The manual is now here

http://gfretwell.com/electrical/JAILS%20Manual_-_0101087.pdf

Thank you George. And thank you Ruben for the sticky.

OK here's the latest. The association I was referring to is the American correctional association. They are the ones that acredit the building. The architect is referring to FBC 408.4 which states:

The architect goes on to say:
This electrical room has no other doors into it other than the exterior door.
What say all!!

I say no. The panic hardware is installed inside the electrical room and is used for emergency exit. Only maintenance personal will be in the electrical room not inmates. The outside of the door will still be lockable so an inmate can't enter the electrical room without someone unlocking the door anyway.

The electrical code is more stringent on this subject in that it requires panic hardware for emergency exit and in my opinion overrides the FBC.

Here's a thought(Thinking with Lawyer hat on) if the electrical room is larger than the required working space 110.26(C) do you have to install panic hardware. the article refers only to the required working "space". Opinions?

That's the difference in 2005 110.26(c) and 2008 110.26(c) 2008 added 110.26(C))(3)Personnel Doors less than 25ft from the nearest edge of the working space

The 2005 and 2008 requires panic hardware and that has nothing to do with the required working space. Panic hardware is required based only on equipment ampacity rating. The 25ft rule from the 2008 code has nothing to do with the working space only the location of the egress door to the equipment.

Since the electrical room egress door is the only door and does not lead to the jail area I feel the comment by the architect is unfounded.

I would agree that the architect is unfounded, and maybe I'm reading that section wrong but I have read this over and over again, what I get from the 05 is that egress from the workspace for large equipment requires panic hardware when there is a personnel door(s) an entrance to the workspace. And when I read the 08 and the Analysis of Changes, I see the difference

I agree with you Mike but this is going to be a fight and I have limited time due to politcial pressure to get the jail opened.
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That statement really cracks me up.But I am sticking to my guns.

I said no before. Still say no. There is no substantiation for an alternate method.