double door to allow equipment through so I would classify it as an equipment door although personnel can and do use it. This electrical room is only available to qualified personnel.
Voltages in the room is 4,160 and less.
Question does the equipment door require a panic bar?
Hi Craig –
The National Electrical Code isn’t 100% clear on this. It says for rooms with high voltage/amperage/etc., “personnel door(s) intended for entrance to and egress from the working space less than 25 feet from the nearest edge of the working space” are required to have panic hardware. So it comes down to someone’s interpretation of whether the equipment door is intended for entrance and egress by personnel. If this is a door that technicians typically use, it would make sense that in an emergency they might head for this door rather than one of the ones with panic hardware. Because of this, an AHJ might require the equipment door to have panic hardware. Another AHJ might consider it an equipment door and say that because of the other two doors with panics, you don’t need panics on the pair. Yet another AHJ might say that if it’s going to be an equipment door, then steps must be taken to discourage its use as a personnel door, like signage or a lock that restricts normal use. Sorry I can’t give you a more definitive answer.
– Lori
ComEd (electric supplier in Chicago) would require this. As one person reasoned, if there is an incident involving an arc flash or similar, the technician could be temporarily blinded/disconcerted and only able to feel for a door. If this door was equipped with a different locking mechanism IE: surface bolts or something, the technician could spend precious extra time trying to get out of the door. If this was an overhead door, it would be less likely for the technician to spend time trying to get out due to it feeling like a different door system.
What is the definition of a battery room?
Do battery charging rooms where we charge batteries for material handling equipment/forklifts meet the definition?
Hi Steve –
This is outside of my area of expertise. I checked the codes and didn’t find a definition of “battery room.” I don’t think what you’re describing would be considered a battery room, as the batteries in a battery room are typically used to provide stand-by power for data centers or telecommunications systems.
– Lori
I am confused so does this mean one piece of equipment that is 800 amps or more like a generator motor or could it mean 8 electrical panels that added up to 800 amps that all are in the same room lets say (8x200amp breaker panels).
NFPA 101 2012
7.4.2 Spaces About Electrical Equipment.
7.4.2.1 600 Volts, Nominal, or Less. The minimum number of means of egress for working space about electrical equipment, other than existing electrical equipment, shall be in accordance with NFPA70, National Electrical Code, Section 110.26(C).
7.4.2.2 Over 600 Volts, Nominal. The minimum number of means of egress for working space about electrical equipment, other than existing electrical equipment, shall be in accordance with NFPA70, National Electrical Code, Section 110.33(A).
NFPA 70 2017 The National Electric Code:
Article 110 Requirements for Electrical Installations
Section 110.26
(C) Entrance to and Egress from working space.
(3) Personnel Doors. Where equipment rated 800 A 0r 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 (25ft.) from the nearest edge of the working space, the door(s) shall open in the direction of egress and be equipped with listed panic hardware.
Section 110.33
(A) Entrance to and Egress from working space.
(3) Personnel Doors. Where there is a personnel door(s) intended for entrance to and egress from the working space less than 7.6 m (25ft.) from the nearest edge of the working space, the door(s) shall open in the direction of egress and be equipped with listed panic hardware.
International Building Code 2015 (IBC 2015)
1010.1.10 Panic and Fire Exit Hardware
Exceptions:
Electrical rooms with equipment rated 1,200 amperes or more and over 6 feet (1829 mm) wide, and that contain overcurrent devices, switching devices or control devices with exit or exit access doors, shall be equipped with panic hardware or fire exit hardware. The doors shall swing in the direction of egress travel.
Hi Terry –
I actually asked NFPA about that, and the answer is here: https://idighardware.com/2015/06/panic-hardware-on-electrical-rooms-follow-up/.
– Lori
Thank you Lori,
so I have an electrical “closet” with a 200 amp breaker panel. The door does not have to be fire rated or have the panic bar?
Hi Justin –
It’s hard to say for sure on the rating without being familiar with the project, but normally panic hardware would not be required on a room with a 200-amp panel.
– Lori
ok. my building is 2b or fire-rated construction… the 200 amp breaker box is in the corner and on an exterior wall that is fire rated. I had to build 2 walls to enclose the breaker box (53″x96″). So the firewall is not affected and the breaker box is only 200 amps. I went ahead and used 5/8″ fire rated sheetrock but does the door have to be fire rated
Hi Justin –
My gut feeling would be that a rated enclosure is not required but I don’t know for sure so I would recommend checking the local codes.
– Lori
Anyone have clear idea how to check for the Width Requirement (1800mm) in IBC? is this compartment width or accumulated width for all compartments?
hello Lori,
when is an exit device required on an office building 3 story height? is it required on all 3 stairways or only one or two.
Hi Leal –
The model codes don’t require panic hardware on business occupancies, only assembly, educational, and high hazard. So panic hardware would typically be required on an office building only if there was an assembly space like a training room or cafeteria, with an occupant load of 50 people or more.
– Lori