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2565-08.16.1971
ORDINANCE NO. cSv' AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE "LIFE SAFETY CODE, 1970 EDITION" A CODE FOR LIFE SAFETY FROM FIRE IN BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATERLOO, IOWA: That Chapter 14, Fire Prevention and Protection, of the Code of Ordinances, City of Waterloo, Iowa, is hereby amended by adding Section 14-4, Life Safety Code: Sec. 14-4. Life Safety Code. There is hereby adopted by the City for the purpose of prescribing life safety from fire in buildings and structures, that certain Code known as the Life Safety Code, 1970 Edition, copies of which are on file in the office of the City Clerk. Passed and adopted this 16tIUay of August ,1971. u C/ Mayor ATTEST: 2 s J A te) Acting City Clerk Str -20 STATE OF IOWA, I, Hobert J. McCoy SS Black Hawk County, Publisher of the Waterloo Pailp Courier a daily newspaper printed in the English language and published in Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa do solemnly swear that the annexed copy of Ord inane e notice was published in the English language only t'igalt once a for consecutive commencing on the day of 19 i ORDINANCE NO. 2565 in the issues of Auuust 19 i 1971 AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE 'LIFE SAFETY CODE, 1970 EDITION"', A CODE FOR LIFE SAFETY FROMI of said newspaper, and FIRE IN BUILDINGS AND STRUC-' TURES.T OkDA---INED BY THE CITY that the annexed rate of advertising is the regular legal rate of BECOUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATER-I, said newspaper, and that the following is a correct bill for pub- LOThhat I Chapter 14, Fire Prevention and l lishing said notice. Protection, of the Code of Ordinances, O City of Waterloo, Iowa, is hereby amend-I Printer's Bill $ 5 8C ed by adding Section 14-4, Life Safety Code: Sec. 14.4. Life Safety Cods. There Is hereby adopted by the City for the purpose of prescribing life safety - from fire in buildings and structures, that Safety certain C de,Code known kno ti Edition, the copies Life of which are on file In the office of the Subscribed and sworn to before me this 19th day City Clerk. o f August A. D., 19--21- Passed and adopted this 16th day of August, 1971. LLOYD L.TUMayorI Mayor RNER ATTEST: I otary Public Arnold S. Zelhnon Acting City Clerk - --- Received of the sum of Dollars in full for publication of the above notice. Publishers AIA File No. 40-B-7 NFPA No. 101 LIFE SAFETY LliA000DE 1970 An 1 el NF PA 4 Copyright ©1970 ATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIA • International 25M-12-70-FP-SC Printed inus.A. 60 Batterymarch Street, Boston,Mass.0211 Official NFPA Definitions Adopted Jan. 23, 1964: Revised Dec. 9, 1969. Where variances to these definitions are found, efforts to eliminate such conflicts are in process. SHALL is intended to indicate requirements. SHOULD is intended to indicate recommendations or that which is advised but not required. APPROVED means acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction. The National Fire Protection Association does not approve, inspect or certify any installations, procedures,equipment or materials nor does it approve or evaluate testing labora- tories. In determining the acceptability of installations or procedures, equipment or materials, the authority having jurisdiction may base acceptance on compliance with NFPA or other appropriate standards. In the absence of such standards, said authority may require evidence of proper installation, procedure or use. The authority having jurisdiction may also refer to the listings or labeling practices of nationally recognized testing laboratories,*i.e.,laboratories qualified and equipped to conduct the necessary tests, in a position to determine compliance with ap- propriate standards for the current production of listed items,and the satisfactory performance of such equipment or materials in actual usage. *Among the laboratories nationally recognized by the authorities having jurisdiction in the United States and Canada are the Underwriters'Laboratories, Inc.,the Factory Mutual Research Corp., the American Gas Association Laboratories,the Underwriters'Laboratories of Canada,the Canadian Standards Association Testing Laboratories, and the Canadian Gas Association Approvals Division. LISTED: Equipment or materials included in h list published by a nationally recognized testing laboratory that maintains periodic inspection of production of listed equipment or materials, and whose listing states either that the equipment or material meets nationally recognized standards or has been tested and found suitable for use in a specified manner. LABELED:Equipment or materials to which has been attached a label,symbol or other identifying mark of a nationally recognized testing laboratory that main- tains periodic inspection of production of labeled equipment or materials, and by whose labeling is indicated compliance with nationally recognized standards or tests to determine suitable usage in a specified manner. AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: The organization, office or individual re- sponsible for"approving"equipment,an installation,or a procedure. Statement on NFPA Procedures This material has been developed in the interest of safety to life and property under the published procedures of the National Fire Protection Association. These procedures are de- signed to assure the appointment of technically competent Committees having balanced representation from those vitally interested and active in the areas with which the Committees are concerned. These procedures provide that all Committee recommendations shall be pub- lished prior to action on them by the Association itself and that following this publication these recommendations shall be presented for adoption to the Annual Meeting of the Association where anyone in attendance,member or not,may present his views. While these procedures assure the highest degree of care neither the National Fire Protection Association,its members, nor those participating in its activities accepts any liability resulting from compliance or non- compliance with the provisions given herein, for any restrictions imposed on materials or processes,or for the completeness of the text. Copyright and Republishing Rights This publication is copyrighted © by the National Fire Protection Asso- ciation. Permission is granted to republish in full the material herein in laws, ordinances, regulations, administrative orders or similar documents issued by public authorities. All others desiring permission to reproduce this material in whole or in part shall consult the National Fire Protection Association. 1 101—i CODE FOR LIFE SAFETY FROM FIRE IN BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES NFPA No. 101 — 1970 The 1970 Edition of the Life Safety Code This 1970 edition of the Life Safety Code supersedes the 1967 edition and was adopted by the National Fire Protection Associ- ation on May 21, 1970. The NFPA, at its Annual Meeting on May 21, 1970, voted to require early warning detection and automatic sprinklers in all new and existing nursing homes, regardless of construction type. The Board of Directors has authorized the publication of this 1970 Edition of the Code without the amendment and has directed the Safety to Life Committee to implement its statement that it"recog- nizes the merits of early warning detection and automatic extin- guishing devices as essential parts of a life safety system and has directed the Sectional Committee on Institutional Occupancies to study the methodology, alternatives and technical aspects of in- corporating provisions for such devices in the 1973 Edition of the Life Safety Code." Changes from the 1967 edition include: a complete revision of Chapter 3 including deleting the words "basement" and "grade"; extensive amendments to Chapter 5; amendments to Section 6-2 and Section 6-6; complete revision of Section 6-3; amendment of 7-114; amendments to Chapter 8 including new material on stages and a new section on projection booths; new material on open plan and flexible plan schools in Chapter 9; extensive amendments to Chapter 10; amendments to Chapters 11, 12 (including a new section on malls), 13, 14, 15 and 16; and amendments to Chapter 17 including a revised Section 17-4 on institutional occupancies. 101—II LIFE SAFETY CODE Committee on Safety to Life Edward Grey Halstead,Chairman, Jensen,Halstead&Rummel,600 South Michigan Ave.,Chicago,Ill.60605 Richard E.Stevenst,Secretary, National Fire Protection Assn.,60 Batterymarch St.,Boston,Mass.02110 Irwin A. Benjamin, U. S. Dept. of Com- James C.Spence,American Iron and Steel merce. Institute. J. Armand Burgun, Rogers, Butler & R. D. Sullivan, National Automatic Sprin- Burgun. kler and Fire Control Assn. Kern E. Church, N. C. State Insurance Edward F. Tabisz, Underwriters' Labora- Department. tories of Canada. Harold Clar,Clar&Spitzer,Inc. William B. Tabler, American Institute of R. Stirling Ferguson, National Research Architects. Council. C. L. Tetherow, National Electrical Mfrs. Ashby T. Gibbons, Jr., Portland Cement Assn. Assn. James P.Thompson,Southern Pine Assn. John L. Jablonsky, American Insurance Theodore A. Ventrone, American Cyana- Assn. mid Company. C. S. Mullen, Jr., Fire Marshals Assn. of Martin P. Walsh, Jr., Building Officials North America. Conference of America. Charles Rust,American Insurance Assn. George H. Wright, Underwriters' Labora- Jack C. Sanders, Fire Marshals Assn. of tories,Inc. North America. Calvin H. Yuill, Southwest Research In- Major Carroll E.Shaw,Fire Marshals Assn. stitute. of North America. Alternates. David Curley, American Insurance Assn. Wm. J. Meyer, National Automatic Sprin- (Alternate to Charles Rust.) kler & Fire Control Assn. (Alternate to J. E. Johnson, National Electrical Mfrs. R.D.Sullivan.) Assn. (Alternate to C. L. Tetherow.) Gerald M. Watson, American Insurance Murvan M. Maxwell, American Institute Assn.(Alternate to John L.Jablonsky.) of Architects. (Alternate to Wm. B. B.A.Zimmer, Underwriters' Laboratories, Tabler.) Inc.(Alternate to George H.Wright.) Corresponding Member.t Norman C.Strother-Smith,Fire Protection Assn.,London,England. SCOPE:This Committee deals with life safety from fire and like emergencies. Covers con- struction, protection, and occupancy features to minimize danger to life from fire, smoke, fumes or panic before buildings are vacated. Specifies the number,size,and arrangement of exit facilities sufficient to permit prompt escape of occupants from buildings or structures in case of fire or other condition dangerous to life. tNon-voting. LIFE SAFETY CODE 101—III Sectional Committee on Assembly and Educational Occupancies Harold Clar,Chairman, Clar&Spitzer,Inc.,1121 South Hill St.,Los Angeles,Calif.90015 Charles T. Beaupre, Jr., Massachusetts Howard McKee, Fire Marshals Assn. of Department of Public Safety. North America. John G.Degenkolb, Assn.of Motion Pic- John Morris,University of Illinois. ture and Television Producers. Norman E.Kocher,Los Angeles City Board Stanley C. Ziemer, Fulton Board of Edu- of Education. cation,Atlanta,Ga. Arron F.McCrary,American Hospital As- sociation. Sectional Committee on Industrial,Storage,and Miscellaneous Occupancies Theodore A.Ventrone,Chairman, American Cyanamid Co.,Bound Brook,N.J.08805 Leroy V.Abbott, Jr.,Insurance Company Bernard Grad,American Institute of Archi- of North America. tests. Walter W.Baese,Xerox Corp. C. Wm. Walter, National Safety Council. Howard D. Boyd, Fire Marshals Assn. of North America. Alternate. W.L.D.Chisholm,American Mutual In- Marshall E. Petersen, American Mutual surance Alliance. Insurance Alliance.(Alternate to W.L.D. Kern E. Church, N. C. State Insurance Chisholm.) Dept. Sectional Committee on Institutional Occupancies J.Armand Burgun,Chairman, Rogers,Butler&Burgun,Architects,1 Park Ave.,New York,N.Y.10016 Richard G.Bright,U.S.Veterans Adminis- Carroll E. Shaw, Fire Marshals Assn. of tration. North America. Roy Hudenburg,Kiff,Voss&Franklin. Julian E. Smariga, U. S. Department of Roger C. Mellem, American Institute of Health,Education and Welfare. Architects. P.V.Tilden,Washington,D.C. Paul S. Pierson, American Hospital Assn. Carl W.Walter, M.D., NFPA Committee James P.Regan,American Nursing Home on Hospitals. Assn. Alternate. M.H.Estepp,Fire Marshals Assn.of North America. (Alternate to Carroll E.Shaw.) Sectional Committee on Interior Finish,Furnishing,and Decorations John L.Jablonsky,Chairman, American Insurance Assn.,85 John St.,New York,N.Y.10038 Brock Arms, American Institute of Archi- Jack C. Sanders, Fire Marshals Assn. of tests. North America. E. A. Bamford, Factory Mutual Research Edward F. Tabisz, Underwriters' Labora- Corp. tories of Canada. A. J. Bartosic, Society of the Plastics In- George H. Wright, Underwriters' Labora- dustry. tories,Inc. Richard F. Catchpole, National Forest Calvin H. Yuill, Southwest Research In- Products Assn. stitute. Alternate. R.W.Boltz,Society of the Plastics Industry. (Alternate to A.J.Bartosic.) 1O1—IV LIFE SAFETY CODE Sectional Committee on Means of Egress C.S.Mullen,Jr.,Chairman, State Fire Marshal,Box 1157,Richmond,Va.23209 (rep.Fire Marshals Assn.of North America) John F.Behrens,International Conference W.W.Pritsky,The Aluminum Assn. of Building Officials. Irwin A. Benjamin, U. S. Department of James P.Thompson, Southern Pine Assn. Commerce. Martin P. Walsh, Jr., Building Officials' Richard C.Bright,U.S.Veterans Adminis- Conference of America. tration. John L. Bryan, University of Maryland. G.M.Watson,American Ins.Assn. R. Sterling Ferguson, National Research B.A. Zimmer, Underwriters' Laboratories, Council. Inc. Sectional Committee on Mercantile and Office Occupancies Charles S.Rust,Chairman, Aetna Life&Casualty,Hartford,Conn.06115(rep.American Insurance Assn.) Richard Lattey, American Mutual Insur- Sam D. Tanksley, Fire Marshals Assn. of ance Alliance. North America. James C.Spence,American Iron and Steel Nelson T.Walker,Erie,Pa. Institute. Clyde Whitlow, American Institute of R. D. Sullivan, National Automatic Sprin- Architects. kler&Fire Control Assn. Sectional Committee on Residential Occupancies William B.Tabler,Chairman, 401-415 Seventh Ave.,New York,N.Y.10001 (rep.American Institute of Architects) Irwin A. Benjamin, U. S. Department of Richard A.Schnarr,Building Officials'Con- Commerce. ference of America. William S. Brownt, Federal Housing Ad- Milton W. Smithman, National Assn. of ministration. Home Builders. Peter G. Christie, Christie, Niles, Potter and Andrews. Alternate. Glenn Moore, Fire Marshals Assn. of Warren Nellis, National Assn. of Home North America. Builders. (Alternate to Milton W. Smith- Samuel J.Pope, Dorchester,Mass. man.) ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT 101—v Origin and Development of No. 101 The Life Safety Code (formerly the Building Exits Code) had its origin in the work of the Committee on Safety to Life of the National Fire Protection Association which was appointed in 1913. For the first few years of its existence the Committee devoted its attention to a study of the notable fires involving loss of life,and in analyzing the causes of this loss of life. This work led to the preparation of standards for the construction of stairways, fire escapes, etc., for fire drills in various occupancies and for the construction and arrange- ment of exit facilities for factories, schools, etc., which form the basis of the present Code. These reports were adopted by the Na- tional Fire Protection Association and published in pamphlet form as "Outside Stairs for Fire Exits" (1916) and "Safeguarding Fac- tory Workers from Fire" (1918). A pamphlet, "Exit Drills in Fac- tories, Schools, Department Stores and Theatres," published in 1912 following its presentation by the late Committee member, Mr. R. H. Newbern, at the 1911 annual meeting of the Association, although antedating the organization of the Committee, is con- sidered as having the status of a Committee publication and has been used with the other pamphlets as a groundwork for the present Code. These pamphlets were widely circulated and put into quite general use. In 1921 the Committee was enlarged to include representation of certain interested groups not previously participating, and work was started on the further development and integration of previous Committee publications to provide a comprehensive guide to exits and related features of life safety from fire in all classes of occupancy, to be known as the Building Exits Code. Various drafts were pub- lished, circulated and discussed over a period of years and the first edition of the Building Exits Code under this title was published by the National Fire Protection Association in 1927. Thereafter the Committee continued its deliberations, adding new material on features not originally covered, and revising various details in the light of fire experience and practical experience in the use of the Code. New editions were published in 1929, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1942, and 1946 to incorporate the amendments adopted by the Na- tional Fire Protection Association on recommendation of the Com- mittee. The Cocoanut Grove Night Club fire in Boston in 1942 in which 492 lives were lost focused national attention upon the importance of adequate exits and related fire safety features. Public attention to exit matters was further stimulated by the series of hotel fires in 1946 (LaSalle, Chicago—61 dead; Canfield,Dubuque—19 dead; and the Winecoff, Atlanta—119 dead). The Building Exits Code thereafter was used to an increasing extent for legal regulatory pur- poses. However, the Code was not in suitable form for adoption in 101-VI LIFE SAFETY CODE law as it had been drafted as a reference document containing many advisory provisions useful to designers of buildings, but not appro- priate for legal use. This led to a decision by the committee to re- edit the entire Code limiting the body of the text to requirements suitable for mandatory application and placing advisory and ex- planatory material in notes. The re-editing also involved adding to the Code provisions on many features which had not previously been covered in order to produce a complete document. Preliminary work on the complete re-editing and enlargement of the Code was carried on concurrently with certain necessary current revisions which appeared in the 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1952 editions. The re- sults were incorporated in the 1956 Edition, and further refined in subsequent editions dated 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1963. In 1955 separate documents, Nos. 101B and 101C were published on Nursing Homes and Interior Finish respectively. No. 101C was revised in 1956. These publications have since been withdrawn. In all of the work in developing the various sections of the Code the groups particularly concerned have been consulted. Reports have been published by the NFPA for review by all concerned and have been discussed and adopted in the annual meetings of the NFPA. Records of the discussions and action taken by the NFPA will be found in the Technical Committee Reports and the NFPA Fire Journal. The Committee welcomes comments and suggestions on the Life Safety Code. Any reader may file a request for consideration of changes. Such requests should be filed in writing, giving specific proposals and supporting data. In 1963 the Safety to Life Committee was reconstructed. The Committee was decreased in size and includes only those having very broad knowledge in fire matters and representing all in- terested factions. The Committee serves as a review and correlating committee for seven Sectional Committees whose personnel include members having a special knowledge and interest in various por- tions of the Code. Under the revised structure,the Sectional Committees through the Safety to Life Committee prepared the 1966 edition of the Code which was a complete revision of the 1963 edition— the Code title was changed from Building Exits Code to the Code for Life Safety from Fire in Buildings and Structures, the text was put in "Code language" and all explanatory notes were placed in an appendix. The Contents of the Code were arranged in the same general order as contents of model building codes because the Code is used primarily as a supplement to building codes. A new edition of the Code was adopted in 1967 and the Code was placed on a three-year revision schedule. INTERPRETATIONS 101-vII Interpretations Those who after diligent study of the Life Safety Code are in doubt as to the meaning or intent of some specifically identified section or paragraph of this Code, may write to the Secretary of the Committee for an interpretation. Appropriate excerpts from the NFPA Regulations Governing Technical Committees and giving details on the procedures to be followed in submitting requests for interpretations are given below. Since the NFPA Regulations Governing Technical Committees require that all official interpretations rendered be published by the Association, all information shall be submitted in writing. Plans and sketches may be submitted as supplementary material but shall not be necessary for a complete understanding of the question re- quiring interpretation or the interpretation itself. No judgments will be rendered by the Interpretations Committee regarding the degree of compliance with the Code of a set of drawings. Extracts from NFPA Regulations Governing Technical Committees, Section 110. Official Interpretations. 112. Nature of Official Interpretations. Two general forms of Official Interpretations shall be recognized: (a) Those making an Interpretation of the literal text, (b) Those making an Interpretation of the intent of the Com- mittee when the particular text was adopted. 113. Procedures for Requesting Official Interpretations. Those desiring an Interpretation shall direct their requests to the Chairman or Secretary (if any) of the Committee concerned, c/o National Fire Protection Association, 60 Batterymarch Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, supplying five identical copies of a statement in which shall appear specific references to a single prob- lem, identifying article, section or paragraph of the document with which they are concerned. Such a request shall be on the business stationery of the inquirer and shall be duly signed. When applica- tions involve actual field situations they shall so state and all parties involved shall be named. 114. Committee Handling of Requests for Official Interpreta- tions. No Committee shall be under any obligation to process re- quests for Official Interpretations in any specific time period nor to issue Official Interpretations except at its own convenience. 1O1-VIII LIFE SAFETY CODE TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Chapter 1. Administration 101-1 Section 1-1. Title 101-1 Section 1-2. Purpose 101-1 Section 1-3. Scope 101-1 Section 1-4. Application 101-2 Section 1-5. Alterations and Conversions 101-3 Section 1-6. Discretionary Powers of Authority Having Jurisdiction 101-3 Chapter 2. General 101-4 Section 2-1. Fundamental Requirements 101-4 Section 2-2. Construction and Repair Operations 101-5 Section 2-3. Maintenance 101-6 Chapter 3. Definitions 101-7 Chapter 4. Classification of Occupancy and Hazard of Contents 101-11 Section 4-1. Classification of Occupancy 101-11 Section 4-2. Hazard of Contents 101-14 Chapter 5. Means of Egress 101-16 Section 5-1. General Provisions 101-16 Section 5-2. Doors 101-22 Section 5-3. Interior Stairs and Smokeproof Towers . . . . 101-27 Section 5-4. Outside Stairs 101-32 Section 5-5. Horizontal Exits 101-33 Section 5-6. Ramps 101-37 Section 5-7. Exit Passageways 101-40 Section 5-8. Escalators and Moving Walks 101-40 Section 5-9. Fire Escape Stairs,Ladders,Slide Escapes. . . 101-41 Section 5-10. Illumination of Means of Egress 101-48 Section 5-11. Exit Marking 101-51 Chapter 6. Features of Fire Protection 101-53 Section 6-1. Protection of Vertical Openings-Combustible Concealed Spaces 101-53 Section 6-2. Interior Finish 101-59 Section 6-3. Protective Signaling Systems 101-61 Section 6-4. Automatic Sprinklers and Other Extinguishing Equipment 101-66 Section 6-5. Segregation and Protection of Hazards . . 101-67 Section 6-6. Fire Doors and Smokestop Doors 101-68 Chapter 7. Building Service Equipment 101-69 Chapter 8. Places of Assembly 101-71 Section 8-1. General Requirements 101-71 Section 8-2. Outdoor Assembly . '. . 101-82 Section 8-3. Underground Structures and Windowless Build- ings 101-82 Section 8-4. Special Provisions for Exhibition Halls . . . . 