Exit and Re-Enter Building to Access and LOC?

6/24/2022

We have a military project in the US, so the project is mandated to be compliant with UFC criteria.

We are required to locate an LOC (Local Operating Console) within 200-ft of all portions of a building.

Is exiting the building, and re-entering, to access an LOC permissible?

If we have exterior-only mechanical rooms, electrical rooms, or maintenance bays (which each only access the outside), then at what point would an LOC be required in each of these spaces?

I'm not trying to be facetious or dramatic, just looking for outside opinion on working through a gray area in my mind.

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5 Comments

Glenn Berger

6/24/2022 08:07:42 am

Typically LOCs are not required to cover Equipment Rooms. Recommend getting clarification from the DFPE for your project.

Paul Pinigis

6/24/2022 08:22:27 am

It has been our experience that the intent is not to provide LOC access within mechanical rooms and areas only accessible from the exterior.

K Kyes

6/24/2022 08:28:32 am

Per UFC 4-021-01 Section 4-5.1, LOC shall not be provided in a locked room or closet. Exterior access mechanical and electrical rooms would fall within this requirement as they are almost always locked and accessible to authorized personnel only. These areas could also be seen as normally unoccupied, which I would argue does not meet the intent of the LOC requirements per UFC. A maintenance bay, even if exterior access only and since normally occupied, would require a LOC for the occupants of the bay area, unless directed otherwise by the AHJ.

Eli

6/24/2022 08:54:53 am

My understanding is the spaces you mentioned would be considered low occupancy and would not require an LOC.

See the definition for Inhabited Building on page 74 of UFC 4-010-01 DoD MINIMUM ANTITERRORISM STANDARDS FOR BUILDINGS. Below is an excerpt.

"those portions that have sufficient population densities will be considered inhabited buildings while the remainder of the building may be considered low occupancy"

Then check out section 1-5 Applicability in UFC 4-010-01. It says the standards (standard 21 MNS) applies to "inhabited buildings".

Since the portions of the building you are mentioning are considered "low occupancy", my understanding is the MNS requirements do not apply to those low occupancy areas.

Also, UFC 4-021-01 mentions not placing LOC's in locked rooms which mechanical and electrical rooms are typically locked.

As Glenn mentioned, I would also recommend getting direction form the DFPE to see if there is any base specific requirements.

I hope this helps.

Mitchell

6/24/2022 10:40:07 am

I think K Kyes has nailed it with the reference to 4-021-01 Section 4-5.1. The thing I would add is the statement in that section that states "Provide a LOC to allow emergency response forces and BUILDING OCCUPANTS to access the MNS..." Building occupants don't typically have access to Mech/Elec/Etc spaces, so that in combination with not locating a LOC inside a locked room, this would dictate they are not required in these spaces.

I have never applied 4-010-01 low occupancy definition per space as Eli has referenced, typically this is applied per building to determine if MNS is required for the facility, once deemed it is required, then over to 4-021-01 for the 'how to'.

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Exit and Re-Enter Building to Access and LOC?

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