Section 3008 — OCCUPANT EVACUATION ELEVATORS

Where e levators are to be used for occupant self-evacuation during fires , all passenger elevators for general public use shall comply with Sections 3008.1 through 3008.10. Where other elevators are used for occupant self-evacuation, those elevators shall comply with these sections.

3008.1.1 Reserved .

3008.1.2 Additional exit stairway. Where an additional means of egress is required in accordance with Section 403.5.2, an additional exit stairway shall not be required to be installed in buildings provided with occupant evacuation elevators complying with Section 3008.1.

3008.1.3 Fire safety and evacuation plan. The building shall have an approved fire safety and evacuation plan in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 404 of the California Fire Code . The fire safety and evacuation plan shall incorporate specific procedures for the occupants using evacuation elevators.

3008.1.4 Operation. The occupant evacuation elevators shall be used for occupant self-evacuation in accordance with the occupant evacuation operation requirements in California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Division 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter 6, Elevator Safety Orders, and the building’s fire safety and evacuation plan.

The building shall be equipped throughout with an approved, electrically supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, except as otherwise permitted by Section 903.3.1.1.1 and as prohibited by Section 3008.2.1.

3008.2.1 Prohibited locations. Automatic sprinklers shall not be installed in elevator machine rooms, machinery spaces, control rooms, control spaces and elevator hoistways of occupant evacuation elevators in accordance with this section and Section 3005.4.1.

3008.2.2 Sprinkler system monitoring. The automatic sprinkler system shall have a sprinkler control valve supervisory switch and water-flow-initiating device provided for each floor that is monitored by the building’s fire alarm system.

Water from the operation of an automatic sprinkler system outside the enclosed lobby shall be prevented from infiltrating into the hoistway enclosure in accordance with an approved method.

Means for elevator shutdown in accordance with Section 3005.5 shall not be installed on elevator systems used for occupant evacuation elevators.

Occupant evacuation elevator hoistways shall be located in shaft enclosures complying with Section 713.

3008.5.1 Structural integrity of hoistway enclosures. Occupant evacuation elevator hoistway enclosures shall comply with Sections 403.2.2.1 through 403.2.2.4.

Occupant evacuation elevators shall open into an enclosed elevator lobby in accordance with Sections 3008.6.1 through 3008.6.6. Egress is permitted through the elevator lobby in accordance with Item 1 of Section 1016.2.

3008.6.1 Access to interior exit stairway or ramp. The occupant evacuation elevator lobby shall have direct access from the enclosed elevator lobby to an interior exit stairway or ramp.

Exceptions:

1. Access to an interior exit stairway or ramp shall be permitted to be through a protected path of travel that has a level of fire protection not less than the elevator lobby enclosure. The protected path shall be separated from the enclosed elevator lobby through an opening protected by a smoke and draft control assembly in accordance Section 716.2.2.1.1.

2. Elevators that only service an open parking garage and the elevator lobby of the building shall not be required to provide direct access.

30-10 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE

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ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS

3008.6.2 Elevator lobby separation. The occupant evacuation elevator lobby shall be separated from each floor with a smoke barrier in accordance with Section 709, except that lobby doorways shall comply with Section 3008.6.3.

Exception: Occupant evacuation elevator lobbies are not required to be separated at the levels of exit discharge.

3008.6.3 Elevator lobby doorways. Other than the doors to elevator machine rooms, machinery spaces, control rooms and control spaces in the smoke barrier, each doorway to an occupant evacuation elevator lobby shall be provided with a [3] / 4 -hour fire door assembly complying with Section 716. Such a fire door assembly shall comply with the smoke and draft control assembly requirements of Section 716.2.2.1.1 and be tested in accordance with UL 1784 without an artificial bottom seal.

3008.6.3.1 Vision panel. A vision panel shall be installed in each fire door assembly in the smoke barrier. The vision panel shall consist of fire-protection-rated glazing, shall comply with the requirements of Section 716 and shall be located to furnish clear vision of the occupant evacuation elevator lobby.

3008.6.3.2 Door closing. Each fire door assembly in the smoke barrier shall be automatic-closing upon receipt of any fire alarm signal from the emergency voice/alarm communication system serving the building.

