Classroom Code Changes

Restricting unauthorized access and egress in schools is among the biggest challenges faced by school administrators and staff. Fortunately, a series of code changes will provide them with the ability to safely and effectively address these security issues while still ensuring the life safety of all school occupants. 

Years of steep budget cuts have forced many school administrators to defer much-needed upgrades to their facilities, including security improvements. Security enhancements are rarely prioritized until after a major tragedy, such as an active-shooter event, and then the efforts tend to be reactionary and rushed.

This type of reactionary response in the wake of tragedy has already resulted in several state legislatures overriding both existing codes and the objections of their fire marshals and approving the installation and use of retrofit barricade devices in classrooms. Many of these devices are not code-compliant, particularly when layered over existing hardware, and could actually prohibit egress and endanger the life safety of the school’s occupants in the event of an emergency.

International Building Code

Fortunately, the International Building Code (IBC) has recently approved a change that will be incorporated into the 2018 edition of the code and will reinforce existing requirements for egress, accessibility, and fire protection while adding a new requirement for access.

1010.1.4.4  Locking arrangements in educational occupancies. In Group E and Group B educational occupancies, egress doors from classrooms, offices and other occupied rooms shall be permitted to be provided with locking arrangements designed to keep intruders from entering the room where all of the following conditions are met:

1.   The door shall be capable of being unlocked from outside the room with a key or other approved means.

2.   The door shall be openable from within the room in accordance with Section 1010.1.9.

3.   Modifications shall not be made to listed panic hardware, fire door hardware or door closers.

1010.1.4.4.1 Remote operation of locks. Remote operation of locks complying with Section 1010.1.4.4 shall be permitted.

The key points in this code change are:

• This language applies to K-12 schools and also colleges and universities.
• The locking requirements apply to classrooms and also to offices and other occupied rooms.
• If the rooms are lockable, they must be able to be unlocked from the outside.
• Locks are not required, but if locks are used, the doors have to meet the requirements for egress – one operation to unlatch the hardware, with no key/tool/special knowledge/effort and no tight grasping/pinching/twisting of the wrist.
• Listed panic hardware, fire door hardware, and door closers may not be modified.
• Remote operation is acceptable if the locks meet the other requirements of this section.

International Fire Code

Since the IBC doesn’t typically apply to existing buildings, it was very important to incorporate similar language into the International Fire Code (IFC), for a consistent approach across new and existing schools.  A proposal was submitted by the Fire Code Action Committee, and the change was “approved as submitted” and will be incorporated into the 2018 IFC:

1031.2.2 Locking arrangements in educational occupancies. In Group E occupancies, Group B educational occupancies and Group I-4 child day care occupancies, egress doors from classrooms, offices and other occupied rooms shall be permitted to be provided with locking arrangements designed to keep intruders from entering the room where all of the following conditions are met:

1. The door shall be capable of being unlocked from outside the room with a key or other approved means.

2. The door shall be openable from within the room in accordance with Section 1010.1.9.

3. Modifications shall not be made to existing listed panic hardware, fire door hardware or door closers.

4. Modifications to fire door assemblies shall be in accordance with NFPA 80.

This change is very similar to the IBC language, requiring authorized access from the outside, and free egress as required by the current model codes.  In addition, the IFC language applies to Group I-4 child day care occupancies, which were not included in the original IBC proposal but will likely be added in future editions.  The paragraph on remote operation of locks was not added to the IFC, but remote operation is not prohibited by the model codes.

Many states have adopted the IFC as their state fire code, often with state modifications.  The classroom security change that will be included in the 2018 IFC is consistent with the IBC, and early adoption of this language would go a long way toward maintaining life safety and creating a uniform set of requirements across the United States.  A similar proposal is in progress for NFPA 101 – the Life Safety Code. 

Unauthorized Egress

In addition to the challenge of keeping intruders out, many schools also struggle to prevent the elopement of young children and students with special needs. The IBC does not currently allow the use of delayed egress locks in Educational and Day Care occupancies even though NFPA 101-The Life Safety Code does, so an exit alarm is the most restrictive hardware that would be compliant with the current and past editions of the IBC.

In order to adequately address this issue and provide schools with another option for effectively deterring unauthorized egress, the BHMA Codes & Government Affairs Committee and the Building Code Action Committee both submitted code change proposals for the 2018 IBC which would allow delayed egress locks to be used in Educational occupancies if the building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system or approved automatic smoke or heat detection system.  Proposal E68-15 was approved by the ICC committee, and will be incorporated into the 2018 edition of the IBC.  In that edition, Educational occupancies will be listed as one of the use groups where delayed egress locks can be used.

Conclusion

It’s important to note that these changes do not go into effect until a jurisdiction adopts the 2018 edition of the IBC and/or the IFC.  However, many of the requirements of the new sections on locking arrangements in educational occupancies are actually already included in the current codes.  The new sections clarify that the requirements for egress, accessibility, and fire protection must not be ignored in favor of less expensive security.  There are numerous products on the market today that will provide the required level of security while meeting these code requirements. 

Lori Greene, DAHC/CDC, CCPR, FDAI, FDHI is the Manager of Codes and Resources for Allegion. For more information about this topic and to download a free reference guide on codes, visit iDigHardware.com/guide.