101-83 Section 8-5. Existing Places of Assembly 101-83 Section 8-6. Projection Rooms for Safety Film 101-83 CONTENTS 101-Ix Page Chapter 9. Educational Occupancies 101-86 Section 9-1. General Requirements 101-86 Section 9-2. Special Provisions for Flexible Plan and Open Plan Buildings - 101-92 Section 9-3. Special Provisions for Kindergartens 101-94 Section 9-4. Underground and Windowless Educational Buildings 101-94 Section 9-5. Special Provisions for Combined Occupancies 101-94 Section 9-6. Existing Educational Buildings 101-95 Chapter 10. Institutional Occupancies 101-97 Section 10-1. New Hospitals,Nursing Homes,and Residential- Custodial Care Occupancies 101-98 Section 10-2. Existing Hospital, Nursing Home, and Resi- dential-Custodial Care Occupancies . . . 101-109 Section 10-3. Penal Institutions 101-117 Chapter 11. Residential Occupancies 101-119 Section 11-1. General Requirements 101-119 Section 11-2. Hotels 101-120 Section 11-3. Apartment Buildings 101-126 Section 11-4. Dormitories 101-129 Section 11-5. Lodging or Rooming Houses 101-131 Section 11-6. One-and Two-Family Dwellings 101-132 Chapter 12. Mercantile Occupancies 101-134 Section 12-1. General Requirements 101-134 Section 12-2. Special Provisions for Self-Service Stores . . 101-142 Section 12-3. Open-Air Mercantile Operations 101-142 Section 12-4. Combined Mercantile and Residential Oc- cupancies 101-142 Section 12-5. Special Provisions for Shopping Malls . . . 101-143 Chapter 13. Office Occupancies 101-144 Section 13-1. General Requirements 101-144 Section 13-2. Combined Office and Mercantile Occupancies 101-149 Chapter 14. Industrial Occupancies 101-150 Section 14-1. General Requirements 101-150 Section 14-2. General Industrial Occupancy 101-151 Section 14-3. Special Purpose Industrial Occupancy . . . 101-155 Section 14-4. High Hazard Industrial Occupancy 101-156 Section 14-5. Open Industrial Structures 101-157 Chapter 15. Storage Occupancies 101-158 Section 15-1. General Storage Occupancies 101-158 Section 15-2. Special Provisions for Garages 101-159 Section 15-3. Special Provisions for Aircraft Hangars . . . 101-161 Section 15-4. Special Provisions for Grain Elevators . . . 101-161 Chapter 16. Miscellaneous Structures 101-162 Section 16-1. Towers 101-162 Section 16-2. Piers and Water-Surrounded Structures. 101-163 Section 16-3. Vehicles and Vessels 101-163 Section 16-4. Underground Structures and Windowless Build- ings 101-164 101—X LIFE SAFETY CODE Page Chapter 17. Operating Features 101-166 Section 17-1. General 101-166 Section 17-2. Places of Assembly 101-168 Section 17-3. Educational Occupancies 101-170 Section 17-4. Institutional Occupancies 101-172 Section 17-5. Residential Occupancies 101-175 Section 17-6. Mercantile Occupancies 101-176 Section 17-7. Office Occupancies 101-176 Section 17-8. General Industrial Occupancies 101-177 Appendix A Notes 101-178 Appendix B Standards 101-210 Index 101-212 NOTICE An asterisk(*)following the number or letter designating a paragraph indicates explanatory material on that paragraph in Appendix A. 101-1 Code for Safety to Life from Fire in Buildings and Structures NPPA No. 101 — 1970 CHAPTER 1. ADMINISTRATION SECTION 1-1. TITLE 1-1111. This Code shall be known as the Life Safety Code, may be cited as such, and is referred to herein as "this Code" or "the Code." SECTION 1-2. PURPOSE 1-2111. The purpose of this Code is to specify measures which will provide that degree of public safety from fire which can be reasonably required. The Code endeavors to avoid requirements which might involve unreasonable hardships or unnecessary in- convenience or interference with the normal use and occupancy of a building, but insists upon compliance with a minimum stan- dard for fire safety necessary in the public interest, even though a financial hardship may be involved in some individual cases. SECTION 1-3. SCOPE 1-3111. This Code deals with life safety from fire and like emer- gencies. It covers construction, protection, and occupancy fea- tures to minimize danger to life from fire, smoke, fumes, or panic before buildings are vacated. It specifies the number, size, and ar- rangement of exit facilities sufficient to permit prompt escape of occupants from buildings or structures in case of fire or other con- dition dangerous to life. The Code recognizes that life safety is more than a matter of exits and accordingly deals with various matters besides exits which are considered essential to life safety, and, in some cases, specifies limits beyond which the hazard is so great that no prac- tical amount of exits can give assurance of any reasonable safety. 1-3112. Nothing in this Code shall be construed to prohibit a better type of building construction, more exits, or otherwise safer conditions than the minimum requirements specified in this Code. 101-2 LIFE SAFETY CODE 1-3113. This Code does not attempt to cover general fire preven- tion or building construction features such as are commonly dealt with in fire prevention codes and building codes, nor to protect the individual from the results of his own careless acts, such as smoking in bed. 1-3114. Exits from vehicles, vessels, or other mobile structures are not covered by this Code except that when in fixed locations and occupied as buildings they are treated as buildings in regard to exit requirements. 1-3115. Neither the prevention of accidental personal injuries dur- ing the course of normal occupancy of buildings, nor the preserva- tion of property from loss by fire has been considered as the basis for any of the provisions of this Code, but many of the requirements of the Code will contribute toward these objectives. 1-3116. The Life Safety Code recognizes that panic in a burning building may be uncontrollable, but deals with the potential panic hazard through measures designed to prevent the development of panic. Experience indicates that panic seldom develops, even in the presence of potential danger, so long as occupants of buildings are moving toward exits which they can see within a reasonable distance with no obstructions or undue congestion in the path of travel. However, any uncertainty as to the location or adequacy of means of exit, the presence of smoke, or stoppage of exit travel, such as may occur when one person stumbles and falls on stairs, may be conducive to panic. Panic danger is greatest when there are numbers of people in a confined area. 1-3117. Where separate provisions of this Code dealing with the same features are applicable to any given situation, the less re- strictive of differing requirements shall be the minimum for the purpose of this Code except that when any requirements of Chapters 8 through 17 are more restrictive than corresponding requirements in other Chapters, the more restrictive requirements of Chapter 8 through 17 shall be the minimum. 1-3118. Nothing in this Code is intended to prevent the use of new methods or new devices providing sufficient technical data is submitted to the authority having jurisdiction to demonstrate that the new method or device is equivalent in quality, strength, fire resistance, effectiveness, durability, and safety to that prescribed by this Code. SECTION 1-4. APPLICATION 1-4111. This Code covers both new and existing construction. In various sections of the Code there are specific provisions for exist- ing structures differing from those for new construction. ADMINISTRATION 101-3 Where there are no specific provisions in this Code for existing structures, the requirements for new construction shall apply. 1-4112. Existing buildings and structures shall not be occupied or used in violation of the provisions of this Code applicable thereto. 1-4113. a. The authority having jurisdiction may modify the gen- eral rule of 1-4112, above, under two conditions: (1.) If the occupancy of the building in question is the same as it was prior to the adoption or amendment of these requirements. (2.) Only those requirements whose application would be clearly impractical in the judgment of the authority having jurisdiction shall be modified. b. Any modification of the requirements for new buildings which, in the absence of specific provisions, are applied to existing build- ings, shall be allowed only to the extent that, in the opinion of the authority having jurisdiction, reasonable life safety against the haz- ards of fire, explosion, and panic is provided and maintained. c. The specific requirements of this Code for existing buildings may be modified by the authority having jurisdiction to allow alternative arrangements that will secure as nearly equivalent safety to life from fire as practical; but in no case shall the modi- fication be less restrictive or afford less safety to life than compliance with the corresponding provisions contained in this Code for exist- ing buildings. SECTION 1-5. ALTERATIONS AND CONVERSIONS 1-5111. No change or alteration shall be made to any building or structure, whether new or existing, except in conformity with the provisions of this Code, and no change of occupancy, whether necessitating a physical alteration or not, shall be made in any building or structure, unless such building or structure conforms with the requirements of this Code applying to new buildings of the proposed new use. SECTION 1-6. DISCRETIONARY POWERS OF AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION 1-6111. The authority having jurisdiction shall determine the adequacy of exits and other measures for life safety from fire in accordance with the provisions of the Life Safety Code. In cases of practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship, the authority having jurisdiction may grant exceptions from this Code, but only when it is clearly evident that reasonable safety is thereby secured. 101-4 CHAPTER 2. GENERAL SECTION 2-1. FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENTS 2-1111. Every building or structure, new or old, designed for human occupancy shall be provided with exits sufficient to per- mit the prompt escape of occupants in case of fire or other emer- gency. The design of exits and other safeguards shall be such that reliance for safety to life in case of fire or other emergency will not depend solely on any single safeguard; additional safeguards shall be provided for life safety in case any single safeguard is ineffective due to some human or mechanical failure. 2-1112. Every building or structure shall be so constructed, ar- ranged, equipped, maintained and operated as to avoid undue danger to the lives and safety of its occupants from fire, smoke, fumes, or resulting panic during the period of time reasonably necessary for escape from the building or structure in case of fire or other emergency. 2-1113. Every building or structure shall be provided with exits of kinds, numbers, location and capacity appropriate to the in- dividual building or structure, with due regard to the character of the occupancy, the number of persons exposed, the fire protec- tion available, and the height and type of construction of the build- ing or structure, to afford all occupants convenient facilities for escape. 2-1114. In every building or structure exits shall be so arranged and maintained as to provide free and unobstructed egress from all parts of the building or structure at all times when it is occupied. No lock or fastening to prevent free escape from the inside of any building shall be installed except in mental, penal, or corrective institutions where supervisory personnel is continually on duty and effective provisions are made to remove occupants in case of fire or other emergency. 2-1115. Every exit shall be clearly visible or the route to reach it shall be conspicuously indicated in such a manner that every oc- cupant of every building or structure who is physically and men- tally capable will readily know the direction of escape from any point, and each path of escape, in its entirety, shall be so arranged or marked that the way to a place of safety outside is unmistakable. Any doorway or passageway not constituting an exit or way to reach an exit, but of such a character as to be subject to being mistaken for an exit,shall be so arranged or marked as to minimize its possible FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENTS 101-5 confusion with an exit and the resultant danger of persons en- deavoring to escape from fire finding themselves trapped in a dead- end space, such as a cellar or storeroom, from which there is no other way out. 2-1116. In every building or structure equipped for artificial il- lumination, adequate and reliable illumination shall be provided for all exit facilities. 2-1117. In every building or structure of such size,arrangement,or occupancy that a fire may not itself provide adequate warning to occupants, fire alarm facilities shall be provided where necessary to warn occupants of the existence of fire so that they may escape, or to facilitate the orderly conduct of fire exit drills. 2-1118. Every building or structure, section, or area thereof of such size, occupancy, and arrangement that the reasonable safety of numbers of occupants may be endangered by the blocking of any single means of egress due to fire or smoke, shall have at least two means of egress remote from each other, so arranged as to minimize any possibility that both may be blocked by any one fire or other emergency conditions. 2-1119. Every vertical way of exit and other vertical opening be- tween floors of a building shall be suitably enclosed or protected as necessary to afford reasonable safety to occupants while using exits and to prevent spread of fire, smoke, or fumes through vertical openings from floor to floor before occupants have entered exits. 2-1120.* Compliance with this Code shall not be construed as eliminating of reducing the necessity for other provisions for safety of persons using a structure under normal occupancy conditions, nor shall any provision of the Code be construed as requiring or permitting any condition that may be hazardous under normal oc- cupancy conditions. SECTION 2-2. CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR OPERATIONS 2-211. New Construction 2-2111. No building or structure under construction shall be oc- cupied in whole or in part until all exit facilities required for the part occupied are completed and approved for use. 2-2112. Adequate escape facilities shall be maintained at all times in buildings under construction for the use of construction work- ers. Escape facilities shall consist of doors, walkways, stairs, ramps, 101-6 LIFE SAFETY CODE fire escapes, or ladders, arranged in accordance with the general principles of the Code insofar as they can reasonably be applied to buildings under construction. 2-212. Repairs or Alterations 2-2121.* No existing building shall be occupied during repairs or alterations unless all existing exits and any existing fire protection are continuously maintained, or in lieu thereof other measures are taken which provide equivalent safety. 2-2122. No flammable or explosive substances or equipment for repairs or alterations shall be introduced in a building of normally low or ordinary hazard classification while the building is oc- cupied, unless the condition of use and safeguards provided are such as not to create any additional danger or handicap to egress beyond the normally permissible conditions in the building. SECTION 2-3. MAINTENANCE 2-3111. Every required exit, way of approach thereto, and way of travel from the exit into the street or open space, shall be continu- ously maintained free of all obstructions or impediments to full instant use in the case of fire or other emergency. 2-3112.* Every required automatic sprinkler system, fire detection and alarm system, exit lighting, fire door, and other item of equip- ment required by this Code shall be continuously in proper oper- ating condition. 2-3113. Any equipment requiring test or periodic operation to assure its maintenance shall be tested or operated as is specified elsewhere in this Code or as may be directed by the authority having jurisdiction. 101-7 CHAPTER 3. DEFINITIONS Unless expressly stated otherwise, the following terms shall, for the purpose of the Life Safety Code, have the meanings indicated in this section. Words used in the present tense include the future; words used in the masculine gender include the feminine and neuter; the singular number includes the plural and the plural the singular. Where terms are not defined in this Chapter, they shall have their ordinarily accepted meanings or such as the context may imply. Apartment Building: See 11-0001. Approved: Accepted by the authority having jurisdiction under the provisions of the Code by reason of tests or investigations, con- ducted by it or by an agency satisfactory to the authority, based upon nationally accepted test standards or principles. Area: See Floor Area. Authority Having Jurisdiction: The duly authorized repre- sentative or agency having legal enforcement responsibility in cases where the Life Safety Code is applied with the force of law. Automatic: As applied to fire-protection devices, a device or system providing an emergency function without the necessity of human intervention. Building: A structure in which persons may be present. The term building shall be construed as if followed by the words "or portion thereof." (See Structure.) Combustible: Capable of undergoing combustion. Combustion: A chemical process that involves oxidation suf- ficient to produce light or heat. Court: An open, uncovered and unoccupied space, unobstructed to the sky, bounded on three or more sides by exterior building walls. An enclosed court is a court bounded on all sides by the ex- terior walls of a building or exterior walls and lot lines on which walls are allowable. Existing: That which is already in existence at the date when this Code goes into effect, as, existing buildings, structures, or exit facilities. 101-8 LIFE SAFETY CODE Exit: See 5-1121. Exit Access: See 5-1121. Exit Discharge: See 5-1121. Fire Resistance Rating: The time, in hours, that materials or assemblies have withstood a fire exposure as established in ac- cordance with the test procedures of Standard Methods of Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials. (See Appendix B for list of Standards.) Fire Window: A window assembly, including frame, wired glass and hardware, which under the standard test method listed in Appendix B meets the fire protective requirements for the location in which it is to be used. Flame Spread: See Section 6-2. Floor Area,Gross: Gross floor area shall be the floor area within the inside perimeter of the outside walls of the building under con- sideration with no deduction for hallways, stairs, closets, thickness of interior walls, columns, or other features. Where the term area is used elsewhere in this Code, it shall be understood to be gross area unless otherwise specified. Floor Area, Net: Net floor area shall be the actual occupied area, not including accessory unoccupied areas or thickness of walls. Guard: A vertical protective barrier erected along exposed edges of stairways, balconies, etc. Handrail: A bar or pipe or similar member designed to furnish persons with a handhold. (A handrail, if of suitable design, may also serve as part of a guard.) Hazardous Areas: Areas of structures, buildings or parts thereof, used for purposes that involve highly combustible, highly flam- mable, or explosive products or materials which are likely to burn with extreme rapidity or which may produce poisonous fumes or gases, including highly toxic, or noxious alkalies, acids, or other liquids or chemicals, which involve flame, fume, explosive, poison- ous or irritant hazards; also uses that cause division of material into fine particles or dust subject to explosion or spontaneous com- bustion, and uses that constitute a high fire hazard because of the form, character, or volume of the material used. Horizontal Exit: See Section 5-5. DEFINITIONS 101-9 Hospital: See 10-0001. Means of Egress: See 5-1121. Noncombustible: As applied to building construction, material means material which, in the form in which it is used, falls in one of the following groups (a) through (c) shall be accepted as non- combustible. No material shall be classed as noncombustible which is subject to increase in combustibility or flame spread rating be- yond the limits herein established, through the effects of age, mois- ture, or other atmospheric condition. Flame spread rating as used herein refers to ratings obtained according to the Standard Test Method listed in Appendix B. a. Materials no part of which will ignite and burn when subjected to fire. b. Materials having a structural base of noncombustible material as defined in (a), with a surfacing not over 1/8 inch thick which has a flame spread rating not higher than 50. c. Materials, other than as described in (a) or (b), having a surface flame spread rating not higher than 25 without evidence of con- tinued progressive combustion and of such composition that surfaces that would be exposed by cutting through the material in any way would not have a flame spread rating higher than 25 without evi- dence of continued progressive combustion. Nursing Homes: See 10-0001. Occupancy: The purpose for which a building or portion thereof is used or intended to be used. Occupant Load: The total number of persons that may occupy a building or portion thereof at any one time. Outside Stairs: Outside stairs include stairs in which at least one side is open to the outer air. See Section 5-4. Platform, Enclosed: See 8-1511. Public Way: Any street, alley or other parcel of land, essentially open to the outside air,deeded,dedicated, or otherwise permanently appropriated to the public for public use and having a clear width of not less than 10 feet. Ramp: An inclined floor surface. Residential-Custodial Care Facility: See 10-0001. Rooming Houses: See 11-0001. 101-10 LIFE SAFETY CODE Self-Closing: Equipped with an approved device which will in- sure closing after having been opened. Stage: See 8-1511. Story: That portion of a building between the upper surface of any floor and the upper surface of the floor next above, except that the topmost story shall be that portion of a building between the upper surface of the topmost floor and the upper surface of the roof above. Street: Any public thoroughfare (street, avenue, boulevard) 30 feet or more in width which has been dedicated or deeded to the public for public use and is accessible for use by the fire depart- ment in fighting fire. Enclosed spaces and tunnels, even though used for vehicular and pedestrial traffic are not considered as streets for the purposes of the Life Safety Code. Street Floor: Any story or floor level accessible from the street or from outside the building at ground level, with floor level at main entrance not more than three risers above or below ground level at these points, and so arranged and utilized as to qualify as the main floor. Where due to differences in street levels there are two or more stories accessible from the street, each is a street floor for the pur- poses of the Life Safety Code. Where there is no floor level within the specified limits for a street floor above or below ground level, the building shall be considered as having no street floor. Structure: An assembly of materials forming a construction for occupancy or use including among others, buildings, stadiums, public assembly tents, reviewing stands, platforms, stagings, ob- servation towers, radio towers, water tanks, trestles, piers, wharves, open sheds, coal bins, shelters, fences, and display signs. The term structure shall be construed as if followed by the words"or portion thereof." See Building. Unit of Exit Width: See 5-1152. Vertical Opening: An opening through a floor or roof. Yard: An open, unoccupied space other than a court, unob- structed from the ground to the sky, except where specifically pro- vided by the Life Safety Code, on the lot on which a building is situated. 101-11 CHAPTER 4. CLASSIFICATION OF OCCUPANCY AND HAZARD OF CONTENTS SECTION 4-1. CLASSIFICATION OF OCCUPANCY 4-111.* A building or structure shall be classified as follows, sub- ject to the ruling of the authority having jurisdiction in case of question as to the proper classification in any individual case. 4-112.* Assembly (for requirements see Chapter 8) Places of assembly include but are not limited to all buildings or portions of buildings used for gathering together of 100 or more persons for such purposes as deliberation, worship, entertainment, amusement, or awaiting transportation. Assembly occupancies in- clude: Theaters Restaurants Motion-picture theaters Churches Assembly halls Dance halls Auditoriums Club rooms Exhibition halls Passenger stations and terminals of Museums air, surface, underground, and ma- Skating rinks rine public transportation facilities Gymnasiums Recreation piers Bowling lanes Courtrooms Pool rooms Conference rooms Armories Mortuary chapels Occupancy of any room or space for assembly purposes by less than 100 persons in a building of other occupancy and inci- dental to such other occupancy shall be classed as part of the other occupancy and subject to the provisions applicable thereto. 