3008.6.4 Lobby size. Each occupant evacuation elevator lobby shall have minimum floor area as follows:

1. The occupant evacuation elevator lobby floor area shall accommodate, at 3 square feet (0.28 m [2] ) per person, not less than 25 percent of the occupant load of the floor area served by the lobby.
2. The occupant evacuation elevator lobby floor area shall accommodate one wheelchair space of 30 inches by 52 inches (760 mm by 1320 mm) for each 50 persons, or portion thereof, of the occupant load of the floor area served by the lobby.

bby floor area shall accommodate, at 3 square feet (0.28 m [2] ) per person, not less than 25 percent of the occupant load of the floor area served by the lobby. 2. The occupant evacuation elevator lobby floor area shall accommodate one wheelchair space of 30 inches by 52 inches (760 mm by 1320 mm) for each 50 persons, or portion thereof, of the occupant load of the floor area served by the lobby.

Exception: The size of lobbies serving multiple banks of elevators shall have the minimum floor area approved on an individual basis and shall be consistent with the building’s fire safety and evacuation plan.

3008.6.5 Signage. An approved sign indicating elevators are suitable for occupant self-evacuation shall be posted on all floors adjacent to each elevator call station serving occupant evacuation elevators.

3008.6.6 Two-way communication system. A two-way communication system shall be provided in each occupant evacuation elevator lobby for the purpose of initiating communication with the fire command center or an alternate location approved by the fire department. The two-way communication system shall be designed and installed in accordance with Sections 1009.8.1 and 1009.8.2.

The occupant evacuation elevators shall be continuously monitored at the fire command center or a central control point approved by the fire department and arranged to display all of the following information:

1. Floor location of each elevator car.

2. Direction of travel of each elevator car.

3. Status of each elevator car with respect to whether it is occupied.

4. Status of normal power to the elevator equipment, elevator machinery and electrical apparatus cooling equipment where provided, elevator machine room, control room and control space ventilation and cooling equipment.

5. Status of standby or emergency power system that provides backup power to the elevator equipment, elevator machinery and electrical cooling equipment where provided, elevator machine room, control room and control space ventilation and cooling equipment.

6. Activation of any fire alarm initiating device in any elevator lobby, elevator machine room, machine space containing a motor controller or electric driving machine, control space, control room or elevator hoistway.

3008.7.1 Elevator recall. The fire command center or an alternate location approved by the fire department shall be provided with the means to manually initiate a Phase I Emergency Recall of the occupant evacuation elevators in accordance with Califor- nia Code of Regulations, Title 8, Division 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter 6, Elevator Safety Orders.

The following features serving each occupant evacuation elevator shall be supplied by both normal power and Type 60/Class 2/Level 1 standby power:

1. Elevator equipment.
2. Ventilation and cooling equipment for elevator machine rooms, control rooms, machinery spaces and control spaces.
3. Elevator car lighting.

3008.8.1 Determination of standby power load. Standby power loads shall be based on the determination of the number of occupant evacuation elevators in Section 3008.1.1.

3008.8.2 Protection of wiring or cables. Wires or cables that are located outside of the elevator hoistway, machine room, control room and control space and that provide normal or standby power, control signals, communication with the car, lighting, heating, air conditioning, ventilation and fire-detecting systems to occupant evacuation elevators shall be protected using one of the following methods:

1. Cables used for survivability of required critical circuits shall be listed in accordance with UL 2196 and shall have a fireresistance rating of not less than 2 hours.
2. Electrical circuit protective systems shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 hours. Electrical circuit protective systems shall be installed in accordance with their listing requirements.
3. Construction having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 hours.

Exception: Wiring and cables to control signals are not required to be protected provided that wiring and cables do not serve Phase II emergency in-car operation.

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ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS

The building shall be provided with an emergency voice/alarm communication system. The emergency voice/alarm communication system shall be accessible to the fire department. The system shall be provided in accordance with Section 907.5.2.2.

3008.9.1 Notification appliances. Not fewer than one audible and one visible notification appliance shall be installed within each occupant evacuation elevator lobby.

Building areas shall not contain hazardous materials exceeding the maximum allowable quantities per control area as addressed in Section 414.2.