# Egress through storage room



## Rick18071 (Apr 5, 2018)

I think this might have been posted before but I can't find it.
2009 IBC 1014.2 prohibits egress through a storage room. If there is an office in the middle of a warehouse how should one make an exit access? Would you need to build a horizontal exit?


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## mark handler (Apr 5, 2018)

Is the office accessory to the warehouse?


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## steveray (Apr 5, 2018)

Storage room and storage use are 2 different things, but...

1014.2 Egress through intervening spaces. Egress through
intervening spaces shall comply with this section.
1. Egress from a room or space shall not pass through
adjoining or intervening rooms or areas, except where
such adjoining rooms or areas and the area served are
accessory to one or the other, are not a Group H occupancy
and provide a discernible path of egress travel to
an exit.


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## YongMNLad (Apr 5, 2018)

Also, 1014.2.1 Exception: Means of egress are not prohibited through adjoining or intervening rooms or spaces in a Group H, S or F occupancy when the adjoining or intervening rooms or spaces are the *same or a lesser hazard occupancy group*.

Table 508.4 groups B with S-1. S-2 is a lesser hazard than B.


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## Rick18071 (Apr 6, 2018)

It says storage room on the plans. Seams to meet the definition of a room.

I don't understand how you can use table 508.4 to determine which group is a lesser or higher hazard. It says a 2 hour wall is needed between B and S2 when not sprinklered. How do you know which is a higher hazard?


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## cda (Apr 6, 2018)

As asked earlier 

Who is going to use the office

The supervisor for that area 

Or

The out side sales division, who have no connection to the people in the warehouse

That is the question  


A floor plan might help


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## Francis Vineyard (Apr 6, 2018)

Define is it a (1) storage room, (2) closet, (3) facility, or (4) warehouse.

Commentary "The concern in kitchens, storage rooms and similar spaces may be subject to locking or blockage of the exit access path. This is not a general provision for all Group S occupancies; therefore, it is not the intent of this provision to address the situation of egress for offices through an associated warehouse space."


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## cda (Apr 6, 2018)

Ok we are talking about an office

In a warehouse 

Deal or no Deal


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## fatboy (Apr 6, 2018)

No problem.

Egressing "through" a kitchen, when that is were you are working.........


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## my250r11 (Apr 6, 2018)

Rick18071 said:


> I don't understand how you can use table 508.4 to determine which group is a lesser or higher hazard. It says a 2 hour wall is needed between B and S2 when not sprinklered. How do you know which is a higher hazard?



2015 Commentary, F-1,S-1 Are moderate hazards, S-2 & F-2 low hazards, therefore the B occ. is more hazardous 


Please note that Table 508.4 contains groupings of
some of the occupancies, including:
• A, E
• I-1, I-3, I-4
• R
• F-2, S-2, U
• B, F-1, M, S-1
• H-3, H-4
These are occupancies that share the same level
of hazard with respect to fire safety. It is possible,
therefore, to have two occupancies that comply with
these separated use provisions that require no separation
between them. For instance, a mixed occupancy
of Groups B and M would not be required to
have a separation between them, but the provisions
for calculation of the sum of the ratios of actual areas
to allowable areas would still be applied to this circumstance.


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## georgia plans exam (Apr 6, 2018)

I think that the B would be considered more hazardous than the S-2 because the B occupancy is more restrictive as to height/area per Table 503.

GPE


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## mtlogcabin (Apr 6, 2018)

Non-separated uses 508.3 would negate Table 508.4
The "B" and the S-1 are the same hazard the S-2 is a lessor hazard so the B is always permitted to exit through an S occupancy. 
The office in the middle of the warehouse is the "room" and the surrounding warehouse area is the building not the storage room
A storage room is not an occupiable space where a warehouse is. 
OCCUPIABLE SPACE. A room or enclosed space designed for human occupancy in which individuals congregate for amusement, educational or similar purposes or in which occupants are engaged at labor, and which is equipped with means of egress and light and ventilation facilities meeting the requirements of this code.


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## Rick18071 (Apr 9, 2018)

It's an existing warehouse storing many different things including tires. They are taking out the existing offices that are along one exterior wall and building a smaller office over an existing restrooms in the middle of the building to make more storage area.

. The warehouse was built before codes and has no sprinklers but they are thinking about just having sprinklers in the new office. I guess they are worried about the paper records and computers. I do not know who will be using the office. 
But by sprinklering this office wouldn't it mean the office would be is less hazardous than the S-1 and you can not exit through a more hazardous space?