4-113.* Educational (for requirements see Chapter 9) Educational occupancies include all buildings used for the gath- ering of groups of 6 or more persons for purposes of instruction. Educational occupancies include: Schools Academies Universities Nursery schools Colleges Kindergartens Other occupancies associated with educational institutions shall be in accordance with the appropriate parts of this Code. 101-12 LIFE SAFETY CODE In cases where instruction is incidental to some other occu- pancy, the section of this Code governing such other occupancy shall apply. 4-114. Institutional (for requirements see Chapter 10) Institutional buildings are those used for purposes such as medi- cal or other treatment or care of persons suffering from physical or mental illness, disease or infirmity; for the care of infants, con- valescents or aged persons; and for penal or corrective purposes. Institutional buildings provide sleeping facilities for the occupants and are occupied by persons who are mostly incapable of self- preservation because of age, physical or mental disability, or be- cause of security measures not under the occupants' control. Institutional buildings are treated in this Code in the following groups: a. Health care facilities Hospitals Nursing homes b. Residential-custodial care Nurseries Homes for the aged Mentally retarded care institutions c. Residential-restrained care Penal institutions Reformatories Jails 4-115. Residential (for requirements see Chapter 11) A residential building is one in which sleeping accommodations are provided for normal residential purposes, and includes all buildings designed to provide sleeping accommodations except those classified under Institutional. Residential buildings are treated separately in this Code in the following groups: a. Hotels Motels b. Apartments c. Dormitories Orphanages for age 6 years and older d. Lodging or rooming houses e. 1- and 2-family dwellings CLASSIFICATION OF OCCUPANCY 101-13 4-116.* Mercantile (for requirements see Chapter 12) Mercantile occupancies include stores, markets, and other rooms, buildings, or structures for the display and sale of merchandise. Included in this occupancy group are: Supermarkets Drugstores Department stores Auction rooms Shopping centers Minor merchandising operations in buildings predominantly of other occupancies, such as a newsstand in an office building, shall be subject to the exit requirements of the predominant occupancy. 4-117.* Office (for requirements see Chapter 13) Office buildings are those used for the transaction of business (other than that covered under Mercantile), for the keeping of ac- counts and records and similar purposes. Included in this oc- cupancy group are: Doctors offices Town halls Dentists offices Courthouses City halls Libraries Minor office occupancy incidental to operations in another oc- cupancy shall be considered as a part of the predominating oc- cupancy and shall be subject to the provisions of this Code ap- plying to the predominating occupancy. 4-118. Industrial (for requirements see Chapter 14) Industrial occupancies include factories making products of all kinds and properties devoted to operations such as processing, as- sembling, mixing, packaging, finishing or decorating, repairing, and similar operations, including, among others, the following: Factories of all kinds Laundries Laboratories Creameries Dry cleaning plants Gas plants Power plants Refineries Pumping stations Sawmills Smokehouses 101-14 LIFE SAFETY CODE 4-119.* Storage (for requirements see Chapter 15) Storage includes all buildings or structures utilized primarily for the storage or sheltering of goods, merchandise, products, vehicles, or animals. Included in this occupancy group are: Warehouses Parking garages Cold storage Hangars Freight terminals Grain elevators Truck and marine terminals Barns Bulk oil storage Stables Minor storage incidental to other occupancy shall be treated as part of the other occupancy. 4-120. Miscellaneous This occupancy class includes any building or structure which cannot be properly classified in any of the preceding occupancy groups either by reason of some function not encompassed or some unusual combination of functions necessary to the purpose of the building or structure. Such miscellaneous buildings and structures shall conform to the fundamental principles stated in Chapter 2 of this Code, and to any specific provisions applicable thereto in Chapter 16. 4-121. Mixed Occupancies In case two or more classes of occupancy occur in the same building or structure so intermingled that separate safeguards are impracticable, the exit facilities shall be sufficient to meet exit re- quirements for each individual room or section, and for the maxi- mum occupant load of the entire building. Construction, pro- tection, and other safeguards shall meet requirements of the most hazardous occupancy unless otherwise specified in Chapters 8 through 16. SECTION 4-2. HAZARD OF CONTENTS 4-2111. The hazard of contents, for the purpose of this Code, shall be the relative danger of the start and spread of fire, the danger of smoke or gases generated, the danger of explosion or other occurrence potentially endangering the lives and safety of the occupants of the building or structure. 4-2112.* Hazard of contents shall be determined by the authority having jurisdiction on the basis of the character of the contents and HAZARD OF CONTENTS 101-15 the processes or operations conducted in the building or structure, provided, however, that where the flame spread rating of the in- terior finish or other features of the building or structure are such as to involve a hazard greater than the hazard of contents, the greater degree of hazard shall govern. 4-2113.* Where different degrees of hazard of contents exist in different parts of a building or structure the most hazardous shall govern the classification for the purpose of this Code, except in as far as hazardous areas are segregated or protected as specified in Section 6-5 and the applicable sections of Chapters 8 through 16. 4-212. Classification of Hazard of Contents 4-2121. The hazard of contents of any building or structure shall be classified as ordinary, high, or low in accordance with 4-2122, 4-2123 and 4-2124. 4-2122.* Low hazard contents shall be classified as those of such low combustibility that no self-propagating fire therein can occur and that consequently the only probable danger requiring the use of emergency exits will be from panic, fumes, or smoke, or fire from some external source. 4-2123.* High hazard contents shall be classified as those which are liable to burn with extreme rapidity or from which poisonous fumes or explosions are to be feared in the event of fire. 4-2124.* Ordinary hazard contents shall be classified as those which are liable to burn with moderate rapidity and to give off a considerable volume of smoke, but from which neither poisonous fumes nor explosions are to be feared in case of fire. 4-213. Special Provisions for High Hazard Contents 4-2131.* In all cases where the contents are classified as high haz- ard, exits shall be provided of such types and numbers and so ar- ranged as to permit all occupants to escape from the building or structure, or from the hazardous area thereof, to the outside or to a place of safety with a travel distance of not over 75 feet, measured as specified in 5-119. 4-2132. Capacity of exits provided in accordance with 4-2131 shall be as specified in the applicable section of Chapters 8 through 16, but not less than such as to provide 1 unit for each 30 persons where exit is by inside or outside stairs, or 1 unit for each 50 persons where exit is by doors at grade level, by horizontal exits or by Class A ramps. 101-16 CHAPTER 5. MEANS OF EGRESS • SECTION 5-1. GENERAL PROVISIONS 5-111. Application 5-1111. Means of egress for both new and existing buildings shall comply with this Chapter except as may be modified for individual occupancies by Chapters 8 through 16. 5-1112. Any alteration or addition that would reduce means of egress below the requirements for new buildings is prohibited. 5-1113. Any change of occupancy that would reduce means of egress below the requirements for new buildings is prohibited. 5-112.* Definitions 5-1121. A means of egress is a continuous and unobstructed way of exit travel from any point in a building or structure to a public way and consists of 3 separate and distinct parts: (a) the way of exit access, (b) the exit and, (c) the way of exit discharge. A means of egress comprises the vertical and horizontal ways of travel and shall include intervening room spaces, doorways, hallways, corridors, passageways, balconies, ramps, stairs, enclosures, lobbies, escalators, horizontal exits, courts and yards. a. Exit access is that portion of a means of egress which leads to an entrance to an exit. b. Exit is that portion of a means of egress which is separated from all other spaces of the building or structure by construction or equip- ment as required in this Code to provide a protected way of travel to the exit discharge. c. Exit discharge is that portion of a means of egress between the termination of an exit and a public way. 5-113.* Permissible Exit Components 5-1131. An exit shall consist only of the approved components that are described, regulated, and limited as to use by Sections 5-2 through 5-11. Exit components shall be constructed as an integral part of the building or shall be permanently affixed thereto. MEANS OF EGRESS -GENERAL 101-17 5-114. Protective Enclosure of Exits 5-1141. When an exit is required to be protected by separation from other parts of the building by some requirement of this Code, the separating construction shall meet the following requirements: a. The separation shall have at least a 1-hour fire resistance rat- ing when the exit connects 3 stories or less. This applies whether the stories connected are above or below the story at which exit discharge begins. b. The separation shall have at least a 2-hour fire resistance rating when the exit connects 4 or more stories, whether above or below the floor of discharge. It shall be constructed of noncombustible materials, and shall be supported by construction having at least a 2-hour fire resistance rating. c. Any opening therein shall be protected by an approved self- closing fire door. d. Openings in exit enclosures shall be confined to those necessary for access to the enclosure from normally occupied spaces and for egress from the enclosure. 5-115. Width and Capacity of Means of Egress 5-1151.* Except as further modified for individual occupancies by Chapters 8 through 16, the capacity in number of persons per unit of exit width for approved components of means of egress shall be as follows: Level Egress Components (including Class A Ramps) 100 Inclined Egress Components (including Class B Ramps) 60 5-1152.* Means of egress shall be measured in units of exit width of 22 inches. Fractions of a unit shall not be counted, except that 12 inches added to one or more full units shall be counted as one- half a unit of exit width. 5-1153.* Units of exit width shall be measured in the clear at the narrowest point of the means of egress except that a handrail may project inside the measured width on each side not more than 31/2 inches and a stringer may project inside the measured width not more than 1% inches. An exit or exit access door swinging into an aisle or passageway shall not restrict the effective width thereof at any point during its swing to less than the minimum widths hereafter specified. 5-116. Egress Capacity and Occupant Load 5-1161.* The capacity of means of egress for any floor, balcony, tier, or other occupied space shall be sufficient for the occupant load thereof. The occupant load shall be the maximum number of persons that may be in the space at any time, as determined by the 101-18 LIFE SAFETY CODE authority having jurisdiction, but shall not be less than the number computed in accordance with the requirements of Chapters 8 through 16 for individual occupancies. Where both gross and net area figures are given for the same occupancy class, the gross area figure shall be applied to the building or structure as a whole. A separate calculation shall then be made for those spaces where occupant load is determined on the basis of net area and if the total occupant load determined on the net area basis exceeds that on the gross area basis, the exit facilities shall be based on the larger occupant load figure. 5-1162. Where exits serve more than 1 floor, only the occupant load of each floor considered individually need be used in com- puting the capacity of the exits at that floor, provided that exit capacity shall not be decreased in the direction of exit travel. When means of egress from floors above and below converge at an intermediate floor, the capacity of the means of egress from the point of convergence shall be not less than the sum of the two. 5-117. Arrangement of Exits 5-1171.* When more than 1 exit is required from a story, at least 2 of the exits shall be remote from each other and so arranged as to minimize any possibility that both may be blocked by any one fire or other emergency condition. 5-118.* Exit Distance and Dead-End Limits 5-1181. The maximum travel distance in any occupied space to at least one exit, measured in accordance with the following require- ments,shall not exceed the limits specified for individual occupancies by Chapters 8 through 16. Means of egress shall be so arranged that there are no dead-end pockets,hallways,corridors,passageways or courts whose depth exceeds the limits specified for individual occupancies by Chapters 8 through 16. 5-119. Measurement of Travel Distance to Exits 5-1191.* The travel distance to an exit shall be measured on the floor or other walking surface along the center line of the natural path of travel, starting 1 foot from the most remote point, curving around any corners or obstructions with a 1-foot clearance there- from, and ending at the center of the doorway or other point at which the exit begins. Where measurement includes stairs, it shall be taken in the plane of the tread nosing. 5-1192. In the case of open areas, distance to exits shall be meas- ured from the most remote point subject to occupancy. In the case of individual rooms subject to occupancy by not more than 6 per- sons, distance to exits shall be measured from the doors of such MEANS OF EGRESS - GENERAL 101-19 rooms provided the path of travel from any point in the room to the room door does not exceed 50 feet. 5-1193. Where open stairways or ramps are permitted, as a path of travel to required exits, such as between mezzanines or balconies and the floor below, the distance shall include the travel on the stair- way or ramp, and the travel from the end of the stairway or ramp to reach an outside door or other exit, in addition to the distance to reach the stairway or ramp. 5-1194. Where any part of an exterior way of exit access is within 15 feet horizontal distance of any unprotected building opening, as permitted by 5-4121 for outside stairs, the distance to the exit shall include the length of travel to ground level. 5-120. Access to Exits 5-1201. Exits shall be so located and exit access shall be so ar- ranged that exits are readily accessible at all times. Where exits are not immediately accessible from an open floor area, safe and continuous passageways, aisles, or corridors leading directly to every exit and so arranged as to provide convenient access for each occupant to at least 2 exits by separate ways of travel, except as a single exit or limited dead ends are permitted by other provisions of this Code, shall be maintained. 5-1202. A door from a room to an exit or to a way of exit access shall be of the side-hinged, swinging type. It shall swing with exit travel when the room is occupied by more than 50 persons or used for a high hazard occupancy. Such access doors shall conform to the appropriate requirements of Section 5-2, Exit Doors. 5-1203. In no case shall access to an exit be through a bathroom, bedroom, or other room subject to locking, except where the exit is required to serve only the bedroom or other room subject to locking, or adjoining rooms constituting part of the same dwelling or apartment used for single family occupancy. 5-1204.* Ways of exit access and the doors to exits to which they lead shall be so designed and arranged as to be clearly recognizable as such. Hangings or draperies shall not be placed over exit doors or othe wise so located as to conceal or obscure any exit. Mirrors shall not be placed on exit doors. Mirrors shall not be placed in or adjacent to any exit in such a manner as to confuse the direction of exit. 5-1205. Exit access shall be so arranged that it will not be neces- sary to travel toward any area of high hazard occupancy in order to reach the nearest exit, unless the path of travel is effectively shielded from the high hazard location by suitable partitions or other physi- cal barriers. 101-20 LIFE SAFETY CODE 5-1206. The minimum width of any way of exit access shall be as specified for individual occupancies by Chapters 8 through 16; but in no case shall such width be less than 28 inches. Where a single way of exit access leads to an exit, its capacity in terms of width shall be at least equal to the required capacity of the exit to which it leads. Where more than one way of exit access leads to an exit, each shall have a width adequate for the number of persons it must accommodate. 5-121. Exterior Ways of Exit Access 5-1211. Access to an exit may be by means of any exterior balcony, porch, gallery, or roof that conforms to the requirements of this Chapter. 5-1212. Exterior ways of exit access shall have smooth, solid floors, substantially level, and shall have guards on the unenclosed sides at least equivalent to those specified in 5-316. 5-1213. Where accumulation of snow or ice is likely because of the climate, the exterior way of exit access shall be protected by a roof,unless it serves as the sole normal means of access to the rooms or spaces served, in which case it may be assumed that snow and ice will be regularly removed in the course of normal occupancy. 5-1214. A permanent, reasonably straight path of travel shall be maintained over the required exterior way of exit access. There shall be no obstruction by railings, barriers, or gates that divide the open space into sections appurtenant to individual rooms, apartments, or other uses. Where the authority having jurisdiction finds the required path of travel to be obstructed by furniture or other movable objects, he may require that they be fastened out of the way or he may require that railings or other permanent barriers be installed to protect the path of travel against encroachment. 5-1215.* An exterior way of exit access shall be so arranged that there are no dead ends in excess of 20 feet. Any unenclosed exit served by an exterior way of exit access shall be so located that no part of the exit extends past a vertical plane 20 feet and one-half the required width of the exit from the end of and at right angles to the way of exit access. 5-1216. Any gallery, balcony, bridge, porch or other exterior exit access that projects beyond the outside wall of the building shall comply with the requirements of this Chapter as to width and arrangement. The materials of construction may be as permitted for the building served. 5-122. Discharge from Exits 5-1221.* All exits shall discharge directly to the street,or to a yard, court, or other open space that gives safe access to a public way. The MEANS OF EGRESS - GENERAL 101-21 streets to which the exits discharge shall be of width adequate to accommodate all persons leaving the building. Yards, courts, or other open spaces to which exits discharge shall also be of adequate width and size to provide all persons leaving the building with ready access to the street. 5-1222. Where permitted for individual occupancies by Chapter 8 through 16, a maximum of 50 percent of the exits may discharge through areas on the floor of discharge provided: a. Such exits discharge to a free and unobstructed way to the exterior of the building, which way is readily visible and identifiable from the point of discharge from the exit. b. The floor of discharge into which the exit discharges is provided with automatic sprinkler protection and any other portion of the level of discharge with access to the discharge area is provided with automatic sprinkler protection or separated from it in accordance with the requirements for the enclosure of exits (see 5-114). Exception: If the discharge area is a vestibule or foyer with no dimension exceeding 10 feet and separated from the remainder of the floor of discharge by construction providing protection at least the equivalent of wired glass in steel frames and serving only for means of egress including exits directly to the outside the require- ments of 5-1222(b) may be waived. c. The entire area on the floor of discharge is separated from areas below by construction having a minimum of 2-hour fire resistance rating. 5-1223. Stairs and other exits shall be so arranged as to make clear the direction of egress to the street. Exit stairs that continue beyond the floor of discharge shall be interrupted at the floor of discharge by partitions, doors, or other effective means. 5-1224. Stairs, ramps, bridges, balconies, escalators, moving walks and other components of an exit discharge shall comply with the detailed requirements of this Chapter for such components. 5-1225. Subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdic- tion, exits may be accepted where discharging to roofs or other sec- tions of the building or adjoining buildings, where the roof has a fire resistance rating at least the equivalent of that required for the exit enclosure, where there is a continuous and safe means of egress from the roof, and all other reasonable requirements for life safety are maintained. 5-123. Headroom 5-1231. Means of egress shall be so designed and maintained as to provide adequate headroom as provided in other sections of this 101-22 LIFE SAFETY CODE Code but in no case shall the ceiling height be less than 7 feet 6 inches nor any projection from the ceiling be less than 6 feet 8 inches from the floor. 5-124. Changes in Elevation 5-1241. Where a means of egress is not substantially level, such differences in elevation shall be negotiated by stairs or ramps con- forming to the requirements of this Chapter for stairs and ramps. 5-125. Interior Finish in Exits 5-1251. Except where further limited for individual occupancies by Chapters 8 through 16, the flame spread of interior finish shall not exceed Class B in vertical exits. 5-126. Maintenance and Workmanship 5-1261. Doors, stairs, ramps, passages, signs, and all other com- ponents of means of egress shall be of substantial, reliable con- struction and shall be built or installed in a workmanlike manner. 5-1262. Means of egress shall be continuously maintained free of all obstructions or impediments to full instant use in the case of fire or other emergency. 5-1263. Any device or alarm installed to restrict the improper use of an exit shall be so designed and installed that it cannot, even in case of failure,impede or prevent emergency use of such exit. SECTION 5-2. DOORS 5-211. Application 5-2111. A door assembly, including the doorway,frame, door, and necessary hardware, may be used as a component in a means of egress when it conforms to the general requirements of Section 5-1 and to the special requirements of this section. As such, the as- sembly is designated as a door or exit door. 5-2112. Every exit doorway and every principal entrance which are required to serve as an exit shall be so designed and constructed that the way of exit travel is obvious and direct. Windows which because of their physical configuration or design and the materials used in their construction could be mistaken for doors shall be made inaccessible to the occupants by barriers or railings conforming to the requirements of 5-316. 5-212. Swing and Force to Open 5-2121.