Thread: Electrical room egress

Can anyone tell me when either the NEC or the building started to require that electrical rooms be required to have doors that open outward rather than inward.

The door in question is in a hospital central ward, bend the nurse's station. There is a door marked "Electrical Room" The construction of the door only allows the door to swing inward. The building was built in 1989.

You might try posting on AskCodeMan

Originally Posted by Bruce Ramsey

You might try posting on AskCodeMan

That reminds me of a joke.

Little boy ask his Mother "Why is ________________?"
The Mother tells the little boy to ask his Father.
The little boy says to his mother, " I really didn't want to know that much about it."

110.33 in the 2002 NEC.

Originally Posted by Donald Farrell

Can anyone tell me when either the NEC or the building started to require that electrical rooms be required to have doors that open outward rather than inward.

The door in question is in a hospital central ward, bend the nurse's station. There is a door marked "Electrical Room" The construction of the door only allows the door to swing inward. The building was built in 1989.

Hello Donald,

More info would be needed to fully answer your question. For the typical electrical room or electrical closet where there is perhaps one or even a few panels, doors can swing into the room.
The NEC does have provisions for 1200 amps or more and is covered in 110.26 in the 2011 edition. I don't recall what previous editions said.

110.33 would likely not apply since that is for voltages over 600 volts.

Based on your description, the odds are this is just a relatively small electrical closet and is ok for door to swing in.

Best Wishes
Corey Friedman

Originally Posted by Donald Farrell

Can anyone tell me when either the NEC or the building started to require that electrical rooms be required to have doors that open outward rather than inward.

Originally Posted by Rick Cantrell

That reminds me of a joke.

Little boy ask his Mother "Why is ________________?"
The Mother tells the little boy to ask his Father.
The little boy says to his mother, " I really didn't want to know that much about it."

Originally Posted by Corey Friedman

110.33 would likely not apply since that is for voltages over 600 volts.

I provided the answer to the question without going into all the additional information , and, yes, 110.33 is for 600 volts or more - but - it is also the first time I could find that the swing of the door was addressed in the NEC.

The Under 600 volts, 1200 amps and more, was added in the 2008 NEC.

It is also likely that the 1200 amps and more "would likely not apply".

That said, though, the NEC itself states, in 90.1(B) that compliance therewith only results in an installation which is essentially free of hazards ... it does not say that it is free of hazards.

Considered these two scenarios:
a) worker is in an electrical room with the entrance/egress door which swings in the direction of egress - worker suffers an electrical shock and mostly escapes an arc flash, they hit the door which opens to the nurses' station and falls to the floor ... the worker is laying there in urgent need of medical attention and is accessible
b) worker is in an electrical room with the entrance/egress door which does not swing in the direction of egress - worker suffers an electrical shock and mostly escapes an arc flash, they hit the door which does not open ... the worker is laying there in urgent need of medical attention, but in trying to access the worker, opening the door only pushes the worker back into the electrical equipment ...

Would you rather be worker a) or worker b)?

Jerry
I hope you know I was just kidding around, and no offence was intended.

Originally Posted by Rick Cantrell

Jerry
I hope you know I was just kidding around, and no offence was intended.

I do, that's why I put the smiley faces in my last rely.

Additional Info:

The hospital's main power room is behind that door. Also, they are in the process of replacing the back-up generator and upgrading all of the electrical panels.

They will change the door and will consider putting in a second door.