The Electrical Code

210.71 Meeting Rooms. Meeting room must have never had outlets and the code makers must have got enough complaints from different jurisdictions that they made this article. To start they used a term “non locking” this is an outlet that has prongs much like a regular outlet but they are orientation in a round shape to twist and after it twist it locks into place by being pushed out. So in order to remove it you need to push in and twist. I love these things it makes outlets unusable so that a person needing an outlet could not plug into this location and is forced to look for another outlet elsewhere. For instance your kid is near the freezer and needs power for his or her charger for their phone they won’t be able to use it. At any rate it’s great because it funny to see someone trying to remove this device that is not familiar it.

So then it goes into partitions, those accordion doors that split a large room momentarily. So when those partitions are in place there needs to be an outlet in those areas when the partition is used. And for good right. There would be extension cords scattered about the could be pinched by the partition, or a trip hazard.

This article was adopted in 2017 code book addition. So it is relatively new. I have linked another article that this article needs follow.

I like that they added this article to the code. Especially when extension cords should not be used in this type of place that people take pictures and they see these unsightly cords. They make for unsafe conditions when people start leaving all at once. I can see owners of new meeting rooms trying to get away with building these locations not adhering to this article.

“(A) General. Each meeting room of not more than 93 m2 (1000 ft2) in other than dwelling units shall have outlets for non locking type , 125-volt, 15- or 20-ampere receptacles. The outlets shall be installed in accordance with 210.71(B). Where a room or space is provided with movable partition(s), each room size shall be determined with the partition in the position that results in the smallest size meeting room.

Informational Note No. 1: For the purposes of this section, meeting rooms are typically designed or intended for the gathering of seated occupants for such purposes as conferences, deliberations, or similar purposes, where portable electronic equipment such as computers, projectors, or similar equipment is likely to be used.

Informational Note No. 2: Examples of rooms that are not meet‐ ing rooms include auditoriums, schoolrooms, and coffee shops.

(B) Receptacle Outlets Required. The total number of receptacle outlets, including floor outlets and receptacle outlets in fixed furniture, shall not be less than as determined in (1) and (2). These receptacle outlets shall be permitted to be located as determined by the designer or building owner.

(1) Receptacle Outlets in Fixed Walls. Receptacle outlets shall be installed in accordance with 210.52(A)(1) through (A)(4).

(2) Floor Receptacle Outlets. A meeting room that is at least 3.7 m (12 ft) wide and that has a floor area of at least 20 m2 (215 ft2) shall have at least one receptacle outlet located in the floor at a distance not less than 1.8 m (6 ft) from any fixed wall for each 20 m2 (215 ft2) or major portion of floor space.

Informational Note No. 1: See Section 314.27(B) for floor boxes used for receptacles located in the floor.

Informational Note No. 2: See Article 518 for assembly occupancies designed for 100 or more persons.”