Building Occupancy Codes and Access Control Tutorial

Author: Brian Rhodes, Published on Aug 11, 2016

A building or room's classification can greatly impact which building codes must be followed. In terms of access control, these 'occupancy codes' dictate how openings can be locked and what equipment is required, often representing a range of hundreds of dollars per door.

How do you know the occupancy classification of a space and which codes apply? Sometimes, even the AHJ may not be sure, and you need to determine this on your own. 

This report will guide you through the process to be sure, covering:

  • Why classification is necessary
  • Classification definition and key categories
  • Finding classification ratings
  • Comparing classification types
  • Impact on lock hardware selection
  • Handling mixed occupancies
  • Developing manual ratings

* ******** ** ****'* ************** *** ******* ****** ***** ******** codes **** ** ********. ** ***** ** ****** *******, ***** 'occupancy *****' ******* *** ******** *** ** ****** *** **** equipment ** ********, ***** ************ * ***** ** ******** ** dollars *** ****.

*** ** *** **** *** ********* ************** ** * ***** and ***** ***** *****? *********, **** *** ****** *** ** ****, *** *** **** ** ********* **** on **** ***. 

**** ****** **** ***** *** ******* *** ******* ** ** ****, covering:

  • *** ************** ** *********
  • ************** ********** *** *** **********
  • ******* ************** *******
  • ********* ************** *****
  • ****** ** **** ******** *********
  • ******** ***** ***********
  • ********** ****** *******

[***************]

Why ************** ** *********

*************, * ******* ** ********* *** ****** *** *** ****** classification ** ******. *********** ***** **** ** **** ** *** *******, ***** **** *** ***** ********* died ******* **** ****** ****** *** ****** ****** *** *** been ******** **** *** ******** ***** ** ****** ******** *****. Other ********* **** ***'* **** ******** ********** **** (******* ****** ***) **** ***** *** ********** ** ******** ******** and ********** ****** ****** ** * *********.

****** ********* ***** *** ******** ** **** *********** ******** ********** ***** ******, and ******** ****** ************ *** **** ******* ********** **** ******** access ** * *******.

Classifications *******

***** ******** ********** *** ************ **** ******, *** ******* ** the ********* *** ******* *** *** ** ********* *******.  ********** of *** ********** ** *** ********, *** ********* ******, ******** areas, *********, ******** *******, *** ********** ******** ********** ** ******** usually ******* *** **** ***** **********.

** ***** ** ************ ****, *** ***** ******* *** ****, and **** **** ** ****** ***** ** ************ *** *****. The **** *** ******** *****, **** *******, ********* *******, ***********, lighting, *** **** ***** **** ** **** ******** *** ** used ** ***** ** ***** ** ***** **********:

  • ******** *****: **** ****** ********** *** ******* ****** ** ****** *** can ****** ** * ***** **************, ********* ** ******* **** area, ********* *****, ******** ********, *** *** ****.
  • ******** ***************: ***** ******* *** *******, *** ******* ************ ***** ** a ***** ***** ** *** ** ** ******** *** ***.

*******, **** ***** ******* *** ********** ** ********** ** ******** engineers ****** ******, *** ** ** ********* ********* *** ******** access ******* ********* ** ****** ***** **********.

Ratings ***** ** ********

** **** ***** ***** ******* *** ********* ** ******* **** or **********, ******* ******* ** ** "********* ********" **** **** example:

***** *** **** **** '********* *****' *** '********* (** ********) Classification', *** ****** ***** *** *** ***** *** ** **********.

** ***** *****, *** ****** **** **** ** *** *** AHJ, ** ******* ************ ** **** ******** ** *** ***. We ******* *** ***** *********** ****** ** *** ***** ******* "Developing ****** *******".