* Any door used in an exit, and unless exempt by 5-2122 or other provisions of this Code, shall be so designed and installed DOORS 101-23 that when pressure is applied to the door on the side from which egress is to be made, it shall swing in the direction of exit travel from any position to the full instant use of the opening in which it is installed. During its opening process or when fully opened, a door shall not obstruct the exit width as determined by 5-2141. 5-2122. Any door in a means of egress shall swing in the direction of exit travel when serving a high hazard area or an occupant load of more than 50. 5-2123. A door giving access to a stairway shall swing in the di- rection of exit travel. A door during its swing shall not block stairs or landings and in no case in new buildings shall any door at any point in its swing reduce the effective width of stair or landing to less than one unit of exit width, nor when open interfere with the full use of the stairs. 5-2124. The force required to fully open doors shall not exceed 50 pounds applied to the latch stile. 5-213. Locks, Latches, Alarm Devices 5-2131.* An exit door shall be so arranged as to be readily opened from the side from which egress is to be made at all times when the building served thereby is occupied. Locks, if provided, shall not require the use of a key for operation from the inside of the building. 5-2132.* A latch or other fastening device on an exit door shall be provided with a knob, handle, panic bar, or other simple type of releasing device, the method of operation of which is obvious, even in darkness. 5-2133. A door designed to be kept normally closed in a means of egress, such as a door to a stair enclosure or horizontal exit, shall be provided with a reliable self-closing mechanism, and shall not at any time be secured in the open position except as permitted by 5-2134 below. An exit door designed to be kept normally closed shall bear a sign reading substantially as follows: FIRE EXIT Please keep door closed 5-2134. In any building of low or moderate hazard contents, as defined in 4-2122 and 4-2124, where the authority having jurisdic- tion approves the installation and finds that the circumstances are such that reasonable life safety from fire and smoke is not en- 101-24 LIFE SAFETY CODE dangered thereby, stairway doors, smokestop doors, and doors on horizontal exits may be normally open, where a. Upon release, the door becomes self-closing, and b. An approved release device is provided, so arranged that upon interruption of electric current, the door will be released, and c. The electric current will be positively interrupted by (1) the operation of an approved automatic sprinkler system which pro- tects the entire building, including both sides of any horizontal exit the door of which is held open by any release so controlled, or, (2) the operation of an approved automatic fire detecting system installed to protect the entire building, so designed and installed as to provide for actuation of the system so promptly as to preclude the generation of heat or smoke sufficient to inter- fere with egress before the system operates, or (3) by the operation of approved smoke detectors installed in such a way to detect smoke or other products of combustion on either side of the door opening. d. Any sprinkler or fire detection system or smoke detector is pro- vided with such supervision and safeguards as are necessary to assure complete reliability of operation in case of fire, and e. The release device is so designed that it may be instantly re- leased manually, by some simple and readily obvious operation. 5-214. Units of Exit Width 5-2141. In determining the units of exit width for an exit doorway, only the clear width of the doorway when the door is in the open position shall be measured. Any projections into the doorway by doorstops or by the hinge stile shall be disregarded. 5-2142. Where an exit door has 2 or more leaves separated by mullions, the allowable units of exit width for the entire exit door shall be the sum of the units of exit width calculated separately for each individual leaf in the opening. 5-215. Width and Floor Level 5-2151.* No single leaf in an exit door shall be less than 28 inches wide. 5-2152. No single leaf in an exit door shall exceed 48 inches in width. 5-2153. The floor on both sides of an exit door shall be substantially level and shall have the same elevation on both sides of the door, for a distance on each side at least equal to the width of the widest single leaf of the door. When the exit door discharges to the out- side or to a balcony or other exterior exit or exit access, the floor level outside the door may be one step lower than inside, but not more than 7%z inches lower. DOORS 101-25 5-216. Panic Hardware 5-2161.* When an exit door is required to be equipped with panic hardware (fire exit bolts) by some other provision of this Code, the panic hardware shall cause the door latch to release when pressure of not to exceed 15 pounds is applied to the releasing devices in the direction of exit travel. Such releasing devices shall be bars or panels extending not less than two-thirds of the width of the door and placed at heights suit- able for the service required,not less than 30 nor more than 44 inches above the floor. Only approved panic hardware shall be used on an exit door. 5-2162. Required panic hardware shall not be equipped with any locking or dogging device, set screw, or other arrangement which can be used to prevent the release of the latch when pressure is applied to the bar. 5-217. Maintenance 5-2171. No lock, padlock, hasp, bar, chain, or other device, or combination thereof, shall be installed or maintained at any time on, or in connection with any door on which panic hardware is required by this Code if such device prevents, or is intended to prevent, the free use of the door for purposes of egress. 5-218. Power-Operated Doors 5-2181. Where required doors are operated by power,such as doors with photo-electric actuated mechanism to open the door upon the approach of a person, or doors with power-assisted manual opera- tion, the design shall be such that in event of power failure the door may be manually opened to permit exit travel or closed where necessary to safeguard means of egress. 5-2182. No power-operated door shall be counted as a required exit unless it swings with the exit travel by mechanical or manual means. 5-219. Screen and Storm Doors 5-2191.* No screen door or storm door in connection with any required exit shall swing against the direction of exit travel, in any case where doors are required to swing with the exit travel. 5-220. Revolving Doors 5-2201. A revolving door shall not be used as an exit door except where specifically permitted by some individual occupancy chapter 101-26 LIFE SAFETY CODE of this Code for an exit from the floor of discharge directly to the outside. It shall not be used at the foot or top of stairs at the floor of discharge. Where permitted, the revolving exit door or doors shall not be given credit for more than 50 percent of the required units of exit width except as provided in 5-2203, following. 5-2202.* Each revolving door may receive credit as constituting 1/2 unit of exit width. Except as provided in 5-2203, below, the number of revolving doors used as exit doors shall not exceed the number of swinging doors used as exit doors within 20 feet thereof. 5-2203. Revolving doors may serve as exits, without adjacent swinging doors, for street floor elevator lobbies if no stairways or doors from other parts of the building discharge through the lobby, and the lobby has no occupancy other than as a means of travel be- tween elevators and street. 5-2204.* Revolving doors shall be equipped with means to prevent their rotation at too rapid a rate to permit orderly egress. 5-221. Turnstiles 5-2211.* No turnstile or similar device to restrict travel to one direction, or to collect fares or admission charges, shall be so placed as to obstruct any required means of egress, except that approved turnstiles not over 3 feet high, which turn freely in the direction of exit travel, may be used in any occupancy where revolving doors are permitted. Turnstiles over 3 feet high shall be subject to the re- quirements for revolving doors. 5-2212. Turnstiles in or furnishing access to required exits shall be of such design as to provide 22 inches clear width as the turn- stile rotates. 5-2213. No turnstile shall be placed in any required exit,or barring the way of access thereto or travel therefrom, unless immediately adjacent or within 20 feet there is a swinging door or gate opening freely in the direction of exit travel, or an open passage serving the same general path of travel as the turnstile. 5-2214. Turnstiles shall be rated the same as revolving doors as regards units of exit width and rates of travel. 5-222. Doors in Folding Partitions 5-2221. When permanently mounted folding or movable par- titions are used to divide a room into smaller spaces,a swinging door or open doorway shall be provided as a way of exit access from each such space, except that under the following conditions the swinging INTERIOR STAIRS 101-27 door may be omitted and the partition may be used to enclose the space completely. a. The subdivided space shall not be used by more than 20 per- sons at any time. b. The use of the space shall be under adult supervision. c. The partitions shall be so arranged that they do not extend across any aisle or corridor used as a way of access to the required exits from the floor. d. The partitions shall conform to the interior finish and other ap- plicable requirements of this Code. e. The partitions shall be an approved type, shall have a simple method of release, and shall be capable of being opened quickly and easily by inexperienced persons in case of emergency. SECTION 5-3. INTERIOR STAIRS AND SMOKEPROOF TOWERS 5-311. General 5-3111. All stairs serving as required means of egress shall be of permanent fixed construction. 5-312. Classes of Stairs 5-3121. Stairs shall be of Class A or Class B types in accordance with the following table: Class A Class B Minimum width clear of all ob- 44 in. 44 in.; 36 in. where structions except handrails total occupancy of all which may project not more floors served by stair- than 3% in. each side way is less than 50. Maximum height of risers 71/2 in. 8 in. Minimum width of tread ex- clusive of nosing or projection 10 in. 9 in. Winders None None Minimum headroom 6 ft. 8 in. 6 ft. 8 in. Maximum height between land- ings 9 ft. 12 ft. Minimum dimension of land- ings in direction of travel 44 in. 44 in. Doors opening immediately on stairs, without landing at least width of door No No 101-28 LIFE SAFETY CODE 5-313. Treads and Risers 5-3131. The height of every riser and the width of every tread shall be so proportioned that the sum of 2 risers and a tread, ex- clusive of its nosing or projection, is not less than 24 nor more than 25 inches. 5-3132. The minimum number of risers in any one flight of stairs shall be 3. 5-314. Enclosures 5-3141. All interior stairways shall be enclosed in accordance with the provisions of Section 6-1 of this Code, except in so far as open stairways are permitted by 6-1112. 5-315. Stair Details 5-3151. Each new stair and platform, landing, etc., used in con- nection therewith in buildings 4 stories or more in height, and in all new buildings, required by this Code to be of fire-resistive con- struction, shall be of noncombustible material throughout except that handrails are exempted from this requirement. Treads of stairs and landing floors shall be solid. 5-3152. Each stair, platform, landing, balcony, and stair hallway floor shall be designed to carry a load of 100 pounds per square foot, or a concentrated load of 300 pounds so located as to produce maximum stress conditions. 5-3153. There shall be no variation exceeding %s inch in the width of treads or in heights of risers in any flight, except as per- mitted by 5-3181 for monumental stairs. 5-3154. Every tread less than 10 inches wide shall have a nosing or an effective projection of approximately 1 inch over the level immediately below. 5-3155. Where material of stair treads and landings is such as to involve danger of slipping, nonslip material shall be provided on tread surface. 5-3156. There shall be no enclosed usable space under stairs in an exit enclosure nor shall the open space under such stairs be used for any purpose. 5-3157. No arrangement of treads known as winders shall be per- mitted in new stairways, except as permitted by 5-3181 for curved monumental stairways. INTERIOR STAIRS 101-29 5-3158. Stairways and intermediate landings shall continue with no decrease in width along the direction of exit travel. 5-316. Guards and Handrails 5-3161. Each new stair, stair landing, and balcony appurtenant thereto for all exits and all aisles located along the edge of open- sided floors, service stairs and stairs leading from mezzanines which form part of a path of travel to such exits, shall be guarded against falls over the open edge and shall have handrails on both sides, except that handrails shall not be required on level landings or balconies. 5-3162. Required guards and handrails shall continue for the full length of each flight of stairs. 5-3163. The design of guards and handrails and the hardware for attaching handrails to guards, balusters, or masonry walls shall be such that there are no projecting lugs on attachment de- vices or nonprojecting corners or members of grilles or panels which may engage loose clothing. Openings in guards shall be de- signed to prevent loose clothing from becoming wedged in such openings. 5-3164. Handrail Details. a. Handrails on stairs shall be not less than 30 inches nor more than 34 inches above the upper surface of the tread, measured vertically to the top of the rail, from a point on the tread 1 inch back from the leading edge, except that on stairways designed for use by children an additional handrail may be provided lower than the main handrail. b. Handrails shall provide a clearance of at least 1% inches be- tween handrail and wall to which fastened. Handrails shall be of such design and so supported as to withstand a load of not less than 200 pounds applied at any point, downward or horizontally. c. Handrails shall be so designed as to permit continuous sliding of hands on them. d. Every stairway required to be more than 88 inches in width shall have intermediate handrails dividing the stairway into por- tions not more than 88 inches in width, except that on monumental outside stairs 2 handrails may be permitted. 5-3165. Guard Details. a. The height of guards required by 5-3161 shall be measured vertically to the top of the guard from a point on the tread 1 inch back from the leading edge or from the floor of landings or balconies. b. No guards shall be required for inside stairs which reverse 101-30 LIFE SAFETY CODE direction at intermediate landings, where the horizontal distance between successive flights is not more than 1 foot. c. Guards shall be not less than 42 inches high. Guards protecting changes in level one story or less on interior balconies and mez- zanines shall be not less than 36 inches high. d. Guards shall be so constructed that the area in the plane of the guard from the top of floor, riser, or curb to the minimum required height of guard shall be subdivided or filled in one of the following manners: (1.) A sufficient number of intermediate longitudinal rails so that the clear distance between rails measured at right angles to the run of rail does not exceed 10 inches. The bottom rails shall not be more than 10 inches from the top of floor,tread,or curb measured vertically. The point of measurement from treads shall be as pro- vided in 5-3165a. (2.) Vertical balusters spaced not more than 6 inches apart. (3.) Areas filled wholly or partially by panels of solid wire mesh or expanded metal construction or by ornamental grilles which provide protection against falling through the guard equivalent to that provided by the intermediate rails or vertical balusters speci- fied in the two preceding paragraphs. (4.) The lower part of the area may consist of a continuous substantial curb, the top of which is parallel to the run of stairs or level areas, and the height of which is not less than 3 inches on stairs(measured at right angles to the curb from its top to the nosing of the tread) and not less than 6 inches for level areas. (5.) Masonry walls may be used for any portion of the guard. (6.) Any combination of the foregoing that provides equivalent safety. e. Enclosure walls and guards consisting of masonry, railings, or other construction shall either be designed for loads transmitted by attached handrails or shall be designed to resist a horizontal thrust of 50 pounds per lineal foot applied at the top of the guard, whichever condition produces maximum stresses. For walls or guards higher than minimum height the specified thrust shall be applied at a height of 42 inches above the floor or tread. f. Intermediate rails, balusters, and panel fillers shall be de- signed for a uniform load over the gross area of the guard (in- cluding the area of any openings in the guard) of which they are a part of not less than 25 pounds per square foot. Reactions due to this loading need not be added to the loading specified by 5-3165e in designing the main supporting members of guards. 5-317. Smokeproof Towers 5-3171. A smokeproof tower, as herein specified, shall be a con- tinuous fire-resistive enclosure protecting a stairway from fire or INTERIOR STAIRS 101-31 smoke in the building served, with communication between the building and the tower by means of balconies directly open to the outer air. 5-3172. Stairs, enclosure walls, vestibules, balconies and other components of smokeproof towers shall be of noncombustible ma- terials, and all other requirements hereinbefore specified for inside stairs shall apply to stairs in smokeproof towers. 5-3173. Stairways shall be completely enclosed by walls having a 2-hour fire resistance rating and comprised of noncombustible material. There shall be no openings in walls separating the en- closure from the interior of the building. Fixed or automatic fire windows are permitted in an exterior wall not subject to severe fire exposure hazard from the same or nearby buildings. 5-3174. Access to the smokeproof tower shall be provided from every story through vestibules open to the outside on an exterior wall or from balconies overhanging an exterior wall, but not subject to severe fire exposure hazard. Every such vestibule, balcony or land- ing shall have an unobstructed length and width not less than the re- quired width of exit doors serving same, and shall be directly open to a street or alley or yard or to an enclosed court open at the top not less than 20 feet in width and 1,000 square feet in area. Bal- conies or vestibules shall have guards not less than 42 inches high and shall conform with 5-3165d. Wall openings exposing bal- conies or vestibules shall be protected in accordance with 5-4121. 5-3175.* Access from a building to vestibules or balconies shall be through doorways not less than 40 inches wide for new and 36 inches wide for existing towers. These openings and the entrances to the towers shall be provided with approved, self-closing fire doors swinging with the exit travel. Clear wired glass not ex- ceeding 720 square inches shall be provided in all doors giving access to the enclosure. 5-3176. The level of a vestibule or balcony floor shall be placed approximately 71/2 inches below the floor level of each story where climatic conditions involve the possibility of blocking doors by snow or ice. In mild climates in which this hazard is not presented, the floors shall be approximately level. There shall be no step from the vestibule or balcony into the stair enclosure. 5-318. Monumental Stairs 5-3181. Monumental stairs, either inside or outside, may be ac- cepted as required exits if all requirements for exit stairs are com- plied with, including required enclosures and minimum width of treads, except that curved stairs may be accepted with a radius of 25 feet or more at the inner edges. 101-32 LIFE SAFETY CODE SECTION 5-4. OUTSIDE STAIRS 5-411. General 5-4111. Any permanently installed stair outside of the building served is acceptable as a required exit under the same condition as an inside stair, provided that such stairs comply with all the requirements hereinbefore stated for inside stairs, except as modi- fied by the following paragraphs of this Section. 5-4112. Outside stairs, serving as required exits, shall be so ar- ranged as to avoid any handicap to the use of the stairs by persons having a fear of high places. For stairs more than 3 stories in height any arrangement intended to meet this requirement shall be at least 4 feet in height. 5-4113. Subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdic- tion, outside stairs may be accepted where leading to roofs of other sections of the building or adjoining building, where the construction is fire resistive, where there is a continuous and safe means of exit from the roof, and all other reasonable requirements for life safety are maintained. 5-412. Enclosures 5-4121. Under all conditions where enclosure of inside stairways is required, outside stairs shall be separated from the interior of the building by fire-resistive walls the same as required for inside stairway enclosures, with fire doors or fixed wired glass windows protecting any openings therein. Such protection shall not be re- quired where the stairs are located on the side of the balcony or corridor away from the building if separated from the building by the full required width of the balcony or corridor, if 3 stories or less in height. If 4 stories or more in height openings shall be protected as follows: a. Horizontally. If within 15 feet of any balcony, platform, or stairway, constituting a part of the exit. This provision does not apply to a platform or walkway leading from the same floor to the exit. Protection need not extend around a right angle corner (outside angle 270 degrees) of the building except where there is only one exit. b. Below. If within 3 stories or 35 feet of any balcony, platform, walkway, or stairway constituting a part of the exit, or within 2 stories or 20 feet of a platform or walkway leading from any story to the exit. c. Above. If within 10 feet of any balcony, platform, or walkway, as measured vertically, or from any stair treads, as measured ver- tically from the face of the outside riser. HORIZONTAL EXITS 101-33 d. Top story. Protection for wall openings in the top story shall not be required where stairs do not lead to the roof. 5-4122. Where a stairway is located in a court the least dimension of which is less than one-third its height, or in an alcove having a width less than one-third its height and a depth greater than one- fourth its height, all openings below shall be protected. 5-4123. Outside stairs in climates subject to snow and ice shall be protected to prevent accumulation of snow or ice, except in the case of main entrance stairs providing the principal access to a building where it may be assumed that normal use of the building will require removal of snow and ice as a necessary condition for the entrance of occupants. Balconies, to which access doors lead, shall be approximately level with the floor of the building, or in climates where balconies may be subject to accumulation of snow or ice, one step, not to exceed 7% inches below the level of the inside floor. 5-413. Stair Details 5-4131. For outside stairs of monumental type, constructed of stone or concrete, the requirement for a nosing may be waived if treads are at least 11 inches wide. 5-4132. Treads shall be solid. 5-4133. Risers shall be solid except that the skirt type having 1 inch space for drainage may be permitted. 5-4134. Except where embedded in masonry or concrete or where a suitable fire-resistive and waterproof covering is provided, no structural metal member shall be employed the entire surface of which is not capable of being inspected and painted. 5-4135. All supporting members for balconies and stairs,which are in tension and are fastened directly to the building,shall pass through the wall and be securely fastened on the opposite side, or they shall be securely fastened to the framework of the building. Where metal members pass through walls, they shall be protected effectively against corrosion. 5-4136. Balcony and stair enclosures and railings shall be designed to resist horizontal thrust of 50 pounds per lineal foot of railing or enclosure applied at the top of the railing or to the enclosure 42 inches above the floor or tread. SECTION 5-5. HORIZONTAL EXITS 5-511. Application 5-5111.