A storage room is not an occupiable space where a warehouse is.
OCCUPIABLE SPACE. A room or enclosed space designed for human occupancy in which individuals congregate for amusement, educational or similar purposes or in which occupants are engaged at labor, and which is equipped with means of egress and light and ventilation facilities meeting the requirements of this code.[/QUOTE]

This warehouse area probably does not have the egress, light and ventilation requirements of the code so does this mean it is not an occupiable space?


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## cda (Apr 9, 2018)

Rick18071 said:


> It's an existing warehouse storing many different things including tires. They are taking out the existing offices that are along one exterior wall and building a smaller office over an existing restrooms in the middle of the building to make more storage area.
> 
> . The warehouse was built before codes and has no sprinklers but they are thinking about just having sprinklers in the new office. I guess they are worried about the paper records and computers. I do not know who will be using the office.
> But by sprinklering this office wouldn't it mean the office would be is less hazardous than the S-1 and you can not exit through a more hazardous space?
> ...



This warehouse area probably does not have the egress, light and ventilation requirements of the code so does this mean it is not an occupiable space?[/QUOTE]


The question is who will be in the office??

If it is the warehouse supervisor no problem

If it is the company president’s chauffeur, PROBLEM.  

A warehouse in a way is already a storage room, the main office cannot exit through it,,,

But warehouse workers can,


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## ADAguy (Apr 9, 2018)

You just indicated that the new office will be built "above" an existing space, will it be open to the space below as in a mezzanine?
How will it be accessed?


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## Rick18071 (Apr 10, 2018)

I have no control of who will use the office. There will be an open stairway from the warehouse floor to get to the office. It will be a enclosed mezzanine with mostly glass.


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## cda (Apr 10, 2018)

Rick18071 said:


> I have no control of who will use the office. There will be an open stairway from the warehouse floor to get to the office. It will be a enclosed mezzanine with mostly glass.




I understand that

But I would not approve it if anyone besides someone working in the warehouse uses that office.


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## cda (Apr 10, 2018)

So to clarify

We are talking about an actual warehouse? even though it is labeled as "storage room"

About how many sq ft?

And they want to add an office over an existing bathroom, in about the middle of the warehouse??


My position is the person that uses this office is "accessory to the use" of the warehouse...   No Problem, such as a warehouse supervisor, or break room for the warehouse help.


If it is say a salesperson, needing space,,    NO, does not normally work in the warehouse!!!!!


And this is the section I would cite::::


2. Egress from a room or space shall not pass through adjoining or intervening rooms or areas, except where such adjoining rooms or areas and the area served are accessory to one or the other, are not a Group H occupancy and provide a discernible path of egress travel to an _exit_. 

*Exception: *_Means of egress _are not prohibited through adjoining or intervening rooms or spaces in a Group H, S or F occupancy where the adjoining or intervening rooms or spaces are the same or a lesser hazard occupancy group.


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## ADAguy (Apr 11, 2018)

Except, you are placing it above a RR, there by requiring a stair to access it, there by making it an inaccessible space unless it is for security personnel only.


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## Rick18071 (Apr 11, 2018)

They told me they are going to rent the building out and the new tenant needed more storage space, that's why they are doing the work. The owners don't know or cares who will use the office.


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## cda (Apr 11, 2018)

I would not approve it without more info

And documentation of use


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## JPohling (Apr 11, 2018)

call it warehouse office and move on.


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## mtlogcabin (Apr 11, 2018)

Less than 3,000 sq ft a stair is all that is required to make it accessible. 
An an office less than 10% of the warehouse is accessory and code compliant for the B to exit through any S occupancy. I don't care if the office is used by the warehouse manager, bookkeeper, salesman or any other employee of the tenant. If that is where you work every day you will be familiar with the building and exiting.


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## cda (Apr 11, 2018)

mtlogcabin said:


> Less than 3,000 sq ft a stair is all that is required to make it accessible.
> An an office less than 10% of the warehouse is accessory and code compliant for the B to exit through any S occupancy. I don't care if the office is used by the warehouse manager, bookkeeper, salesman or any other employee of the tenant. If that is where you work every day you will be familiar with the building and exiting.





Ok

What if

100000 sq ft warehouse 

Business wants to put a 4000 sq ft office space in the middle of the warehouse.

No rated corridors 

If this one office is allowed,, because person knows way out

Will the 4000 sq ft office be allowed??


