Net occupant load factor is defined as:

Net occupant load factor is defined as:

• A. The gross occupant load factor minus any tables, columns, or other unusable space
• B. The gross occupant load factor plus tables
• C. The gross occupant load factor divided by unusable space
• D. The gross occupant load factor multiplied by usable space

Answer: (A)

Net occupant load factor represents the usable area per person. It starts with the gross occupant load factor and then accounts for spaces that can’t be used for occupancy—subtracting areas like columns, tables, or other obstructions. This adjustment gives a more accurate picture of how densely people can actually occupy the space. The other operations don’t align with how net occupant load factor is defined: adding unusable space overestimates, dividing by unusable space changes the units, and multiplying by usable space isn’t how the factor is calculated.

Net occupant load factor represents the usable area per person. It starts with the gross occupant load factor and then accounts for spaces that can’t be used for occupancy—subtracting areas like columns, tables, or other obstructions. This adjustment gives a more accurate picture of how densely people can actually occupy the space. The other operations don’t align with how net occupant load factor is defined: adding unusable space overestimates, dividing by unusable space changes the units, and multiplying by usable space isn’t how the factor is calculated.