Area of Refuge Requirements: Design, Communication, and Signage

An area of refuge is a smoke-protected space where occupants who cannot use stairs can wait for rescue, and the area of refuge requirements in the International Building Code cover four things: where the space must exist, how it must be built and separated from the rest of the floor, how many wheelchair positions it must hold, and what communication and signage it must include. The requirement applies on every floor above or below the level of exit discharge in most multi-story buildings that lack a full automatic sprinkler system.¹

Where an Area of Refuge Is Required

Any accessible space must be served by at least one accessible means of egress. When two or more means of egress are required, each accessible portion needs at least two accessible means of egress.² That drives the practical rule: floors sitting above or below the level of exit discharge need an area of refuge, because those floors funnel occupants toward stairs.³

Several occupancies are exempt even without sprinklers. The U.S. Access Board lists open parking garages, apartment buildings, detention and correctional facilities, and open exit stairways between stories in sprinklered buildings that meet NFPA 13.³

The Sprinkler Exception and Approved Substitutes

A building equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system installed to IBC standards does not need a dedicated area of refuge.⁴ The building still owes occupants an accessible means of egress, typically an elevator with standby power or a ramp to the exit discharge level.

The IBC also recognizes alternatives that can replace a dedicated enclosed area of refuge:

A horizontal exit, where a fire-rated barrier splits the floor into separate compartments so occupants can move laterally into a protected section of the same floor.³
An occupant evacuation elevator under IBC Section 3008, which requires standby power, water protection, and fire service access.
An exterior area for assisted rescue, covered in its own section below.

Wheelchair Spaces and Stair Width

Each area of refuge must hold at least one wheelchair space measuring 30 inches wide by 48 inches deep for every 200 occupants, or portion of 200, served by that egress path. The wheelchair space cannot reduce the minimum width of the egress route, and it must be reachable directly from an accessible route or from one adjacent wheelchair space.³ A floor with 500 occupants served by a single area of refuge needs three wheelchair spaces.

Stairways serving an area of refuge must have a minimum clear width of 48 inches between handrails. That is wider than a standard exit stairway, so rescuers can carry or assist someone down without blocking the flow of other evacuees.³

Fire Separation and Construction

An area of refuge has to be separated from the rest of the floor by a smoke barrier or a horizontal exit. When it sits inside an enclosed exit stairway, the stairway enclosure provides the separation, and the enclosure follows the standard stairway rules (2-hour fire-resistance ratings in taller buildings). The goal is keeping smoke and heat out of the space long enough for rescue.

Two-Way Communication System

Every area of refuge must have a two-way communication system connecting it to the building’s fire command center or another central control point approved by the fire department. The system needs both audible and visible signals so it works for occupants with hearing or vision impairments.⁵

If the central control point is not staffed continuously, the system must have a timed automatic dial-out feature that connects to an approved monitoring station or 911, so activation after hours actually reaches someone.⁵

Directions for using the system, instructions for summoning help, and a written label identifying the caller’s location have to be posted right next to the device. The signage must meet ICC A117.1 requirements for visual characters.⁵ NFPA 72 adds technical rules: wall-mounted communication equipment must sit between 36 and 66 inches above the floor with at least 30 inches of clear access width, and the wiring must meet Level 2 or Level 3 pathway survivability so it stays functional during a fire.

Signage on the Door and Inside the Space

Doors leading to an area of refuge must carry a sign with the International Symbol of Accessibility and the words “AREA OF REFUGE.” Both the IBC and the ADA Standards require these signs to include tactile characters (raised lettering and braille) so occupants with visual impairments can find the space. Tactile signs must be mounted between 48 and 60 inches above the finished floor, measured to the baseline of the raised characters.³

Inside the space, posted instructions have to cover four things: how to use the communication system, directions to other means of egress, a note telling occupants who can use the stairway to do so immediately unless they are helping others, and information about what assistance will be available and how to request it.³

Exterior Areas for Assisted Rescue

When an interior area of refuge is impractical, the IBC allows an exterior area for assisted rescue: an open-air platform or landing outside the building, reached by an accessible route from the floor it serves. Sizing follows the same rule as an interior area of refuge, one 30-by-48-inch wheelchair space per 200 occupants.⁶

The exterior wall separating the rescue area from the building interior must carry a 1-hour fire-resistance rating, with the fire-rated construction extending at least 10 feet horizontally past the landing on each side and at least 10 feet vertically above the floor level. The sides of the platform not against the building must be at least 50 percent open to outside air, with the openings distributed to prevent smoke from pooling.⁶ Buildings with full sprinkler systems are exempt from the fire-resistance and opening-protection requirements for that exterior wall.

Keeping the Space Compliant After Occupancy

Building and life safety codes require the two-way communication system to be properly installed, tested, maintained, and supervised on an ongoing basis. Any fault must trigger a trouble signal that re-sounds at least every 24 hours until it is corrected. Performance testing has to confirm that the master control unit operator can answer calls, dispatch help, and reset emergency signals as they come in.

The fire-rated doors, smoke barriers, and signage need periodic inspection alongside the electronics. A self-closing door with a broken closer or a sign with faded braille defeats the purpose of the space. Rolling area-of-refuge checks into the building’s regular fire and life safety inspection schedule is the simplest way to keep everything functional.

1
ICC Digital Codes. 2024 Accessibility Pocketbook: 2024 IBC, 2024 IEBC and ICC A117.1-2017
2
ICC Digital Codes. 2018 International Building Code – Chapter 10 Means of Egress
3
U.S. Access Board. Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards – Chapter 4 Accessible Means of Egress
4
ICC Digital Codes. 2024 International Fire Code – 1009.4.2 Area of Refuge
5
UpCodes. 1009.8 Two-Way Communication
6
UpCodes. 1009.7 Exterior Areas for Assisted Rescue