§4-01 Automatic Door Operators

All doors for which approved automatic operators which open by swinging inwardly or by sliding are used shall not constitute more than 50 percent of the required exits for any one particular building, and when such a door operator is used, only half the width of that door can be counted towards the total exit space required for a particular building.  All such door operators shall meet the following requirements:

   (a)   They shall be equipped so that in the event of power failure or fire they may be opened manually in the direction of exit travel by not more than a 30 pound force; and,

   (b)   They may be closed manually when necessary to safeguard a means of egress; and,

   (c)   Swinging panels shall provide a clear opening width in the 90° open position of not less than 32 inches, with no single leaf less than 24 inches in width; and,

   (d)   When swinging panels are contained in sliding door units, they shall be operable when the sliding leaf or leaves retract to any point in the opening cycle; and,

   (e)   They shall meet the requirements of the American National Standard for Power Operated Doors, ANSI A156.10-1979; and

   (f)   They shall meet the requirements of ANSI/UL 325 (or ANSI/UL 1578 when it is adopted), shall be listed or labeled by a nationally recognized independent testing laboratory, and shall be under an inplant follow-up inspection service.  These requirements shall be applicable to all such door operators approved in the past and those which shall be approved in the future, but shall not be applicable to particular installations of approved door operators which were installed before April 15, 1980.