If you’re designing a building that includes a tornado-safe room, which is required in public buildings in some parts of the country, then you need to familiarize yourself with the legal requirements that those shelters must meet in order to be compliant.
The ICC500-14 is a code that outlines standards from the International Code Council that specifically relate to the construction of storm shelters. These standards don’t just outline the materials used and the testing requirements for those materials, but they also include specific requirements for labeling the components used to build a storm shelter. Here’s what you need to know about labeling requirements for tornado-safe rooms.
ICC500-14 and Tornado Safe Rooms
Tornado-safe rooms are spaces within buildings that are specifically designed to withstand the strong winds and impact from potential debris that could cause damage or injury in the case of a tornado or strong wind storm. The materials used for these storm shelters, including impact-resistant windows, doors, and shutters, must be made with impact-resistant glazing materials and tested for the ability to hold up against extensive pressure and impact.
According to the IBC-2015 certain types of public buildings, such as police stations, some k-12 school buildings, and 911 call centers, are required to have storm shelters included in their designs if located within a 250 mph wind speed zone, which covers a large portion of the plains states and the Midwest. These are known as community storm shelters. While there are also specific requirements for shelters included in residential properties or other types of buildings, there are especially high testing and labeling standards that apply to these community shelters.
Tornado Safe Room Labeling Requirements
These storm shelters don’t only require the use of strong and tested materials, but they also require those products to be labeled in a very specific way. The doors, windows, shutters, and other protective systems used in tornado-safe rooms have to be labeled denoting that they comply with the specific ICC500-14 standards. Labels are issued by the nationally recognized testing agency that approved those materials for use and must consist of a label, seal, or other type of symbol that is permanently affixed to the product.
From there, the windows, doors, shutters, and other exterior elements must meet ongoing quality assurance requirements where a testing body makes quarterly unannounced visits to ensure that those items continue to live up to the standards of the affixed label.
So if you’re going to build a tornado-safe room in your next building project, you need to find a reputable manufacturer whose products live up to all of the codes and labeling standards in this area. Insulgard is a manufacturer of impact-resistant glass products, including windows, doors, and shutters that are tested by UL and certified with all of the proper labeling and other requirements of the ICC500-14 code. Check out our selection of impact-resistant products on our website or reach out to a representative to learn more.
