When is a Door an Exit Door?
Any door located within the
means of egress leading to a public way may be construed
to be an exit door. However, there are cases where
service corridors, passageways or hallways, which
look like exit routes, are not intended to be means
of egress. Therefore, the design team should always
define the egress system, even if a building design
appears to be straightforward.
The occupancy classification
and occupant loads, regardless of building size,
will determine the means of egress. Most buildings
or structures require two means of egress, which
are separate from each other. The requirement
for two means of egress is an attempt to insure
that another exit is available if one is lost.
Only in a few cases will there be a single egress
path.
A means of egress should
never lead toward or through a hazardous area,
which could place the exit path in jeopardy. A
common example is a loading dock, which by nature
may have the path of egress obstructed or an exitway
rendered unusable by mishandling of hazardous
material.
A rule of thumb found useful
in determining what doors in a means of egress
require exit devices is: "Once exit devices are
required by code, then all doors within the means
of egress, including the point of exit discharge
from the building, require exit devices."
For example,
a large restaurant at the top of an office building
with an occupant load requiring exit devices should
be equipped with exit devices on all doors leading
from the restaurant, doors leading to and including
the exits from the floor, and doors at grade at
the point of exit discharge. Doors within the
means of egress that do not have latching or locking
capability would not require exit devices.
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