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## ADAguy (Apr 11, 2018)

Now you are getting to where the rubber meets the road, wouldn't the distance to exits exceed 150'?


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## cda (Apr 11, 2018)

ADAguy said:


> Now you are getting to where the rubber meets the road, wouldn't the distance to exits exceed 150'?




What if

Ok it is 250 feet wide


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## Rick18071 (Apr 11, 2018)

cda said:


> I would not approve it without more info
> 
> And documentation of use



I quote a section of the code on my plan review comments. What section would you suggest for me to use? For all I know the public could come in to pay for a used tire of a girlfriend of an employee could come in to mess around. They are not calling it an employee only area.


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## mtlogcabin (Apr 11, 2018)

cda said:


> Ok
> 
> What if
> 
> ...


You can what if it all day long and get different answers to the what ifs. Simple answer is yes exiting from the B through the S occupancy is still permitted. Find a code section that limit the number of people that can exit from a B through an S. Find a code section that requires a corridor be installed remember they are still part of the exit access. Find a code section that prohibits a less than 750 sq ft conference room within that what if 4,000 sq ft upper level office that may have a meeting of employees and outside clients in it that prohibits it construction or use. We might not agree or like it but the code allows it all


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## cda (Apr 11, 2018)

I call them by what is shown in the plans.

I would just require more information before I approve it.


I disagree all B’s cannot exit thru an S


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## sergoodo (Oct 23, 2018)

5,500 sf office occ>50 in a 55,00sf warehouse. 
The 2nd exit for office can pass through the S1/S2 warehouse? 
Is the 10% office area accessory to warehouse documented as currently 2015IBC applicable  or is that just inferred from the SBCCI logic?


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## JBI (Oct 23, 2018)

The problem with hypothetical situations is that when one provides an answer the next hypothetical scenario gets dragged in (see mtlog's post above).



sergoodo said:


> 5,500 sf office occ>50 in a 55,00sf warehouse.
> The 2nd exit for office can pass through the S1/S2 warehouse?
> Is the 10% office area accessory to warehouse documented as currently 2015IBC applicable  or is that just inferred from the SBCCI logic?


10% or less of the story in which it/they are located is the current IBC limit for 'accessory' uses, that is an accumulative 10% by the way. 
Any more and it becomes a mixed use. Lacking the proper rated separations in accordance with Table 508.4 it would be deemed a non-separated mixed use and be bound by the most restrictive provisions for the uses involved. 
Incorporate the proper separations and it is a separated mixed use and you would apply the sum of the ratios. 
Egress requirements must still be met, etc.


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## Pcinspector1 (Oct 23, 2018)

cda said:


> I disagree all B’s cannot exit thru an S



But what if a?


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## cda (Oct 23, 2018)

Pcinspector1 said:


> But what if a?



Same answer


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## ADAguy (Oct 24, 2018)

Love the direction this is going, lots of good stuff.
This is a landlord/tenant issue as well as code.


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## Spector_51 (Oct 29, 2018)

I do not think a warehouse is a storage room.  what is the likelihood that the path of egress in this space,(whatever you want to call it) will be compromised by freight, goods, Christmas decorations, whatever?


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## mark handler (Oct 29, 2018)

*pictures from iDigHardware.com
And these are Corridors *


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## Rick18071 (Oct 29, 2018)

Seems to meat the definition of a store room. Maybe there should be a minimum size of a store room where egress can go through a store room when the egress path is like what the code requires for M stock rooms.
From Merriam-Webster
*storeroom*
noun

store·room | \ˈstȯr-ˌrüm,  -ˌru̇m\
*Definition of storeroom *


1: a room or space for the storing of goods or supplies

2: STOREHOUSE sense 2


*storage*
noun

stor·age | \ˈstȯr-ij  \
*Definition of storage *


1a: space or a place for storing

b: an amount stored

c: MEMORY sense 4

2a: the act of storing : the state of being storedespecially : the safekeeping of goods in a depository (such as a warehouse)

b: the price charged for keeping goods in a storehouse

3: the production by means of electric energy of chemical reactions that when allowed to reverse themselves generate electricity again without serious loss


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## Paul Sweet (Oct 29, 2018)

I don't know whether this was a Virginia amendment (2012)

A maximum of one exit access is permitted to pass through kitchens, store rooms, closets or spaces used for similar purposes provided such a space is not the only means of exit access.


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