* A horizontal exit is a way of passage from one building 101-34 LIFE SAFETY CODE to an area of refuge in another building on approximately the same level, or a way of passage through or around a fire wall or fire 1 partition to an area of refuge on approximately the same level in the same building, which affords safety from fire or smoke from the area of escape and areas communicating therewith. 5-5112.* Horizontal exits may be substituted for other exits to an extent that the total exit capacity of the other exits (stairs, ramps, doors leading outside the building) will not be reduced below half that required for the entire area of the building or connected buildings if there were no horizontal exits. Exception: For institutional occupancies, the total exit capacity of the other exits (stairs, ramps, doors leading outside the building) shall not be reduced below 1/2 that required for the entire area of the building. 5-512. Egress from Area of Refuge 5-5121. Every fire section for which credit is allowed in connection with a horizontal exit shall have in addition to the horizontal exit or exits at least one stairway, doorway leading outside, or other standard exit. Any fire section not having a stairway or doorway leading outside shall be considered as part of an adjoining section with stairway. 5-5122. Every horizontal exit for which credit is given shall be so arranged that there are continuously available paths of travel leading from each side of the exit to stairways or other standard means of egress leading to outside the building. This requirement is complied with where the entire areas from each side of the horizontal exit to the stairways or other standard means of egress are occupied by the same tenant; or where there are public corridors or other continuously available passageways leading from each side of the exit to stairways or other standard means of egress leading to outside the building. 5-5123. Whenever either side of the horizontal exit is occupied, the doors used in connection with the horizontal exit shall be un- locked. 5-5124. The floor area on either side of a horizontal exit shall be sufficient to hold the occupants of both floor areas allowing not less than 3 square feet clear floor area per person. 5-513. Bridges and Balconies 5-5131. Each bridge or balcony utilized in conjunction with horizontal exits shall comply with the structural requirements for outside stairs and shall have guards and handrails in general con- HORIZONTAL EXITS 101-35 formity with the requirements of Section 5-3 for stairs and smoke- proof towers. 5-5132. Every bridge or balcony shall be at least as wide as the door leading to it, and not less than 44 inches for new construction. 5-5133. Every door leading to a bridge or balcony serving as a horizontal exit from a fire area, shall swing with the exit travel out of the fire area. 5-5134. Where the bridge or balcony serves as a horizontal exit in one direction, only the door from the bridge or balcony into the area of refuge shall swing in. 5-5135. Where the bridge or balcony serves as a horizontal exit in both directions, doors shall be provided in pairs swinging in op- posite directions, only the door swinging with the exit travel to be counted in determination of exit width, unless the bridge or bal- cony has sufficient floor area to accommodate the occupant load of either connected building or fire area on the basis of 3 square feet per person or in existing buildings by specific permission of the authority having jurisdiction, in which case doors on both ends of the bridge or balcony may swing out from the building. 5-5136. The bridge or balcony floor shall be level with the build- ing, except that where there is a possibility of blocking doors by snow or ice the bridge or balcony floor shall be approximately 71/2 inches below the building floor level. 5-5137.* Where there is a difference in level between connected buildings or floor areas, ramps shall be employed. Steps may be used where the difference in elevation is greater than 21 inches. Ramps and stairs shall be in accordance with the sections of this Code pertaining to ramps, stairs, and outside stairs. 5-5138. All wall openings, in both of the connected buildings or fire areas, any part of which are within 10 feet of any bridge or balcony as measured horizontally or below shall be protected with fire doors or fixed metal frame wired glass windows; provided, however, that where bridges have solid sides not less than 6 feet in height, such protection of wall openings may be omitted. 5-514. Openings through Walls for Horizontal Exits 5-5141. Walls or partitions separating areas between which there are horizontal exits shall be of noncombustible material having a 2-hour fire resistance rating They shall provide a separation con- tinuous to ground except that fire partitions may be omitted on the street floor in accordance with 5-515 when they are supported on 101-36 LIFE SAFETY CODE other construction having at least a 2-hour fire resistance rating continuous to the ground. 5-5142.* Any opening in such walls, whether or not such opening serves as an exit, shall be adequately protected in an approved man- ner against the passage of fire or smoke therefrom. 5-5143.* Swinging fire doors on horizontal exits shall swing with the exit travel. Where a horizontal exit serves areas on both sides of a wall there shall be adjacent openings with swinging doors at each, opening in opposite directions, with signs on each side of the wall or partition indicating as the exit the door which swings with the travel from that side;or other approved arrangements providing doors always swinging with any possible exit travel. 5-5144.* Sliding fire doors shall not be used on a horizontal exit except where the doorway is protected by a fire door on each side of the wall in which it occurs. In this case, one fire door shall be of the swinging type as provided in 5-5143 and the other may be an automatic sliding fire door that shall be kept open whenever the building is occupied. 5-515. Omission of Fire Partition on Certain Floors 5-5151. Where a fire partition is used to provide a horizontal exit in any story of a building it may be omitted in any lower story under the following conditions: a. The open fire area story from which the fire partition is omitted shall be separated from the stories above by construction having at least a 2-hour fire resistance rating. b. Required exits from the stories above the open fire area story shall be separated therefrom by construction having a 2-hour fire resistance rating and shall discharge outside without travel through the open fire area story. c. Vertical openings between the open fire area story and the stories above shall be enclosed with construction having a 2-hour fire resistance rating. Other details shall be in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 6-1. 5-5152. Where a fire partition is used to provide a horizontal exit for any story below the discharge level, it may be omitted at the level of discharge under the following conditions: a. The open fire area story from which the fire partition is omitted shall be separated from the stories below by construction having at least a 2-hour fire resistance rating. b. Required exits from stories below the open fire area story shall be separated from the open fire area story by construction having a RAMPS 101-37 2-hour fire resistance rating and shall discharge directly outside without travel through the open fire area story. c. Vertical openings between the open fire area story and the floors below shall be enclosed with construction having a 2-hour fire re- sistance rating. Other details shall be in accordance with the ap- plicable provisions of Section 6-1. SECTION 5-6. RAMPS 5-61. INSIDE RAMPS 5-611. Application 5-6111. A ramp may be used as a component in a means of egress when it conforms to the general requirements of Section 5-1 and to the special requirements of this Section. As such, it is designated as either a ramp or an exit ramp. 5-612. Classification 5-6121. A ramp shall be designated as Class A or Class B in ac- cordance with the following table: Class A Class B Width 44 in.and greater 30 to 44 in. Slope 1 to 1 5jg in 12 1 K6 to 2 in 12 Maximum height between landings No limit 12 ft. Capacity in persons per unit of exit width (except as modi- fied by Chapters 8 through 16) Down 60 45 Up 45 45 5-613. Protective Enclosure 5-6131. When a ramp inside a building is used as an exit or exit component, it shall be protected by separation from other parts of the building, as specified in 5-114. 5-6132. Fixed wired glass panels in steel sash may be installed in such a separation in a fully sprinklered building. 5-6133.* There shall be no enclosed usable space under ramps in an exit enclosure nor shall the open space under such ramps be used for any purpose. 101-38 LIFE SAFETY CODE 5-614. Other Details 5-6141. A ramp and the platforms and landings associated there- with shall be designed for not less than 100 pounds per square foot live load. 5-6142. The slope of a ramp shall not vary between landings. Landings shall be level and changes in direction of travel if any shall be made only at landings. 5-6143. An exit ramp in a building more than 3 stories in height, or in a building of any height of noncombustible or fire-resistive construction, shall be of noncombustible construction. The ramp floor and landings shall be solid and without perforations. 5-6144. A ramp shall have a nonslip surface. 5-6145. Guards and handrails complying with 5-316 shall be pro- vided in comparable situations for ramps except that handrails are not required on Class A ramps. 5-62. OUTSIDE RAMPS 5-621. General 5-6211. Any ramp permanently installed on the outside of the building served may be accepted as a component in a means of egress under the same conditions as an inside ramp, provided it complies with all requirements for inside ramps except as modified by the following provisions of 5-62. 5-6212.* Outside ramps shall be so arranged as to avoid any handicap to their use by persons having a fear of high places. For ramps more than 3 stories in height, any arrangement intended to meet this requirement shall be at least 4 feet in height. 5-622. Enclosures 5-6221. Under all conditions where enclosure of inside ramps is required, outside ramps serving as exits shall be separated from the interior of the building by wall construction that has a fire resistance rating equal to that required for such enclosure. Such protection shall not be required where the ramp is located on the side of the outside balcony or corridor away from the building if separated from the building by the full required width of balcony or corridor, if 3 stories or less in height. If the ramp is 4 stories or more in height, the openings shall be protected as follows: a. Horizontally. If within 15 feet of any balcony, platform or ramp, serving as component part of the exit. This provision does RAMPS 101-39 not apply to a platform or walkway serving as access to the exit. Protection need not extend around a right angle corner (outside angle 270 degrees) of the building except where there is only one exit. b. Below. If within 3 stories or 35 feet of any balcony, platform walkway, or ramp constituting a part of the exit, or within 2 stories or 20 feet of a platform or walkway leading from any story to the exit. c. Above. If within 10 feet of any balcony, platform, or walkway, as measured vertically, or from the surface of a ramp. d. Top story. Protection for wall openings in the top story shall not be required where the ramp does not lead to the roof. 5-6222. Where a ramp exit is located in a court the least dimen- sion of which is less than %3 its height,or in an alcove having a width less than %3 its height and a depth greater than % of its height, all openings below shall be protected. 5-6223. Outside ramps in climates subject to snow and ice shall be protected to prevent accumulation of snow or ice, except in the case of main entrance ramps providing the principal access to a building where it may be assumed that normal use of the building will require removal of snow and ice as a necessary condition for the entrance of occupants. Balconies, to which access doors lead, shall be approximately level with the floor of the building, or in climates where balconies may be subject to accumulation of snow or ice, one step, not to exceed 7%2 inches below the level of the inside floor. 5-623. Ramp Details 5-6231. Except where embedded in masonry or concrete or where a suitable fire-resistive and waterproof covering is provided, no structural metal member shall be employed the entire surface of which is not capable of being inspected and painted. 5-6232. All supporting members for balconies and ramps, which are in tension and are fastened directly to the building, shall pass through the wall and be securely fastened on the opposite side, or they shall be securely fastened to the framework of the building. Where metal members pass through walls, they shall be protected effectively against corrosion. 5-6233. Balcony and ramp enclosures and railings shall be de- signed to resist a horizontal thrust of 50 pounds per running foot of railing or enclosure applied at the top of the railing or to the en- closure 42 inches above the floor. 101-40 LIFE SAFETY CODE SECTION 5-7. EXIT PASSAGEWAYS 5-711.* Application 5-7111. Any hallway, corridor, passage, tunnel, underfloor pas- sageway, or overhead passageway may be designated as an exit passageway and used as an exit or exit component as provided in 5-1121 and 5-1131 when conforming to all other requirements of Section 5-1 as modified by the provisions of this Section. 5-712. Protective Enclosure and Arrangement 5-7121. An exit passageway shall be protected by separation from other parts of the building as specified in 5-114. 5-7122. Fixed wired glass panels in steel sash may be installed in such a separation in a fully sprinklered building. 5-713. Width 5-7131. The width of an exit passageway shall be adequate to accommodate the aggregate capacity of all exits discharging through it. 5-714. Floor 5-7141. The floor shall be solid and without perforations. SECTION 5-8. ESCALATORS AND MOVING WALKS 5-811. Application 5-8111.* An escalator or moving walk may be accepted as a component in a means of egress when it conforms to the general requirements of Section 5-1 and to the special requirements of this Section. As such, the escalator is designated as an exit escalator and the moving walk as a moving walk exit. 5-8112.* A sign indicating the direction of the nearest approved exit shall be placed at the point of entrance to any escalator or moving walk that does not conform to or serve as a means of egress. 5-812. Escalators 5-8121.* An exit escalator shall comply with the applicable re- quirements for exit stairs of Section 5-3 except as modified in this Section. 5-8122. No escalator capable of being operated in the direction contrary to normal exit travel shall be used in a means of egress. 5-8123. An exit escalator shall be of the horizontal tread type and shall be of noncombustible construction throughout except for the step tread surfaces, handrails and step wheels. FIRE ESCAPE STAIRS 101-41 5-8124. A single escalator 32 inches wide shall be given credit for 1 unit of exit width. An escalator 48 inches wide shall be given credit for 2 units of exit width. 5-8125. There shall be an unobstructed space of at least 4 inches outside the handrail and above the handrail for the full length of the escalator. 5-8126. No single exit escalator shall have an uninterrupted verti- cal travel of more than 1 story. 5-8127.* An exit escalator shall be designed and operated ac- cording to generally accepted standards of safe engineering practice. 5-813. Moving Walks 5-8131. Except as modified by this Section, an inclined moving walk exit shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 5-6 for ramps, and a level moving walk exit shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 5-7 for exit passageways. 5-8132. No moving walk capable of being operated in the direction contrary to normal exit travel shall be used in a means of egress. 5-8133.* A moving walk exit shall be designed and operated ac- cording to generally accepted standards of safe engineering practice. SECTION 5-9. FIRE ESCAPE STAIRS, LADDERS AND SLIDE ESCAPES 5-91. FIRE ESCAPE STAIRS 5-911. General 5-9111.* Fire escape stairs may be used as required means of exit only in existing buildings, subject to the provisions of the occu- pancy chapter applying. Fire escape stairs shall not constitute more than 50 percent of the required exit capacity in any case. Fire escape stairs shall not be accepted as constituting any part of the required exits for new buildings. 5-9112. Fire escape stairs shall provide a continuous unobstructed safe path of travel to the ground or other safe area of refuge to which they lead. Where the fire escape is not continuous, as in cases where stairs lead to an adjoining roof, which must be crossed before continuing downward travel, the direction of travel shall be clearly indicated, and suitable walkways with handrails shall be provided where necessary. Where a single exit way consists of a 101-42 LIFE SAFETY CODE combination of inside stairs and fire escape stairs, each shall comply with the applicable provisions of this Code, and the two shall be so arranged and connected as to provide a continuous safe path of travel. 5-912. Types 5-9121. The following types of fire escape stairs are recognized by this Code: Return platform type, superimposed runs Straight run type,with platforms continuing in the same direction. Either of these may be parallel to or at right angles to the building. They may be attached to buildings or erected independently of them and connected by bridges. 5-913. Stair Details 5-9131.* Fire escape stairs, depending upon the requirements of Chapters 8 through 16 of this Code, shall be in accordance with the following table and subsequent paragraphs. Existing Stairs Existing Stairs for Very Small Buildings Minimum widths 22 in. clear between 18 in.in. clear between rails Minimum horizontal dimen- 22 in. 18 in. sion any landing or plat- form Maximum rise 9 in. 12 in. Minimum tread, exclusive of 9 in. 6 in. nosing Minimum nosing or projection 1 in. No requirement Tread construction Solid, %in.dia.per- Flat metal bars on edge, forations permitted or square bars secured against turning, spaced 134 in.max. on centers Winders (spiral) None Permitted subject to capacity penalty Risers None No requirement Maximum height between 12 ft. No requirement landings Headroom, minimum 7 ft. 6 ft. 6 in. Access to escape Door or casement Windows windows 24 in.x 6 ft. 6 in. or double hung windows 30 x 36 in. clear opening FIRE ESCAPE STAIRS 101-43 Existing Stairs Existing Stairs for Very Small Buildings Level of access opening Not over 12 in.above Same floor; steps if higher Discharge to ground Swinging stair sec- Swinging stair, or lad- tion permitted der if approved Capacity, number of persons 45 per unit,* access 10;if winders or ladder by door; 20 if access from bottom balcony, by climbing over 5;if both, 1 window sill. *See 5-1152 for counting fractions of a unit for stairs more than 1 unit wide. 5-914. Arrangement and Protection of Openings 5-9141. Fire escape stairs shall be so arranged that they will be exposed by the smallest possible number of window and door open- ings. There shall be no transoms over doors. Every opening, any portion of which is in the limits specified below, shall be completely protected by approved fire doors or metal frame wired glass windows as follows: a. Horizontally. If within 15 feet of any balcony, platform, or stairway, constituting a part of the escape proper. This provision does not apply to a platform or walkway leading from the same floor to the escape proper. Protection need not extend around a right angle corner(outside angle 270 degrees) of the building except where stairs are close to such corner. b. Below. If within 3 stories or 35 feet of any balcony, platform, walkway, or stairway constituting a part of the escape proper, or within 2 stories or 20 feet of a platform or walkway leading from any story to the escape proper. c. Above. If within 10 feet of any balcony, platform, or walkway, as measured vertically, or from any stair treads, as measured vertically from the face of the outside riser. d. Top story. Protection for wall openings shall not be required where stairs do not lead to the roof. 5-9142. Where a fire escape stair is located in a court the least dimension of which is less than one-third its height, or in an alcove having a width less than one-third its height, and depth greater than one-fourth its height, all openings below shall be protected. 5-9143. The provisions of 5-9141 and 5-9142 may be waived or modified by the authority having jurisdiction in consideration of automatic sprinkler protection, low hazard occupancy or other special conditions. 101-44 LIFE SAFETY CODE 5-915. Access 5-9151.* Access to fire escape stairs shall be provided in accordance with 5-9131 and the general provisions of 5-120. Where access is by way of double hung windows, such windows shall be so counter- balanced and maintained that they can be readily opened with a minimum of physical effort. Insert screens, if any, on any type of opening giving access to fire escape stairs shall be of types that may be readily opened or pushed out. No storm sash shall be used on any window providing access to fire escape stairs. 5-9152. Fire escape stairs shall extend to the roof in all cases where the roof is subject to occupancy, or is so constructed and arranged as to provide an area of refuge from fire. In all cases where stairs do not extend to the roof, access thereto shall be provided by a ladder in accordance with 5-92, except that such ladders are not required in the case of roofs with pitch steeper than 2 inches to the foot. 5-9153. Balconies to which access doors lead shall be approxi- mately level with the floor of the building, or in climates where balconies may be subject to accumulation of snow or ice, one step, not to exceed 7%z inches, below the level of the inside floor. 5-9154. Balconies, to which access is secured through windows with sills above the inside floor level, shall be not more than 18 inches below the sill. In no case shall the balcony level be above the sill. 5-916. Materials and Strength 5-9161. Iron, steel, or concrete or other approved noncombustible material, shall be used for the construction of fire escape stairs, balconies, railings, and other features appurtenant thereto. 5-9162. Balconies and stairs shall be designed to carry a load of 100 pounds per square foot, or a concentrated load of 300 pounds so located as to produce maximum stress conditions. 5-9163. Except where embedded in masonry or concrete or where a suitable fire-resistive and waterproof covering is provided, no structural metal member shall be employed the entire surface of which is not capable of being inspected and painted. 5-9164. All supporting members for balconies and stairs,which are in tension and are fastened directly to the building,shall pass through the wall and be securely fastened on the opposite side, or they shall be securely fastened to the framework of the building. Where metal FIRE ESCAPE STAIRS 101-45 members pass through walls, they shall be protected effectively against corrosion. 5-9165. Balcony and stair enclosures and railings shall be designed to withstand a horizontal pressure of 50 pounds per running foot of railing or enclosure without serious deflection, and support at walls for such railings or enclosures shall be in the manner specified in 5-9162 for tension members, except as provided in 5-9166. 5-9166. Notwithstanding the provisions of 5-9162 and 5-9165, the authority having jurisdiction may approve any existing fire escape stair for a very small building when it has been shown by load test or other evidence satisfactory to him to have adequate strength. 5-917. Guards and Handrails 5-9171. All fire escapes shall have walls or guards on both sides, in accordance with 5-3161 and 5-3165, except for height, which shall be 42 inches, and 36 inches for fire escapes for very small build- ings, the height being measured vertically from a point on the stair tread one inch back from the leading edge, or vertically above any landing or balcony floor level. 5-9172. All fire escapes shall have handrails on both sides, not less than 30 inches nor more than 42 inches high, measured ver- tically from a point on the stair tread one inch back from the leading edge, all in general conformity to the requirements for stair hand- rails, 5-3161 through 5-3164. 5-9173. Handrails and guards shall be so constructed as to with- stand a force of 200 pounds applied downward or horizontally at any point. 