 Take two, let's go. Welcome to Code Corner with Katie. Let's see what Thinking Man has on his mind today. Where are exit devices really required? That's a great question, thank you. I get this one a lot. First of all, an exit device is also known as Panic Bar or Panic Hardware. Fire exit hardware, we see this in the code and it's specifically used on fire rated doors and the beloved slang crash bar. Whether it's a modern style bar like the one that's shown in the picture or the older crossbar type, the actuating portion that is the part you push in on must extend at least half the width of the door mounted vertically between 34 and 48 inches above the finished floor. There are many misunderstandings of where an exit device is required. Here are just a couple of them that I see a lot. I thought that all exterior exit doors required exit devices. That's not true. It depends on the occupancy type and how many people. And this one, I thought that all stair doors required exit devices, especially the one at the bottom. Again, it depends on the occupancy type and the number of people. The code is written around ordinary risk, ordinary hazard and then it's modified to be more restrictive for higher risk occupancy types and less restrictive for lower risk occupancy types. Group A assembly occupancies are considered high risk. By definition, they are gathering together 50 or more people for purposes such as civic, social or religious functions for food or drink consumption or awaiting transportation. This would include night clubs, restaurants, banquet rooms, meeting rooms and many other similar spaces. This is a floor plan of a restaurant bar. It's 5,800 square feet and has a capacity of up to 387 people. It is Group A assembly. The tables and chairs are not fixed seating and often these spaces tend to be more overcrowded than normal as the owner tries to squeeze in an extra table or two to make more money. It's easy for the exits to get blocked by tables and chairs, trays with dirty dishes and crowds of people. Compare that scenario to this Group B business occupancy. The open office area is about the same size as that restaurant bar. In fact, it is a little bit bigger, but the occupant load depending on which IBC the project falls under is either 40 or 60 people. The open office area is filled with cubicles which create clear aisles and an easy path to the exits. If there is a fire or other emergency, these people will reach the exits at different times rather than in a large crowd of panicking people. Business occupancies are not prone to panic. Group E educational occupancies are K through 12 including nursery school and some daycare. And even though they have fire drills and are familiar with their surroundings, school-aged children are prone to panic and they're considered a high-risk occupancy. Group H high hazard are not normally occupied spaces, but they do have materials that are capable of exploding or are highly flammable and are therefore high risk. Electrical rooms are also high risk with equipment 1200 amps or higher. And in some cases the benchmark is lower than this. You need to consult your local or state code. And then we have areas that are mixed use. Within a Group B business occupancy, for example, you could have a conference room, multipurpose room or a training room. And if there's 50 or more people in that space, that's considered Group A assembly. And exit devices would be required along your path of egress including the exits from the story. This is from IBC 2015. Other additions are similar. And it tells us that door serving a Group H high hazard occupancy regardless of occupant load and door serving rooms or spaces with an occupant load of 50 or more in Group A assembly or E educational occupancy and electrical rooms with equipment of 1200 amps or more shall not be provided with a lateral lock other than panic, hardware or fire exit hardware. Codes are a minimum and sure you can use an exit device even if the code doesn't require it. It may be the best solution for your door opening. Bear in mind that the IBC is an exceptional code and there may be exceptions to this requirement elsewhere. For more information and continuing education opportunities, please visit Ossobloy Academy by clicking on the link in the comments below. Please click like and subscribe to this channel and follow me on Twitter at art consultant and or connect with me on LinkedIn for updates. You can email code questions to kathryn.flower at ossobloy.com. Thanks for joining me in the code corner today. My name is Katie Flower and my goal is to help you achieve safe purity in the built environment.