Commercial Bathroom Lighting Requirements

Bathroom lighting design specifications.

Commercial bathroom lighting requirements.

Commercial bathrooms need to be compliant with certain regulations regarding emergency lighting. Commercial lighting requirements in 2009 iecc commercial provisions contained in chapter 5 with reference to ashrae 90 1 2007 covers lighting controls and power. 210 8 b 1 bathrooms. At least one wall switch controlled lighting outlet shall be installed in hallways stairways attached garages and detached garages with electric power.

Knowing what these regulations are will help you provide a safe building for all who enter it. Accent light is a great tool when used properly for any commercial space even the bathroom. Commercial lighting requirements eric richman pacific northwest national laboratory. You also have special provisions in other types of occupancy for example health care has essential electrical system that may require emergency lighting even if the egress.

If power service is interrupted in your building building occupants need to be able to safely exit without getting hurt. I see this a lot no gfci in a commercial bathroom to the point i do not think it s required and have been told it s only a residential requirement. General lighting fan circuit required. Each bathroom should have a circuit for lighting and an exhaust fan according to the code this circuit may be a 15 amp circuit if it serves just lighting but it should be a 20 amp circuit if it is also serving a vent fan.

In commercial buildings you have egress lighting the number of exits and the length of the egress travel generally will trigger when emergency lighting is a requirement. This article gives guidelines for lighting location strength and safety for bathrooms. That s a bare minimum and you ll probably want to provide more lights such as vanity lights wall sconces or extra ceiling fixtures for convenience and safety. Check your local jurisdiction for other or more stringent requirements.

This article series details guidelines for selecting and installing interior lighting to meet the requirements for different building areas. Accent lighting can be placed directly over the stalls and sink area to create a gentle ambient lighting outcome. Important nec bathroom regulations. The us general services administration provides lighting levels and lpds for us government buildings which can be used as a guide for other types of buildings.

The table below provides recommended light levels from the iesna lighting handbook and lpd levels from the iecc 2015.