5-918. Swinging Stairs 5-9181. Swinging stair sections shall not be used for fire escape stairs except where termination over sidewalks, alleys, or drive- ways makes it impracticable to build stairs permanently to the ground. Where used, swinging stairs shall comply with 5-9182- 5-9189. 5-9182. Swinging section of stairs shall not be located over doors, over the path of travel from any other exit, nor be in any location where there are or are likely to be obstructions. 5-9183. Width of swinging section of stairs shall be at least equal to that of the stairs above. 101-46 LIFE SAFETY CODE 5-9184. Pitch shall not be steeper than that of the stairs above. 5-9185. Railings shall be provided similar in height and construc- tion to those required for the stairs above. Railings shall be de- signed to prevent any possibility of injury to persons at head of stairs or on balconies when stairs swing downward. Minimum clearance between moving sections where hands might be caught '' shall be 4 inches. 5-9186. If distance from lowest platform to ground exceeds 12 feet, an intermediate balcony not more than 12 feet from the ground nor less than 7 feet in the clear underneath, shall be provided with width not less than that of the stairs and length not less than 4 feet. 5-9187. Counterweight shall be provided for swinging stairs and this shall be of type balancing about a pivot, no cables being used. Counterweight shall be securely bolted in place, except that sliding ball weights or their equivalent may be used to hold stairs up and to help lower them. Counterbalancing shall be such that a weight of 150 pounds, one step from pivot will not start swinging section downward, and a weight of 150 pounds, one quarter of the length of the swinging stairs from the pivot will positively cause stairs to swing down. 5-9188. Pivot for swinging stairs shall either have a bronze bushing or have sufficient clearance to prevent sticking on account of cor- rosion. 5-9189.* No latch to lock swinging stair section in up position shall be installed. 5-92. FIRE ESCAPE LADDERS 5-921. Use 5-9211. No form of ladder shall be used as a fire escape under the provisions of this Code, except that ladders conforming to the fol- lowing specifications may be used to provide access to unoccupied roof spaces as permitted by 5-9152, to provide a means of escape from boiler rooms, grain elevators and towers as permitted by Chapters 15 and 16, elevated platforms around machinery or similar spaces subject to occupancy only by able-bodied adults, not more than three in number. Existing ladders may also be accepted to provide access to the street from the lowest balcony of fire escape stairs for very small buildings, if approved by the authority having jurisdiction,subject to the limitations in capacity specified in 5-9131. FIRE ESCAPE STAIRS 101-47 5-922. Installation 5-9221.* All ladders shall be permanently installed in fixed po- sition, supported by rigid connection to the building or structure at intervals not exceeding 10 feet. 5-9222. Where ladders provide access to roofs or elevated plat- forms, rails shall extend not less than 45 inches above roof line or platform floor, or 45 inches above coping or parapet if there is one. Extension of side rails to roof shall be carried over coping or parapet to afford hand hold. 5-9223. Ladders shall be arranged parallel to buildings, or struc- tures, with travel either between ladder and building, in which case minimum clearance between center of rungs and building shall be 27 inches, or outside of ladder, in which case minimum clearance between center of rungs and building shall be 61/2 inches. 5-9224. Ladders shall be vertical, or may be positively inclined. No negative incline (ladder sloping out over head of person using it) shall be permitted. 5-923. Construction 5-9231. Ladders shall be constructed of iron or steel, or of other metal in design having equivalent strength and resistance to cor- rosion. 5-9232. Rails of iron or steel ladders shall be not less than % inch x 2 inches in section, not less than 16 inches apart. 5-9233. Rungs shall be not less than Y8 inch diameter, and shall be riveted or welded in position, not less than 10 inches nor more than 12 inches on centers. 5-9234. The lowest rung of any ladder shall be not more than 12 inches above the level of the ground or balcony floor beneath it. 5-93. SLIDE ESCAPES 5-931. Use and Capacity Rating 5-9311. A slide escape may be used as a required exit where specifically authorized by Chapters 8 through 16. 101-48 LIFE SAFETY CODE 5-9312. Slide escapes, where permitted as required exits, shall be rated at one exit unit per slide, with rated travel capacity of 60 persons. 5-9313. Slide escapes, except as permitted for high hazard manu- facturing buildings or structures, shall not constitute more than 25 percent of the required number of units of exit width from any building or structure or any individual story or floor thereof. 5-9314. Slide escapes used as exits shall comply with the applicable requirements of Chapter 5 for other types of exits subject to the discretion of the authority having jurisdiction. 5-932. Types 5-9321. Each slide escape shall be of an approved type. SECTION 5-10. ILLUMINATION OF MEANS OF EGRESS 5-1011. General 5-10111.* Illumination of means of egress shall be provided for every building and structure as provided by Chapters 8 through 16. 5-10112. Such illumination shall be continuous during the time that the conditions of occupancy require that the means of egress be available for use. Artificial lighting shall be employed at such places and for such periods of time as required to maintain the il- lumination to the minimum foot-candle values herein specified. 5-10113.* The floors of means of egress shall be illuminated at all points including angles and intersections of corridors and passage- ways, stairways, landings of stairs, and exit doors to values of not less than 1.0 foot-candle measured at the floor. 5-10114. Any required illumination shall be so arranged that the failure of any single lighting unit, such as the burning out of an electric bulb, will not leave any area in darkness. 5-10115. The same equipment or units installed to meet the re- quirements of Section 5-11 may also serve the function of illumina- tion of means of egress provided that all applicable requirements of this Section for such illumination are also met. ILLUMINATION, MEANS OF EGRESS 101-49 5-1012. Sources of Illumination 5-10121. Illumination of means of egress shall be from a source of reasonably assured reliability, such as public utility electric service. 5-10122.* Where electricity is used as a source of illumination of means of egress the installation shall be properly made in accordance with recognized good practice. 5-10123. No battery operated electric light nor any type of port- able lamp or lantern shall be used for primary illumination of means of egress, but may be used as an emergency source to the extent permitted under Emergency Lighting, 5-1021. 5-10124.* No luminescent or fluorescent or reflective material may be used as a substitute for any of the required illumination herein specified. 5-1021. Emergency Lighting 5-10211.* In occupancies as specified in Chapters 8 through 16, emergency lighting facilities shall be provided for means of egress so arranged that they will be maintained in the event of failure of the normal lighting of the building. 5-10212.* Emergency lighting facilities shall be arranged to main- tain the specified degree of illumination in the event of failure of the normal lighting for a period of at least%2 hour,and for a period of at least 1 hour in hospitals and institutions. 5-10213.* Type 1, 2, or 3 emergency lighting shall be provided as specified in Chapters 8 through 16, subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction as to the suitability of the equipment for its intended use and the conditions in the individual premises. 5-10214.* Electric battery operated emergency lights shall use only reliable types of storage batteries, except as permitted by 5-10223c, suitable for their intended use, and shall be provided with suitable facilities for maintenance in properly charged con- dition. 5-10215.* Required emergency lighting facilities shall be auto- matic, not requiring any manual action to put them into operation after failure of normal lighting. 5-10216. Where maintenance of illumination depends upon chang- ing from one energy source to another, there shall be no appreciable interruption of illumination during the change-over except that in hospitals where emergency lighting is provided by a prime mover operated electric generator, a delay of not to exceed 10 seconds may be permitted. 101-50 LIFE SAFETY CODE 5-1022. Type 1 Emergency Lighting 5-10221. Type 1 emergency lighting shall be so arranged as to pro- vide the required illumination automatically in the event of any failure of normal lighting in the circuits serving areas requiring temporary lighting due to any failure of public utility or other out- side electric power supply, or any single manual act such as acci- dental opening of a switch controlling normal lighting facilities. 5-10222. Type 1 emergency lighting shall be either continuously in operation, or shall be capable of repeated automatic operation without manual intervention. 5-10223. Type 1 emergency lighting, subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction, may be provided by any method or combination of methods which will produce the desired results, such as: a. Two separate electric lighting systems,with independent wiring, each adequate alone to provide the specified exit lighting, one sup- plied from an outside source such as a public utility service and the other from an electric generator on the premises driven by an inde- pendent source of power, both sources of illumination being in regular simultaneous operation whenever the building is occupied during periods of darkness. b. An electric circuit or circuits used only for means of egress illumi- nation, with 2 independent electric sources so arranged that on the failure of one the other will come automatically and immediately into operation. One such source shall be a connection from a public utility or similar outside power source and the other an approved storage battery with suitable provision to keep it automatically charged. Such battery shall also be so provided with automatic controls that after the battery comes into operation due to failure of the primary power source, or due to turning off the primary elec- tric source for the exit lights, it will be shut off after its specified period of operation and will be automatically recharged and ready for further service when the primary current source is again turned on. c. Unit devices with individual batteries providing for the same functions as specified in item b. above, except that the battery sup- plied light may be operated on a separate circuit at a voltage dif- ferent from that of the primary light. Dry cell batteries may be used in unit equipment subject to specific approval by the authority having jurisdiction (see 5-10214). d. Two separate sources of illumination, one electric and the other of the incandescent gas mantle type, supplied by city gas, propane or gasoline vapor, utilizing only approved gas lighting devices and with reliable arrangements acceptable to the authority having ILLUMINATION, MEANS OF EGRESS 101-51 jurisdiction to assure that both gas and electric lighting sources will be in regular continuous operation during occupancy of the build- ing in periods of darkness. Such gas lighting devices shall be so installed as not themselves to create a fire or explosion hazard within the building. 5-1023. Type 2 Emergency Lighting 5-10231.* Type 2 emergency lighting shall be so arranged as to provide the required illumination automatically in the event of any failure of normal lighting due to any fault within the building, such as opening of a circuit breaker or melting of a fuse due to short circuit due to fire or other cause or due to overloading. 5-10232. Type 2 emergency lighting shall be either continuously in operation or shall be capable of repeated automatic operation without manual intervention. 5-10233.* Type 2 emergency lighting may be provided by any method or combination of methods that will produce the desired results, subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction, such as an arrangement whereby means of egress illumination are on a separate electric circuit or circuits, used for no purpose other than lights and signs in means of egress, such circuit or circuits being con- nected to the electric service wires ahead of any circuit breakers or fuses controlling the normal electric supply to the building. 5-1024. Type 3 Emergency Lighting 5-10241.* Type 3 emergency lighting shall be such as to maintain the required means of egress illumination automatically in the event of failure of public utility electric service or other outside source of energy. 5-10242. Type 3 emergency lighting shall either be continuously in operation while the building is occupied, or shall come into op- eration automatically and, where automatic, shall be capable of repeated operation without manual intervention. 5-10243.* Type 3 emergency lighting may be provided by any method or combination of methods that will produce the desired results. SECTION 5-11. EXIT MARKING 5-1111. Signs 5-11111.* Where required by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 16 exits shall be marked by a readily visible sign. Access to exits shall be marked by readily visible signs in all cases where the exit or way to reach it is not immediately visible to the occupants and in any case where required by the applicable provisions of Chapters 8 through 16 for individual occupancies. 101-52 LIFE SAFETY CODE 5-11112.* Any door, passage, or stairway which is neither an exit nor a way of exit access, and which is so located or arranged as to be likely to be mistaken for an exit, shall be identified by a sign reading"NOT AN EXIT" or similar designation, or shall be identi- fied by a sign indicating its actual character, such as "TO BASE- MENT," "STOREROOM," "LINEN CLOSET" or the like. 5-11113.* Every required sign designating an exit or way of exit access shall be so located and of such size, color, and design as to be readily visible. No decorations, furnishings, or equipment which impair visibility of an exit sign shall be permitted, nor shall there be any brightly illuminated sign (for other than exit purposes), display, or object in or near the line of vision to the required exit sign of such a character as to so detract attention from the exit sign that it may not be noticed. 5-11114.* Every exit sign shall be distinctive in color and shall provide contrast with decorations, interior finish, or other signs. 5-11115. A sign reading "EXIT," or similar designation, with an arrow indicating the direction, shall be placed in every location where the direction of travel to reach the nearest exit is not immedi- ately apparent. 5-1112. Illumination of Signs 5-11121. Every exit sign shall be suitably illuminated by a reliable light source giving a value of not less than 5 foot-candles on the illuminated surface. Such illumination shall be continuous as re- quired under the provisions of Section 5-10, Illumination of Means of Egress, and where emergency lighting facilities are required, exit signs shall be illuminated from the same source. Artificial lights giving illumination to exit signs other than the internally illuminated types shall have screens, discs, or lenses of not less than 25 square inches area made of translucent material to show red or other speci- fied designating color on the side of the approach. 5-11122. Each internally illuminated exit sign shall be provided in all occupancies where reduction of normal illumination is per- mitted, as in motion-picture theaters, and may be used in any occupancy. 5-1113. Size of Signs 5-11131. Every exit sign shall have the word ("EXIT") in plainly legible letters not less than.6 inches high, with the principal strokes of letters not less than 3/4 inch wide. 101-53 CHAPTER 6. FEATURES OF FIRE PROTECTION SECTION 6-1. PROTECTION OF VERTICAL OPENINGS —COMBUSTIBLE CONCEALED SPACES 6-1111. Every stairway, elevator shaft, light and ventilation shaft, chute and other opening between stories shall be enclosed or pro- tected to prevent the spread of fire or smoke, except as unenclosed openings are specifically permitted by 6-1112 or by other sections of this Code by reason of automatic sprinkler protection or other special features. 6-1112. In any building other than educational or institutional, with low hazard occupancy, or with ordinary hazard occupancy with automatic sprinkler protection, where necessary to effective utilization of building site with sloping grade or otherwise essential to the functional design of the building, not to exceed 3 com- municating floor levels may be permitted without enclosure or pro- tection between such areas, provided all the following conditions are met: a. The arrangement is permitted by the applicable occupancy section of this Code and by the authority having jurisdiction. b. The lowest or next to the lowest level is a street floor. c. The entire area including all communicating floor levels is sufficiently open and unobstructed so that it may be assumed that a fire or other dangerous condition in any part will be immediately obvious to the occupants of all communicating levels and areas. d. Exit capacity is sufficient to provide simultaneously for all the occupants of all communicating levels and areas, all communicating levels in the same fire area being considered as a single floor area for purposes of determination of required exit capacity. e. Each floor level, considered separately, has at least one-half of its individual required exit capacity provided by an exit or exits leading directly out of that area without traversing another com- municating floor level or being exposed to the spread of fire or smoke therefrom. f. All requirements of this Code with respect to interior finish,pro- tection of hazards,construction and other features are fully observed, without waivers. 6-1113. Each floor opening, as specified in 6-1111, shall be en- closed by substantial walls having fire resistance not less than re- 101-54 LIFE SAFETY CODE quired for stairways, 6-1114, with approved fire doors or windows provided in openings therein, all so designed and installed as to provide a complete barrier to the spread of fire or smoke through such openings. 6-1114.* The enclosing walls of floor openings serving stairways or ramps shall be so arranged as to provide a continuous path of ` escape, including landings and passageways in accordance with Section 5-3, providing protection for persons using the stairway or ramp against fire or smoke therefrom in other parts of the build- ing. Such walls shall have fire resistance as follows: New buildings 4 stories or more in height, 2 hours, noncom- bustible construction other new buildings, 1 hour existing buildings, %z hour unless a greater resistance is required by the authority having jurisdiction in consideration of the hazard of the individual building. Wired glass in metal frames may be accepted in existing build- ings and in new buildings to such extent as permitted by other chapters of this Code. 6-1115* In a building where enclosure of vertical openings is required, any openings not serving as required exits may be pro- tected by single fire doors of appropriate fire resistance, provided that when the opening pierces more than 1 floor, additional doors may be required by the authority having jurisdiction. 6-12. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR ESCALATOR OPENINGS 6-1211. Any escalator serving as a required exit shall be enclosed in the same manner as exit stairs. An escalator not constituting an exit shall have its floor opening enclosed or protected as required for other vertical openings, provided that in lieu of such protection escalator openings in buildings completely protected by a standard supervised sprinkler system in accordance with Section 6-4, escalator openings may be protected by any one of the following methods as described in 6-1221 through 6-1252. 6-122. Sprinkler-Vent Method 6-1221. Under the conditions specified in 6-1211, escalator open- ings may be protected by the "sprinkler-vent" method, consisting - of a combination of an automatic fire or smoke detection system, automatic exhaust system and an automatic water curtain meeting the following requirements and of a design meeting the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. PROTECTION OF VERTICAL OPENINGS 101-55 6-1222.* The exhaust system shall be of such capacity as to create a downdraft, through the moving stairway floor opening, having an average velocity of not less than 300 feet per minute under normal conditions for a period of not less than 30 minutes. 6-1223. Operation of the exhaust system for any floor opening shall be initiated by an approved device in the story involved and shall be by any one of the following means in addition to a manual means for operating and testing the system: a. Thermostats — either fixed temperature, rate-of-rise, or a combination of both. b. Water flow in the sprinkler system. c. Approved supervised smoke detection. Smoke detection devices, if used, shall be so located that the presence of smoke is detected before it enters the stairway. 6-1224.* Electric power supply to all parts of the exhaust system and its control devices shall be designed and installed for maximum reliability. 6-1225.* Any fan or duct used in connection with an automatic exhaust system shall be of the approved type and shall be installed in accordance with the applicable standards listed in Appendix B. 6-1226. Periodic tests, not less frequently than quarterly, shall be made of the automatic exhaust system to maintain the system and the various control devices in good working condition. 6-1227. The water curtain shall be formed by open sprinklers or spray nozzles so located and spaced as to form a complete and continuous barrier along all exposed sides of the floor opening and reaching from the ceiling to the floor. Water intensity for water curtain shall be not less than approximately 3 gallons per minute per lineal foot of water curtain measured horizontally around the opening. 6-1228. The water curtain shall operate automatically from thermal responsive elements of fixed temperature type so placed with respect to the ceiling (floor) opening that the water curtain comes into action upon the advance of heat toward the moving stairway opening. 6-1229. Every automatic exhaust system, including all motors and controls and automatic water curtain system, shall be supervised in an approved manner, similar to that specified for automatic sprinkler system supervision. 101-56 LIFE SAFETY CODE 6-123. Spray Nozzle Method 6-1231. Under the conditions specified in 6-1211, escalator open- ings may be protected by the spray nozzle method, consisting of a combination of an automatic fire or smoke detection system and a system of high velocity water spray nozzles meeting the following requirements and of a design meeting the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. 6-1232. Spray nozzles shall be of the open type and shall have a solid conical spray pattern with discharge angles between 45 and 90 degrees. The number of nozzles, their discharge angles and their location shall be such that the moving stairway opening between the top of the wellway housing and the treadway will be com- pletely filled with dense spray on operation of the system. 6-1233. The number and size of nozzles and water supply shall be sufficient to deliver a discharge of 2 gallons of water per square foot per minute through the wellway, area to be figured perpendicular to treadway. 6-1234. Spray nozzles shall be so located as to effectively utilize the full advantage of the cooling and counterdraft effect. They, shall be so positioned that the center line of spray discharge is as closely as possible in line with the slope of the moving stairway; not more than an angle of 30 degrees with the top slope of the wellway housing. Nozzles shall be positioned,also,so that the center line of discharge is at an angle of not more than 30 degrees from the vertical sides of the wellway housing. 6-1235.* Spray nozzles shall discharge at a minimum pressure of at least 25 pounds per square inch. Water supply piping may be taken from the sprinkler system provided in so doing an adequate supply of water will be available for the spray nozzles and the water pres- sure at the sprinkler farthest from the supply riser is not reduced beyond the required minimum. 