Classification *****

**** ** * **** ** *** ********* *************** ******* ** the************* ******** **** (***):

  1. ********: ****** *-*, *-*, *-*, *-* *** *-*
  2. ********: ***** *
  3. ***********: ***** *
  4. ******* *** **********: ****** *-* *** *-*
  5. **** ******: ****** *-*, *-*, *-*, *-* *** *-*
  6. *************: ****** *-*, *-*, *-* *** *-*
  7. **********: ***** *
  8. ***********: ****** *-*, *-*, *-* *** *-*
  9. *******: ****** *-* *** *-*
  10. ******* *** *************: ***** **

***** ************** ** ********* *************** ***** ** *** *** ******** or **** ** ******** ** ** ****. *** *******, ****** are ***** '*', ************* ****** ***** '*', *** ******* '*'.  From *****, *** ***-************** ** ***** ** ******** *** ** size ************** ********* ** ******* *** ** ***.  

**** '******* *** **********' ***** *-* ** *-*.  '*-*' ********** carry * '******** ******' ******, ***** '*-*' ***** '***-******'.

** *** **** ** '*************' ** '*' ***********, *** ******** I-1 **:

"[****] ****** **** **** ** *******, ** * ** **** *****, who ******* ** ***, ****** ********** ** ***** *******, **** in * ********** *********** *********** **** ******** ******** **** ********. The ********* *** ******* ** ********** ** ** ********* ********* without ******** ********** **** *****."

***** *-* **:

"[****] ********* ** **** **** **** ******* *** *** ***** restraint ** ******** *** ** ******** ** ******* *** *** generally ********* ** ****-************ *** ** ******** ******** *** ***** the ********’* *******."

** ***** *** ******* *** **** ** *********, *** *********** utility ** *** **** *** ******** ***********.

Impact ** ****** *******

********* ********* ***** *** ******** ****** ******* ********* ** ***** type ** **** ******** *** ** ****** ** *****.  ** general, ********* ***** ******* ***** **** ****** **** ** **** to ****** ***** ******. **** ********** **** *****, * *********** '*' ************** ***** *** require **** ******* ** *****, **** ** ******** '*' ************** would.

*** ********* ** **** ******* ** ***** ****** ***** ******* can ******* ****** ***** **** ** ********** **** ** **** (ie: ******* ** ******* ******) ** **** *** ******* ***** like ******** **** ***** ***** ** ***. *** **** ** exit ******* (***** ** *** ***** *****), *** *** **** ******* ********.

** ***** ** *** **** ****** ***************, ************* ******** **** (***) mandates ******** '*', ******** '*', ** *********** '*' *********** **** an ******** **** ** ** ** **** ******* ***** ******** *** doors ******** **** * **** ** *****. *** *** **** ****** '*' ***********, ***** ******** ** ******** regardless ** *** ******** ****.

******* ****** ********, **** *** ******** ***** ******** *** ***** ******* ********, Educational, ********, *** *** **** *********** **** ** ******** **** of *** ****** ** ****.

*** *******, **** ** (******** ********** ****) ******** ***** ******** ** **** **** ******** ** ***** within ** **** ** *** ******** ******* ***** *** '****-*******' areas, ******* ******** **** **** *** *****, **** **** *** amps, ** ******* ********/******* ***** ********** ******** ******** ***** ** **********.

Mixed ***********

********** ***** ** ***** ****** ********* *** ** ***** ***********. **** is ** ********* ******* ** **** *********, *** *** ***** classification ** ******** ** * ******** *** ****** ***** ******** variables **** ******* **** ********** *********, ****** ** *********, ********* egress ******, ** **** ******** ************ *** *********.

** *******, '***** ***********' *** * ****** ** ****** ******* because **** ** * ***** ********* ******* * **** ********* life ****** ** ****** **********, ** **** ** ******** ** any *********** ****.

*** *******, ** * ***** '**** ******' **** ** ********** by * **** ********* '*******' ******, *** ****** ***** **** abide ** *** '**** ******' **************. *** **** ************ *** apply ** * ***** ** * ******* ********* (******* ** 'R' ****) **** ******** * ***** ***** **** ** ******** (an '*' ****).  ** **** ****, *** ****** ****** ***** would **** ** ** ******** **** **** ******* ********** ** they **** ******* ** ** '*' **** ** *** ******* of *** '*' ***** ********* ****.

