What Is Occupancy Load and How Does It Affect You?

How many people could you fit inside of your business? Depending on what type of business it is, that number could be different for the same square footage. If you own a business that is visited by a lot of people at once, you might be required by law to have an occupancy load sign posted. The number of occupants that you can have will be calculated from what your business does. There will be a prescribed area per person that is in the building, and then the total square footage will be divided by that number to get the total occupancy load. For example, if you have a gym that requires 50 square feet per person, a 500 square foot area will have a maximum occupancy load of 10 people.

It might be required by law that you post this on a visible sign, and it is especially important to follow these guidelines since there can be fines imposed on those not following them. It is also important for fire safety, since an overcrowded facility can lead to panic and unnecessary fatalities.