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Required Egrees

Required Egrees

New postby bigdog on Mon Jun 29, 2020 4:47 pm

I'm looking at a commercial building (medical) with 2 separate units which I'm assuming is group B. The structure is masonry / wood truss no sprinklers. Each unit has 2 doors front and rear. For drainage purposes, I'm assuming, the rear doors are more then 30" above grade. One unit (a) has basically a deck w/ guardrails with no way to get off it and the other (b) opens onto a board walk w/ guard rail (that needs replacement) that runs down the length of the building back to the front and parking lot. Unit B has an interior emergency exit light at the back door and I didn't get into A due to it being locked. Year built 1991, Zoning commercial specialized.
My question is: Is the rear door in these units also a required fire / egress opening? The landlord has written into the commercial lease my client is supposed to sign that the back door is to remain closed and locked until such time as the landlord repairs / replaces the board walk.

I've spent some time in chapter 10 but its not clear to me...maybe in the fire code?

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Re: Required Egrees

New postby Jerry Peck - Codeman on Mon Jun 29, 2020 4:59 pm

What is the occupant load of each unit?
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Re: Required Egrees

New postby bigdog on Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:48 pm

I'm guessing it's 13 based upon 100sf per person but that's just a guess based upon 1300 total sf and probably 3 people employed there. Its really confusing for someone who doesn't normally deal with that stuff.
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Re: Required Egrees

New postby Jerry Peck - Codeman on Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:30 pm

bigdog wrote:I'm guessing it's 13 based upon 100sf per person but that's just a guess based upon 1300 total sf and probably 3 people employed there. Its really confusing for someone who doesn't normally deal with that stuff.


Based on Group B, that 1,300 sf size, and using the current code:

- 1001.1 General.
- - Buildings or portions thereof shall be provided with a means of egress system as required by this chapter. The provisions of this chapter shall control the design, construction and arrangement of means of egress components required to provide an approved means of egress from structures and portions thereof.
- 1001.2 Minimum requirements.
- - It shall be unlawful to alter a building or structure in a manner that will reduce the number of exits or the minimum width or required capacity of the means of egress to less than required by this code.
- [F]1001.3 Maintenance.
- - Means of egress shall be maintained in accordance with the Florida Fire Prevention Code.

Without additional information, if we apply the following, and based on the 1,300 sf you said, the Occupant Load calculates to 13, as you said:
- TABLE 1004.1.2
- - MAXIMUM FLOOR AREA ALLOWANCES PER OCCUPANT
- - - FUNCTION OF SPACE -OCCUPANT LOAD FACTORa
- - - - Business areas - 100 gross
- - note: a.Floor area in square feet per occupant.

- 1006.1 General.
- - The number of exits or exit access doorways required within the means of egress system shall comply with the provisions of Section 1006.2 for spaces, including mezzanines, and Section 1006.3 for stories.

- 1006.2.1 Egress based on occupant load and common path of egress travel distance.
- - Two exits or exit access doorways from any space shall be provided where the design occupant load or the common path of egress travel distance exceeds the values listed in Table 1006.2.1.
- - - Exceptions:
- - - - 1.Reserved.
- - - - - 2.Care suites in Group I-2 occupancies complying with Section 407.4.
- - TABLE 1006.2.1, SPACES WITH ONE EXIT OR EXIT ACCESS DOORWAY
- - - (Group B with a maximum occupant load of 49 or less, requires only one egress)
- - - (MAXIMUM COMMON PATH OF EGRESS TRAVEL DISTANCE (feet) - no sprinkler - OL less than or equal to 30 = 100 feet / OL greater than 30 = 75 feet - - sprinklered - 100 feet, see note a)

- 1006.3.2 Single exits.
- - A single exit or access to a single exit shall be permitted from any story or occupied roof where one of the following conditions exists:
- - - 1.The occupant load, number of dwelling units and common path of egress travel distance does not exceed the values in Table 1006.3.2(1) or 1006.3.2(2).
- - - 2.Rooms, areas and spaces complying with Section 1006.2.1 with exits that discharge directly to the exterior at the level of exit discharge, are permitted to have one exit or access to a single exit.
- - - 3.Parking garages ... blah, blah, blah
- - - 4.Group R-3 and R-4 occupancies . blah, blah, blah.
- - - 5.Individual single-story or multistory dwelling units ... blah, blah, blah

However ... ALL/EACH provided egress must meet the requirements for of egress.

IF ... IF only one exit (egress, but an egress consists of multiple parts, with "exit" being one of those parts) ... if only one exit is require, then I would recommend that all "Exit" signs which point to the rear doors be removed and replacements point to the front exit doors. Additionally, those doors should have signs placed on them stating "THIS IS NOT AN EXIT" and "KEEP DOOR LOCKED AT ALL TIMES" as you do not want any people who are occupying the building to mistakenly presume that those are exits and become trapped.

The above is based on the current codes, while egress requirements have not changed much over the years, there have been some changes, nonetheless, though, the one exit for an occupant load of less than 50 (which is how it used to be stated, now it states maximum 49, but it is the same thing) has been around a long time.

Now to the unusable rear doors, decks, walkways, etc ... your client is, I presume, receiving a reduced lease amount for the duration of the time that the landlord/owner takes to make all corrections, with permits, of course.
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Re: Required Egrees

New postby Jerry Peck - Codeman on Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:26 am

Jerry Peck - Codeman wrote:IF ... IF only one exit (egress, but an egress consists of multiple parts, with "exit" being one of those parts) ... if only one exit is require,...


I used the BIG "IF" because of that 100 foot limitation on travel distance.

A 1,300 st open could meet the 100 foot travel distance even if the on door was located at a corner (30 × 43 foot building ~ 1300 sf, travel distance in an open, no interior walls, space could be as little as 43 + 30 = 73 feet) ... but put interior walls in, and directional signs occupants to follow a circuitous path of exit and the travel distance could quickly exceed 100 feet - - which would require TWO exits.
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Re: Required Egrees

New postby bigdog on Tue Jun 30, 2020 11:00 am

Thanks Jerry you have taken all that blah blah blah and reduced it down to a fine tasty roux........ahh that made me hungry for some conch chowder or NE clam chowder. This walkway doesn't appear to be a major factor then to my client and is a non-issue when the landlord fixes it although I bet the insurance company would beg to differ!

I hope all is well with you!

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