6-1236. Control valves shall be readily accessible to minimize water damage. 6-1237. A noncombustible draft curtain shall be provided extend- ing at least 20 inches below and around the opening and a solid noncombustible wellway housing at least 5 feet long measured parallel to the handrail, and extending from the top of the hand- rail enclosure to the soffit of the stairway or ceiling above, at each moving stairway floor opening. When necessary, spray nozzles shall be protected against mechanical injury or tampering that might interfere with proper discharge. PROTECTION OF VERTICAL OPENINGS 101-57 6-1238* The spray nozzle system shall operate automatically from thermal response elements of the fixed temperature type so placed with respect to the ceiling (floor) opening that the spray nozzle system comes into action upon the advance of heat towards the moving stairway opening. Supervised smoke detection located in or near the moving stairway opening may be used to sound an alarm. The spray nozzle system shall also be provided with manual means of operation. 6-1239. Control valves for the spray nozzle system, and approved smoke detection or thermostatic devices shall be supervised in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 6-3. 6-124. Rolling Shutter Method 6-1241.* Under the conditions specified in 6-1211, escalator open- ings above the street floor only may be protected by the rolling shutter method, consisting of an automatic self-closing rolling shutter which will completely enclose the top of each moving stairway, meeting the following requirements, and of a design meeting the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. 6-1242. The shutter shall close off the wellway opening immedi- ately upon the automatic detection, by an approved heat-actu- ated or smoke-sensitive device, of fire or smoke in the vicinity of the moving stairway, and, in addition, there shall be provided a manual means of operating and testing the operation of the shutter. 6-1243. The shutter assembly shall be capable of supporting a weight of 200 pounds applied on any one square foot of area, and shall be not less resistant to fire or heat than 24 gage steel. 6-1244. The shutter shall operate at a speed of not greater than 30 feet per minute and shall be equipped with a sensitive leading edge. The leading edge shall arrest the progress of the moving shutter and cause it to retract a distance of approximately 6 inches upon the application of a force not in excess of 20 pounds applied on the surface of the leading edge. The shutter,following retraction, shall continue to close immediately. 6-1245. Automatic rolling shutters shall be provided with an elec- tric contact which will disconnect the power supply from the escalator and apply the brakes as soon as the shutter starts to close, and will prevent further operation of the escalator until the escalator is again in the open position. 6-1246* The electrical supply to the control devices for actuation of the automatic rolling shutter shall be so designed and installed as to provide maximum reliability. 101-58 LIFE SAFETY CODE 6-1247. Rolling shutters shall be operated at least once a week in order to make sure that they remain in proper operating condition. 6-125. Partial Enclosure Method 6-1251. Under the conditions specified in 6-1211, escalator open- ings may be protected by a partial enclosure, or so-called kiosk, so designed as to provide an effective barrier to the spread of smoke from floor to floor. 6-1252. Partial enclosures shall be of construction providing fire resistance equivalent to that specified for stairway enclosures in the same building, with openings therein protected by approved self-closing fire doors or may be of approved wired glass and metal frame construction with wired glass panel doors. Such doors may be equipped with electric opening mechanism to open the door auto- matically upon the approach of a person, provided, however, that the mechanism shall be such as to return the door to its closed po- sition upon any interruption of electric current supply,and provided further that the adjustment is such that the pressure of smoke will not cause opening of the door. 6-13. FIRESTOPPING— CONCEALED SPACES 6-1311. In new construction, any concealed space in which ma- terials having a flame-spread rating greater than Class A (as defined in Section 6-2) are exposed shall be effectively firestopped as provided below, with approved materials, unless the space is sprinklered in accordance with Section 6-4. a. Every exterior and interior wall and partition shall be fire- stopped at each floor level, at the top story ceiling level, and at the level of support for roofs. b. Every unoccupied attic space shall be subdivided by firestops into areas not to exceed 3,000 square feet. c.* Any concealed space between the ceiling and the floor or roof above shall be firestopped for the full depth of the space along the line of support for the floor or roof structural members and, if neces- sary, at other locations to form areas not to exceed 1,000 square feet for any space between the ceiling and floor and 3,000 square feet for any space between the ceiling and roof. 6-1312. In every existing building, firestopping shall be provided as required by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 16. INTERIOR FINISH 101-59 SECTION 6-2. INTERIOR FINISH 6-2111.* Interior finish means the exposed interior surfaces of buildings including, but not limited to, fixed or movable walls and partitions, columns, and ceilings. For requirements on decorations and furnishings, see Section 17-12. 6-2112. A finish floor or floor covering shall be exempt from the requirements of this section provided, however, that in any case where the authority having jurisdiction finds a floor surface of unusual hazard the floor surface shall be considered a part of the interior finish for the purposes of this Code. 6-2113. The classification of interior finish materials specified in 6-2114 shall be that of the basic material used, without regard to subsequently applied paint or wallpaper, except that the authority having jurisdiction shall include such finishes in the determination of classification in any case where in the opinion of the authority having jurisdiction they are of such character or thickness or so ap- plied as to affect materially the flame spread characteristics. 6-2114. Interior finish materials shall be grouped in the following classes, in accordance with their flame spread: Class A Interior Finish. Flame Spread 0-25 Includes any material classified at 25 or less on the test scale described in 6-2115; and any element thereof when so tested shall not continue to propagate fire. Class B Interior Finish. Flame Spread 26-75 Includes any material classified at more than 25 but not more than 75 on the test scale described in 6-2115. Class C Interior Finish. Flame Spread 76-200 Includes any material classified at more than 75 but not more than 200 on the test scale described in 6-2115. Class D Interior Finish. Flame Spread 201-500 Includes any material classified at more than 200 but not more than 500 on the test scale described in 6-2115. Class E Interior Finish. Flame Spread over 500 Includes any material classified at over 500 on the test scale described in 6-2115. 101-60 LIFE SAFETY CODE 6-2115.* Interior finish materials as specified in 6-2114 shall be classified in accordance with the Method of Test of Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials (see Appendix B for list of Standards). 6-2116.* Any material shown by test to have a life hazard greater than that indicated by the flame spread classification owing to the amount or character of smoke generated shall be included in the group shown in 6-2114 appropriate to its actual hazard as deter- mined by the authority having jurisdiction. 6-2117. Classification of interior finish materials shall be in accord- ance with tests made under conditions simulating actual installa- tions, provided that the authority having jurisdiction may by rule establish the classification of any material on which a rating by standard test is not available. 6-212. Fire Retardant Paints 6-2121. In existing buildings the required flame spread classifica- tion of interior surfaces may be secured by applying approved fire retardant paints or solutions to existing interior surfaces having a higher flame spread rating than permitted. 6-2122. Fire retardant paints or solutions shall be renewed at such intervals as necessary to maintain the necessary fire retardant properties. 6-213. Automatic Sprinklers 6-2131. Where a complete standard system of automatic sprinklers is installed, interior finish with flame spread rating not over Class C may be used in any location where Class B is normally specified, and with rating of Class B in any location where Class A is normally specified, unless specifically prohibited elsewhere in this Code. 6-214. Trim and Incidental Finish 6-2141. Interior finish not in excess of 10 percent of the aggregate wall and ceiling areas of any room or space may be Class C ma- terials in occupancies where interior finish of lower flame spread rating is required. 6-215. Use of Interior Finishes 6-2151* Interior finish material shall be used in accordance with PROTECTIVE SIGNALING SYSTEMS 101-61 requirements for individual classes of occupancy specified else- where in the Code. Wherever the use of any class of interior finish is specified, the use of a class of lower flame spread rating shall be permitted; e.g., where Class B is specified, Class A may be used. 6-2152. In all new buildings other than private residences Class A or Class B interior finish shall be used in all basements or other underground spaces from which there is no direct exit to the out- side of the building if subject to occupancy for any purpose other than storage or service facilities. 6-2153. Interior finish of Class E shall not be used in any room or space subject to human occupancy, except to such extent as may be specifically permitted by the authority having jurisdiction on the basis of a finding that such use does not significantly increase the life hazard, provided, however, that such use of Class E interior finish shall not in any case exceed 10 percent of the aggregate in- terior surface of the walls and ceiling of the room or space in which such Class E material is located. SECTION 6-3. PROTECTIVE SIGNALING SYSTEMS 6-31. GENERAL 6-3111.* The provisions of this Section cover alarm signaling sys- tems which provide fire and extinguishing system alarm and super- visory signals. These systems are primarily intended for the protec- tion of life by indicating abnormal conditions and secondarily to summon assistance. 6-312. Initiation of Signal Indication 6-3121. As provided in Chapters 8 through 16, a signaling system shall provide signal indication, due to any or all of the following means of initiation: a. Manual fire alarm initiation. b. Automatic fire detection and alarm initiation. c. Automatic smoke detection and alarm initiation. d. Automatic detection and alarm initiation of extinguishing sys- tem operation. e. Automatic detection and alarm initiation of industrial processes or other conditions endangering life. f. Monitoring and supervisory initiation of conditions which would prevent operation of an extinguishing system. g. Voice communication alarm initiation. 101-62 LIFE SAFETY CODE 6-313. System Types 6-3131. Systems contemplated by this Code are classified into four types in accordance with the type of action of the signal indicating devices following the operation of an alarm initiating device. 6-3132.* These types are noncode systems,common coded systems, selective coded systems and dual coded systems. 6-3133. A common coded, selective coded, or dual coded system shall be used only as permitted by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 16, or as specifically authorized by the authority having jurisdiction. 6-314. Signal Indicating Devices 6-3141. Audible alarm indicating devices shall be of such character and so distributed to be effectively heard above the maximum noise level obtained under normal conditions of occupancy. 6-3142. Audible alarm indication shall produce signals which are distinctive from audible signaling indicating devices used for other purposes in the same area. 6-3143.* Audible fire alarm devices as required by Chapters 8 through 16 other than voice communication shall be used only for fire alarm system purposes. 6-3144.* Visual alarm indicating devices may be used in lieu of audible devices where permitted by Chapters 8 through 16. 6-3145. Except as provided in sentence two, where a protective signaling system is required for purpose of evacuation, it shall be so installed as to provide effective warning of fire in any part of the building. Where a building is divided by (1) fire walls into separate fire sections or (2) by other means with adequate safeguards against the spread of fire or smoke from one section to another, each section may be considered a separate building. 6-32. COMMON REQUIREMENTS 6-3211. Protective signaling systems and their component devices or equipment shall be approved for the purpose for which installed. 6-3212.* Systems shall be under the supervision of a qualified, responsible person, who shall cause proper tests and inspection to be made at prescribed intervals, and shall have general charge of all alterations and additions to the system. 6-3213. Systems shall be tested periodically as specified by the pro- PROTECTIVE SIGNALING SYSTEMS 101-63 visions of Chapters 8 through 17, or as specified by the authority having jurisdiction. 6-3214. System components or equipment shall be restored to normal condition promptly after each test or alarm,and shall be kept in normal condition for operation. 6-3215. Systems shall be arranged to cause effective response of all required signal indicating devices without the necessity of manual operation after the operation of any signal initiating device. 6-3216. A signaling system may be arranged to automatically per- form local, incidental control functions, necessary to make the premises safer in event of fire, or to make it possible to hear alarm signals. The performance of incidental control functions such as the release of self-opening or self-closing doors, shutting of supplies of gas, fuel oil, or electrical power, switching on emergency lights, switching off air supply ventilating fans, and the like, shall not in any way impair the effective response of all required alarm indicat- ing devices. The performance of incidental control functions shall not interfere with the power for lighting or for operating elevators. 6-33. MANUAL ALARM INITIATION 6-3311. Manual fire alarm boxes shall be used only for fire pro- tective signaling purposes. 6-3312. A manual fire alarm box shall be provided in the natural path of escape from fire, near each exit from an area and shall be readily accessible, unobstructed and at visible points. 6-3313. Additional fire alarm boxes shall be so located that from any part of the building not more than 200 feet horizontal distance on the same floor must be traversed in order to reach a fire alarm box. 6-3314. Manual fire alarm boxes shall be arranged such that there will be no difference between the sounding of actual alarms and drill signals. 6-3315. Each manual fire alarm box on a system shall be of the same general type. 6-3316. Manual fire alarm boxes shall be tested periodically as specified by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 17 or as specified by the authority having jurisdiction. 6-34. AUTOMATIC DETECTION AND ALARM INITIA- TION 6-3411.* Automatic fire detection alarm initiating devices shall be 101-64 LIFE SAFETY CODE installed in areas as required by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 16. They shall be located upon the ceiling or on the side walls near the ceiling, or at other appropriate locations after an engineering survey has been made. 6-3412. Automatic fire detection alarm initiating devices shall be approved for the particular application, spacings and locations. 6-3413.* Automatic fire detection alarm initiation devices shall be tested periodically as specified by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 17, or as specified by the authority having jurisdiction. 6-3414. The connection of automatic fire detection devices shall not impair the effectiveness and dependability of operation of manual fire alarm boxes to sound the alarm indicating signals. 6-35. AUTOMATIC SMOKE DETECTION AND ALARM INITIATION 6-3511. Automatic smoke detection alarm initiating devices shall be installed in areas as required by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 16. The location of smoke detection devices shall be based upon a survey of the area to be protected. They shall be so located and adjusted to operate reliably in case of smoke in any part of the protected area. 6-3512. Automatic smoke detection devices shall be approved for the particular application, spacing, and locations. 6-3513. Automatic smoke detection devices shall be tested peri- odically as specified by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 17, or as specified by the authority having jurisdiction. 6-3514. The connection of smoke detection devices shall not im- pair the effectiveness and dependability of operation of manual fire alarm boxes to operate the alarm indicating devices. 6-36. EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM ALARM INITIATION 6-3611. Where a sprinkler system provides automatic detection and alarm initiation it shall be provided with an alarm initiation device which will operate when the flow of water is equal to or greater than that from a single automatic sprinkler. 6-3612. Extinguishing system alarm initiating devices shall be in- stalled on systems as required by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 16. 6-3613. Extinguishing system alarm initiating devices shall be ap- proved for the particular application and location. PROTECTIVE SIGNALING SYSTEMS 101-65 6-3614. Extinguishing system alarm devices shall be tested peri- odically as specified by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 17, or as specified by the authority having jurisdiction. 6-3615. Means for manually operating the extinguishing system alarm signaling system shall be provided. The manual means shall be located where designated by the authority having jurisdiction. 6-37. EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM SUPERVISORY SIGNAL INITIATION 6-3711. Supervisory signal initiating devices which monitor valves, pressure, water level, temperature, pumps and other conditions which could impair or prevent operation of an extinguishing system shall be provided where required by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 16. 6-3712. Audible signals from alarm devices initiated by operation of supervisory signal initiating devices shall be separate and distinct from those indicating manual or automatic system operation. 6-3713. Installation of a supervisory signal initiating device shall not interfere with the normal operation of any part of the extin- guishing system. 6-3714. Supervisory signal initiating devices shall be tested peri- odically as specified by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 17, or as specified by the authority having jurisdiction. 6-3715. The connection of supervisory signal initiating devices shall be installed so as not to impair the effectiveness and depend- ability of operation of manual fire alarm boxes to sound alarm indicating signals. 6-38. MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPARTMENT NOTIFICATION 6-3811.* An alarm signaling system shall be so arranged that the normal operation of any required alarm initiating device will auto- matically transmit an alarm to the municipal fire department or to such other outside assistance as may be available. 6-3812. An alarm signaling system may be connected to the municipal fire department by: a. Direct connect by Remote Station System. b. Auxiliary connect by Municipal Alarm System. c. Alarm transmission by an approved Central Station. 101-66 LIFE SAFETY CODE SECTION 6-4. AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS AND OTHER EXTINGUISHING EQUIPMENT 6-4111* Each automatic sprinkler system shall be of a standard approved type, so installed and maintained as to provide complete coverage for all portions of the premises protected, except in so far as partial protection is specified by the requirements of this Code. 6-4112* Every automatic sprinkler system shall be provided with a water-flow alarm device to give warning of the operation of the sprinklers due to fire, and where such alarm facilities meet the pro- visions of Section 6-3 for Automatic Fire Detection may be used in lieu of automatic fire detection facilities required in this Code. 6-4113.* Where automatic sprinkler protection is provided other requirements of this Code may be modified to such extent as per- mitted by the provisions of this Code. 6-412. Water Supplies 6-4121.* Each automatic sprinkler system required by this Code shall be provided with adequate and reliable water supplies subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. At least one source of supply shall be provided under continuous and auto- matic pressure such as from a public water system, a gravity tank or a pressure tank; supplementary sources may be provided where necessary in the interest of greater reliability or adequate volume. 6-413. Maintenance and Supervision 6-4131* Each automatic sprinkler system required by this Code shall be continuously maintained in reliable operating condition at all times, and such periodic inspections and tests shall be made as are necessary to assure proper maintenance. 6-4132* Where supervised automatic sprinkler protection is specified in this Code the automatic sprinkler system shall be pro- vided with approved facilities to assure that it is in proper oper- ative condition, such as by electrical connections to a continu- ously manned central station or fire department headquarters to give automatic notice of any closed water supply valve or other condition that might interfere with the operation of the system; also notice of any flow of water in the system due to fire or other cause. Such facilities shall include provision for immediate alarm to the fire department in case of fire or suspected fire, and appro- priate immediate action to restore the sprinkler system to op- erative condition in case of any derangement. PROTECTION OF HAZARDS 101-67 6-42. OTHER EXTINGUISHING EQUIPMENT 6-421. Automatic 6-4211* In any occupancy where the character of the potential fuel for fire is such that extinguishment or control of fire may be more effectively accomplished by a type of automatic extinguishing sys- tem other than an automatic sprinkler system such as carbon dioxide, dry chemical, foam, or water spray, a standard extinguish- ing system of other type may be installed in lieu of an automatic sprinkler system subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. 6-422. Manual 6-4221.* Any fire extinguisher,where provided, shall be of an ap- proved type. 6-4222.* Each standpipe and hose system, where provided, shall be of an approved type. SECTION 6-5. SEGREGATION AND PROTECTION OF HAZARDS 6-5111. Any operation or storage having a degree of hazard greater than that normal to the general occupancy of the building or structure under consideration shall be enclosed with construction having at least a 1-hour fire resistance rating, or provided with automatic fire protection, or both as specified in Chapters 8 through 16. Where a hazard is severe both the fire-rated construction and automatic fire protection shall be used. 6-5112. Except where otherwise required by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 16, all construction enclosing hazardous op- erations or storage shall have not less than 1-hour fire resistance, and all openings between the balance of the building and rooms or enclosures for hazardous operations or processes shall be protected with self-closing or automatic fire doors. 6-5113.* Where hazardous processes or storage are of such a char- acter as to involve an explosion hazard, explosion venting to out- side the building shall be provided by thin glass windows or other approved vents. 6-5114. Where automatic protection is required, such protection shall be by automatic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4, or other approved extinguishing system appropriate to extinguish fires in the hazardous materials stored or handled. 