Developing ****** *******

** ************* ********* ***** *** ******* ****** ** *****, **** may ***** ** ** **** ********.  ********* ***** ********** *** generally **** ** *********, ***** *** ****** *** **** ** compared ** *** ******** ****** ********* * ** ***, ****** "*** *** ********* ***************".

**** ************

** ***** ** ********* *** ******* ****** ** ****** *** are **** ** ****** ** ** * **** ** ********, the *** ********** * ******* ****** ** ****** ** ******* per ********. ***** **** ****** * ******** **** ** **** *.*" of ******* *** ******, *** *** ***** ***** **** *.*" of ******* *** ******.

**** ** ******* ******* **** **** **** *** * ******* occupancy ** *** ******. **** **** ***** ** ***** ***" - ***" ** *******. **** ******** ** ****** ** ****** in ***** **** ******** **** ***** **** ************* ***** ** five *****.

******** ****

** ********* *** ******** ****, *** ***** **** ** ** calculate *** **** ** *** ***** ** ******** ** *********** the ****** ***** *** ***** ***** *** *****.  *** *******, if * ********* ******** ** **** (~***) ** ** **** (~15m), *** **** **** ******** **** ****** **** (~*** **. m).

*** **** **** ** ** ****** **** ****** ** *** occupant **** ****** ***** ** ***(****)***** ****.*.* – ******* ***** **** ********** *** ********, ***** ****** ********* ** *** ********* ****.  *** ********* value ******** *** **** ***** *** ******** ** *******. 

Comments (4)

Thumbnail profile picture john

John Bazyk

IPVMU Certified | 08/11/16 11:42pm

***** ***** **. ****** *** *** ********. ********* **** **** people ********.

Chris Hammond

08/17/16 07:37pm

********* ***** **.

*** ********* ****** ** ** ******* ** ****** ******* *** security ** *** ********** ********** ****** ****. * ***** ********* situations ***** *** ********* ******* ****** ** *** *** ******** egress ****. ** *** **** * ***** ****** ***** ****** public ******** ***** ******** ** ****** **** **** *** ******* office ***** ****. **** ***** **** ***** **** *** ********* on *** ********* **** ** ***** ** ***** ****** **** the ****** ***** ***** ******* *** ** **** ***** ** located. **** ** *** ** *** ********* ****** ** *** space ****** *** ******* ****** ******** ** *** ***** *****.

*** ****** ** * **** ******** **** ******** ******** **** contradicts ****** ***** ********, **, ** **** *****, ********** **** up *** ****** *** ******** ******** ******* **** **********.

***** *** ********* ******* **** ***** ** ******* **** ********** in *** ************* ****** ****** ******* *** *** ***** ********** by *** ********* ******* ******** ******** **** *** ********* ** how ** **** **** *** *** *** ******** *** *****.

Thumbnail guy walker headshot

Guy Walker

ComNet | 01/30/18 03:33pm

********* **** ******* *****:

"**** ** ******* ******* **** **** **** *** * ******* occupancy ** *** ******. **** **** ***** ** ***** ***" - ***" ** *******. **** ******** ** ****** ** ****** in ***** **** ******** **** ***** **** ************* ***** ** five *****."

*** **** **** ******* *** ** **** * ******** ****** of ******* ***" - ***" ** *******? *******'* *** ** able ** ********* ******* *** **** ******* ** ********?

Thumbnail pp 5

Brian Rhodes

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Guy Walker | 01/30/18 03:46pm

*** *********** ** *** ************* ************* **********.

** ********* *** ****** **** *** **** ** **" ********, so **** ****** ** ****** *** ***** **** ******* ** them, *** ** ** **** ********* **** **** ** ******* wider **" ***** ** *** ** ***** *****.

** **** ***** ** ******* *** **" ***** ******** ** each ***** ****** **** * ****** ****** **** **** *******. Or * ********* ***** ** ***** ***** ******* **** ***** render * ****** ***-*********.

*** ************* ** ******** ** ** *** ***** ** * general ***** ******* ******* ** ********* ** ********** ** ****.

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