NEC Article 518 provides wiring requirements for places of assembly (Assembly Occupancies).

According to the NEC^®, the provisions of Article 518 apply to all buildings or portions of buildings or structures designed or intended for the gathering together of 100 or more persons for such purposes as deliberation, worship, entertainment, eating, drinking, amusement, awaiting transportation, or similar purposes. These are considered assembly occupancies according to the NEC^®.

NEC Section 518.4 covers wiring methods permitted in an assembly occupancy including rated and non-rated construction as well as spaces with a specific finish rating identified in listings of fire-rated assemblies.

In addition, NEC^® 700.10 and 700.12 have specific rules for emergency system fire protection and sources of emergency power that affect the electrician.

Identifying an assembly occupancy is critical for an electrician hired to perform electrical work in such places. The NEC^® does not go into great detail on all of the different types of assembly occupancies but the International Building Code (IBC) does.

According to IBC Section 303, Assembly occupancies include groups A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4, and A-5 which are summarized below.

Group A-1 occupancy includes assembly uses, usually with fixed seating, intended for the production and viewing of the performing arts or motion pictures including, but not limited to:

• Motion picture theaters
• Symphony and concert halls
• Television and radio studios admitting an audience
• Theaters

Group A-2 occupancy includes assembly uses intended for food and/or drink consumption including, but not limited to:

• Banquet halls
• Casinos (gaming areas)
• Nightclubs
• Restaurants, cafeterias, and similar dining facilities (including associated commercial kitchens)
• Taverns and bars

Group A-3 occupancy includes assembly uses intended for worship, recreation or amusement and other assembly uses not classified elsewhere in Group A including, but not limited to:

• Amusement arcades
• Art galleries
• Bowling alleys
• Community halls
• Courtrooms
• Dance halls (not including food or drink consumption)
• Exhibition halls
• Funeral parlors
• Greenhouses for the conservation and exhibition of plants that provide public access
• Gymnasiums (without spectator seating)
• Indoor swimming pools (without spectator seating)
• Indoor tennis courts (without spectator seating)
• Lecture halls
• Libraries
• Museums
• Places of religious worship
• Pool and billiard parlors
• Waiting areas in transportation terminals

Group A-4 occupancy includes assembly uses intended for viewing of indoor sporting events and activities with spectator seating including, but not limited to:

• Arenas
• Skating rinks
• Swimming pools
• Tennis courts

Group A-5 occupancy includes assembly uses intended for participation in or viewing outdoor activities including, but not limited to:

• Amusement Park structures
• Bleachers
• Grandstands
• Stadiums