Occupant load is the:

Occupant load is the:

• A. total number of persons that may safely exit a building.
• B. total number of persons that may safely occupy a building or portion there of at any one time.
• C. total number of persons that may exit areas of concentrated use.
• D. average number of persons that may exit a building or portion thereof at any one time

Answer: (B)

Occupant load is the maximum number of people that a space or building can safely hold at one time. It’s determined by the floor area and the designated occupant load factor for that use, and it serves as the basis for sizing exits, corridors, and life-safety systems. It isn’t about how many can exit or how fast they can exit, and it isn’t an average of exit flow. Instead, it defines how many people the space must be designed to safely accommodate, which then drives requirements for means of egress and safety features.

Occupant load is the maximum number of people that a space or building can safely hold at one time. It’s determined by the floor area and the designated occupant load factor for that use, and it serves as the basis for sizing exits, corridors, and life-safety systems. It isn’t about how many can exit or how fast they can exit, and it isn’t an average of exit flow. Instead, it defines how many people the space must be designed to safely accommodate, which then drives requirements for means of egress and safety features.