101-68 LIFE SAFETY CODE 6-5115. In an existing building, to such extent as permitted by the applicable provisions of Chapters 8 through 16,an automatic fire detection system in accordance with Section 6-3 may be substituted for an automatic sprinkler system, provided, however, that where automatic fire detection is used, the hazardous operations or storage shall be segregated by walls,floors, and ceilings of solid construction, with self-closing doors on all openings between hazardous areas and the balance of the building. 6-5116. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, any hazardous operation or process may be conducted in a detached structure sufficiently remote from the main building to avoid any danger to occupants, without protection except as may be necessary for the safety of any occupants of the detached structure. SECTION 6-6. FIRE DOORS AND SMOKESTOP DOORS 6-6111.* Smokestop doors, where installed to meet the require- ments of this Code, shall be at least the equivalent of metal, metal covered, 13/4-inch solid bonded core wood or approved treated wood construction, with clear wired glass panels. Such doors shall be self-closing, and shall be either single or in pairs. They shall close the opening completely with only such clearance as is reasonably necessary for proper operation. 6-6112* Any fire door, installed in accordance with the require- ments of this Code shall be of an approved type. The fire protection rating of any fire door shall be as measured in accordance with the appropriate standard listed in Appendix B. Each fire door shall be appropriate for the location in which it is installed. 6-6113. Any swinging fire door and any door in stair enclosure walls designed to prevent the spread of fire shall be provided with approved positive latching means to hold it in the closed position against the pressure of expanding fire gases. Such latching means shall not be required for smokestop doors or for any other doors not designed to prevent the spread of fire. 101-69 CHAPTER 7. BUILDING SERVICE EQUIPMENT 7-1111. Air conditioning, ventilating, heating, cooking, incinerat- ing, or other building service equipment shall be installed in ac- cordance with the applicable standards listed in Appendix B. 7-112. Smoke Venting 7-1121. Smoke venting facilities where required for safe use of exits in windowless buildings, underground structures and large area factories shall be designed and installed in accordance with the applicable standard listed in Appendix B. 7-1122.* Natural draft smoke venting shall utilize roof vents or vents in walls at or near the ceiling level, such vents to be normally open or if closed shall be designed for automatic opening by ap- proved means in case of fire. 7-1123.* Where smoke venting facilities are installed for purposes of exit safety in accordance with the requirements of this Code they shall be adequate to prevent dangerous accumulations of smoke during the period of time necessary to evacuate the area served, using available exit facilities with a margin of safety to allow for unforeseen contingencies. 7-1124. The discharge apertures of all natural draft smoke vents shall be so arranged as to be readily susceptible to opening by fire departments working from the exterior. 7-1125. A power-operated smoke exhausting system may be sub- stituted for required natural draft vents only by specific permission of the authority having jurisdiction. 7-113. Rubbish Chutes, Laundry Chutes, and Flue-Fed Incinerators 7-1131. Every chute and incinerator flue shall be enclosed in ac- cordance with 6-1111, and the openings therein shall be protected in accordance with 6-1113. No such chutes or incinerator flues shall, in new construction, open directly on any exit, or corridor to an exit, but shall be in a separate room or closet, separated from the exit (or from the corridor) by an approved self-closing fire door, except that this requirement shall not apply to private dwellings and that in apartment houses, automatic sprinkler protection may be provided in lieu of the self-closing fire door. 101-70 LIFE SAFETY CODE 7-1132.* Every incinerator flue, rubbish chute, and laundry chute shall be of a standard type properly designed and maintained for fire safety. 7-1133.* In new construction, any chute other than an incinerator flue shall be provided with automatic sprinkler protection installed in accordance with the applicable standard listed in Appendix B. 7-114. Automatic Elevators 7-1141.* In any building having 5 or more stories above or below the floor of exit discharge served by elevators, unless exempt by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 16, the elevators shall be arranged for use by firemen. 101-71 CHAPTER 8. PLACES OF ASSEMBLY (See also Chapter 17) SECTION 8-1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 8-11. LOCATION, OCCUPANCY, AND OCCUPANT LOAD 8-111. Location of Places of Assembly 8-1111. In a fire-resistive building a place of assembly may be located at any height except any Class A or Class B place of as- sembly below the level of exit discharge shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4. 8-1112. In a nonfire-resistive building a place of assembly shall be so located that its principal floor will not be more than 28 feet or 2 stories above the level of exit discharge and those below the level of exit discharge shall have automatic sprinkler protection as indicated hereinbefore. 8-1113. The level of exit discharge shall be measured at the point of principal entrance to the building. 8-1114. Where the principal entrance to a place of assembly is via a terrace with an area at least 10 percent of the ground area of the building, the level of the terrace shall be considered the level of exit discharge for the purpose of 8-1111 and 8-1112 above. 8-112. Special Provisions for Places of Assembly in Buildings of Other Occupancy 8-1121.* Any place of assembly and its access to exits in buildings of other occupancy, such as ballrooms in hotels, restaurants in stores, assembly rooms in schools shall be so located, separated, or protected as to avoid any undue danger to the occupants of the place of assembly from a fire originating in the other occupancy, or smoke therefrom. 8-113. Occupancy and Occupant Load 8-1131. Definition of Places of Assembly. A place of assembly shall include all buildings or portions of buildings used for gathering to- gether of 100 or more persons for such purposes as deliberation, worship, entertainment, amusement, drinking, dining, or awaiting transportation. Occupancy of any room or space for assembly purposes by less than 100 persons in a building of other occupancy and incidental 101-72 LIFE SAFETY CODE to such other occupancy shall be classed as part of the other oc- cupancy and subject to the provisions applicable thereto. 8-1132. Classification of Places of Assembly. Each place of assembly shall be classified according to its capacity, as follows: Class A, capacity 1,000 persons or more; Class B, capacity 300 to 1,000 persons; Class C, capacity 100 to 300 persons. 8-1133. Occupant Load. The occupant load permitted in any assembly building, structure, or portion thereof shall be de- termined by dividing the net floor area or space assigned to that use by the square feet per occupant as follows: a. An assembly area of concentrated use without fixed seats such as an auditorium, church, chapel, dance floor, and lodge room — 7 square feet per person. b. An assembly area of less concentrated use such as a conference room, dining room, drinking establishment, exhibit room, gymna- sium, or lounge — 15 square feet per person. c. Standing room or waiting space — 3 square feet per person. 8-1134. The occupant load of an area having fixed seats shall be determined by the number of fixed seats installed. Required aisle space serving the fixed seats shall not be used to increase the oc- cupant load. 8-1135. The occupant load permitted in a building or portion thereof may be increased above that specified in 8-1133 if the necessary aisles and exits are provided subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. An approved aisle, exit, and/or seating diagram may be required by the authority having juris- diction to substantiate an increase in occupant load. 8-1136. Every room without fixed seats having an occupant load of 100 or more shall have the occupant load of the room posted in a conspicuous place, near the main exit from the room. Approved signs shall be maintained in a legible manner by the owner or his authorized agent. Signs shall be durable and shall indicate the number of occupants permitted for each room use. 8-12. EXIT DETAILS 8-121. Capacity of Exits 8-1211* Every place of assembly, every tier or balcony, and every individual room used as a place of assembly shall have exits sufficient to provide for the total capacity thereof as determined in accordance with 8-1133 and as follows: PLACES OF ASSEMBLY 101-73 a. No individual unit of exit width shall serve more than 100 persons. b. Doors leading outside the building at grade level, or not more than 3 risers above or below grade, or Class A ramps or horizontal exits: 100 persons per exit unit adjusted according to location of exits as required in 8-123. c. Stairs or other type of exit not specified in b. above: 75 persons per exit unit. 8-122. Minimum Number of Exits 8-1221. Every Class A place of assembly (capacity 1,000 persons or more) shall have at least 4 separate exits as remote from each other as practicable. 8-1222. Every Class B place of assembly (capacity 300 to 1,000 persons) shall have at least 2 separate exits as remote from each other as practicable, and if of a capacity of over 600, at least 3, each exit not less than 2 units. 8-1223.* Every Class C place of assembly (capacity 100 to 300 per- sons) shall have at least 2 means of exit, consisting of separate exits or doors leading to a corridor or other spaces giving access to 2 separate and independent exits in different directions. 8-123. Location of Exits 8-1231. Main Exit. Every assembly occupancy shall be provided with a main exit. The main exit shall be of sufficient width to ac- commodate one-half of the total occupant load, but shall be not less than the total required width of all aisles, exit passageways and stairways leading thereto, and shall connect to a stairway or ramp leading to a street. a. A bowling alley shall have a main exit of sufficient capacity to accommodate 50 percent of the total occupant load, without regard to the number of aisles which it serves. 8-1232. Other Exits. Each level of an assembly occupancy shall have access to the main exit and in addition shall be provided with exits of sufficient width to accommodate two-thirds of the total oc- cupant load served by that level. Such exits shall open directly to a street or into an exit court, enclosed stairway, outside stairway, or exit passageway leading to a street. Such exits shall be located as far apart as practicable and as far from the main exit as practicable. Such exits shall be accessible from a cross aisle or a side aisle. 101-74 LIFE SAFETY CODE 8-124. Travel Distance to Exits 8-1241. Exits shall be so arranged that the total length of travel from any point to reach an exit will not exceed 150 feet in any place of assembly for unsprinklered spaces and 200 feet in areas pro- tected by automatic sprinklers. 8-125.* Types of Exits 8-1251. Exits of the specified number and width shall be of one or more of the following types, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 5 of this Code: Doors of the swinging type leading directly outside or through a lobby or passageway leading to the outside of the building Horizontal exits (see Section 5-5) Smokeproof towers (see Section 5-3) Stairs, Class A for all new places of assembly (see Section 5-3) Outside stairs. Same requirements as for stairs, including inter- mediate handrails on monumental stairs serving main entrance doors (see Section 5-4) Ramps, Class A for all new Class A places of assembly; Class B for Class B and Class C places of assembly (see Section 5-6) Escalators (see Section 5-8) 8-1252. Turnstiles. No turnstiles or other devices to restrict the movement of persons shall be installed in any place of assembly in such a manner as to interfere in any way with required exit facilities. (See Chapter 5 for further requirements for turnstiles.) 8-126. Panic Hardware 8-1261. An exit door from an assembly occupancy having an oc- cupant load of more than 100 shall not be provided with a latch or lock unless it is panic hardware. 8-127. Seating, Aisles,and Railings 8-1271. Seating a. The spacing of rows of seats from back to back shall be not less than 33 inches, nor less than 27 inches plus the sum of the thickness of the back and inclination of the back. There shall be a space of not less than 12 inches between the back of one seat and the front of the seat immediately behind it as measured between plumb lines. PLACES OF ASSEMBLY 101-75 b.(1.) Rows of seats between aisles shall have not more than 14 seats. (2.) Rows of seats opening on to an aisle at one end only shall have not more than 7 seats. (3.) Seats without dividing arms shall have their capacity de- termined by allowing 18 inches per person. c. Continental Seating (1.) With Continental seating, the spacing of rows of unoccupied seats shall provide a clear width between rows measured hori- zontally as follows (automatic or self-rising seats shall be measured in the seat-up position, other seats shall be measured in the seat- down position): 18 inches clear width between rows of 18 seats or less; 20 inches clear width between rows of 35 seats or less;21 inches clear width be- tween rows of 45 seats or less; 22 inches clear width between rows of 46 seats or more. (2.) With Continental seating, the number of intervening seats between any seat and an aisle may be increased to 49 where exit doors are provided along each side aisle of the row of seats at the rate of 1 pair of exit doors for each 5 rows of seats. Such exit doors shall provide a minimum clear width of 66 inches. 8-1272. Aisles. Every portion of any assembly building which contains seats, tables, displays, equipment, or other materials shall be provided with aisles leading to exits as follows: a. When serving more than 60 seats, every aisle shall be not less than 3 feet wide when serving seats on one side only, and not less than 3 feet 6 inches wide when serving seats on both sides. Such minimum width shall be measured at the point farthest from an exit, cross aisle, or foyer and shall be increased in width by 1% inches for each 5 feet in length toward the exit, cross aisle, or foyer. b. When serving 60 seats or less, aisles shall be not less than 30 inches wide. c. Aisles shall terminate in a cross aisle, foyer, or exit. The width of such cross aisle, foyer, or exit shall be not less than the sum of the required width of the widest aisle plus 50 percent of the total re- quired width of the remaining aisles which it serves. d. No dead-end aisle shall be greater than 20 feet in length. In arena or thrust stage theaters, dead-end aisles at the stage shall not exceed five rows beyond a cross aisle. 101-76 LIFE SAFETY CODE e. The length of travel to an exit door by any aisle shall be not greater than 150 feet. f. With Continental seating as set forth in 8-1271c(1), side aisles shall be not less than 44 inches in width. g. Steps shall not be placed in aisles to overcome differences in level unless the gradient exceeds 1 foot of rise in 8 feet of run. Steps in aisles shall conform to the requirements for Class A stairs as to rise and tread except that in balconies or galleries the rise and tread may conform with Class B stairs. h. The gradient of sloping aisles shall not exceed 1 foot of rise in 8 feet of run. 8-1273. Railings a. The fasciae of boxes, balconies, and galleries shall have sub- stantial railings not less than 26 inches high above the floor. b. The railings at the ends of aisles extending to the fascia shall be not less than 30 inches high for the width of the aisle, or 36 inches high if at foot of steps. c. Cross aisles, except where the backs of seats on the front of the aisle project 24 inches or more above the floor of the aisle, shall be provided with railings not less than 26 inches high. 8-128. Lighting and Signs 8-1281. All places of assembly shall have exit lighting in ac- cordance with Section 5-10 and signs in accordance with Section 5-11. All Class A places of assembly (1,000 or more) shall be pro- vided with Type 1 emergency exit illumination; Class B places of assembly, Types 1, 2, or 3 emergency exit illumination, provided that churches of Class B or Class C, used exclusively for religious worship, shall not be required to have emergency lighting. 8-1282. In every auditorium or other place of assembly where pictures, motion pictures or other projections are made by means of directed light the illumination of the floors of exit access may be reduced during such period of projection to values of not less than 1/a foot-candle. 8-131. Waiting Spaces 8-1311. In, theaters and similar places of public assembly where persons are admitted to the building at times when seats are not available for them and are allowed to wait in a lobby or similar space until seats are available, such use of lobby or similar space PLACES OF ASSEMBLY 101-77 shall not encroach upon the required clear width of exits. Such waiting shall be restricted to areas other than the required means of egress. Exits shall be provided for such waiting spaces on the basis of one person for each 3 square feet of waiting space area. Such exits shall be in addition to the exits specified for the main auditorium area and shall conform in construction and arrange- ment to the general rules for exits given in this Chapter. 8-141. Exits Common to Other Occupancies 8-1411. Places of assembly in buildings of other occupancy may use exits common to the place of assembly and the other occupancy provided that the assembly area and the other occupancy considered separately each have exits sufficient to meet the requirements of this Code. 8-1412.* Exits shall be sufficient for simultaneous occupancy of both the place of assembly and other parts of the building, unless the authority having jurisdiction determines that the conditions are such that simultaneous occupancy will not occur, such as in certain schools as per Chapter 9. 8-151. Stage and Enclosed Platform 8-1511. Definitions a. Platform, Enclosed, is a partially enclosed portion of an assembly room the ceiling of which is not more than 5 feet above the pro- scenium opening and which is designed or used for the presentation of plays, demonstrations, or other entertainment wherein scenery, drops, decorations, or other effects may be installed or used. b. Stage is a partially enclosed portion of an assembly building which is designed or used for the presentation of plays, demon- strations, or other entertainment wherein scenery, drops, or other effects may be installed or used, and where the distance between the top of the proscenium opening and the ceiling above the stage is more than 5 feet. c. Thrust stage is that portion of a stage which projects into the audience on the audience side of a proscenium wall or opening. d. Arena stage is a stage or platform open on at least 3 sides to audience seating. It may be with or without overhead scene han- dling facilities. e. A proscenium wall is a fire resistive wall which separates a stage or enclosed platform from the public or spectators' area of an audi- torium or theater. • 101-78 LIFE SAFETY CODE 8-1512. Every stage equipped with fly galleries, gridirons, and rigging for movable theater-type scenery, and every enclosed plat- form larger than 500 square feet in area shall have a system of auto- matic sprinklers at the ceiling, under the gridiron, in usable spaces under the stage or platform and in auxiliary spaces and dressing rooms, storerooms, and workshops. Where the distance from the back of the stage to the proscenium wall is less than 30 feet, in lieu of sprinklers under the entire gridiron area, complete peripheral sidewall sprinklers with baffle plates may be substituted. Such sidewall sprinklers shall be not more than 30 inches below the gridiron or 6 inches below the baffle plates. When openings are provided in the stage floor for stage lifts, trap doors, or stairs, sprinklers spaced 5 feet on centers shall be pro- vided around the opening at the ceiling below the stage, and baffles at least 12 inches in depth shall be installed around the perimeter of the opening. 8-1513. Every stage and every enclosed platform larger than 500 square feet shall have a ventilator or ventilators in or above it, operable from the stage floor by hand and also opening by fusible links or other approved automatic heat actuated device, or heat and smoke actuated device, to give a free opening equal to at least 5 percent of the area of the floor of the stage or enclosed platform. Where mechanical ventilation is provided it shall be so arranged that natural ventilation, at least equal to the above, will be avail- able. Make-up air for mechanical ventilation shall not be obtained from the audience (seating) areas. 8-1514. The proscenium opening of every stage shall be provided with a fire resistant curtain constructed and mounted so as to inter- cept hot gases,flames,and smoke,and to prevent glow from a severe fire on the stage showing on the auditorium side within a 5-minute period. The curtain shall be automatic closing without the use of applied power. 8-1515. In lieu of the protection required by 8-1514, all the fol- lowing may be provided: a.* A noncombustible opaque fabric curtain so arranged that it will close automatically and, b. An automatic dry-pipe system of spray heads on both sides of the curtain. Discharge and spacing shall be such that the entire curtain will be wet. Water supply shall be controlled by a deluge valve and shall be sufficient to keep curtain completely wet for 30 minutes or until valve is closed by fire department personnel and, PLACES OF ASSEMBLY 101-79 c. Curtain, spray heads, stage sprinklers, and vents shall be auto- matically operated in case of fire, by rate of rise and fixed temper- ature detectors. Spacing, number, and location of detectors shall be as required by the devices used, with maximum center to center distance of 10 feet. Detectors shall completely cover the periphery of the sprinklered and protected area and, d. In addition to automatic operation the protection systems shall be capable of manual operation from a designated fire control sta- tion and from a switch located adjacent to the stage exit most remote from the fire control station and, e. Sprinkler and water spray supply valves shall be provided with tamper alarms wired to an annuciator panel located at the fire con- trol station and, f. Operation of a sprinkler or spray head deluge valve shall auto- matically activate the emergency ventilating system and close the curtain. 8-1516. Every stage shall be provided with a fire control station located on or adjoining the stage. The fire control station shall have the following: a. Telltale lights to indicate the operation of all emergency light and power circuits. b. Manual operating devices to actuate automatic spray heads at proscenium, proscenium curtain, and smoke vents. c. Indicators to show that sprinkler system valves are open and sys- tem is charged with water under pressure. d. A public address system energized from normal and emergency light and power sources. e. An alarm system connected to the manager's office, dressing rooms, and auxiliary stage spaces. It shall not sound an alarm audible in the audience or seating portion of the theater. 8-1517. Auxiliary stage spaces such as under-stage areas, dressing rooms,workshops and similar spaces associated with the functioning of a stage shall comply with the following: a. No point within any auxiliary space shall be more than 50 feet from a door providing access to an exit. b. There shall be at least 2 exits available from every auxiliary stage space, one of which shall be available within a travel distance of 75 feet. A common path of travel of 20 feet to the two exits shall be permitted. 101-80 LIFE SAFETY CODE C. Auxiliary stage spaces shall be equipped with automatic sprin- klers when required by the provisions of 8-1512. d. No workshop involving the use of combustible or flammable paint, liquids, or gases, or their storage shall open directly upon a stage. 8-1518. Where automatic sprinkler protection is not provided, the proscenium wall of every theater using movable scenery or decorations shall not have more than 2 openings entering the stage, exclusive of the proscenium opening. Such openings shall not exceed 21 square feet each and shall be fitted with self-closing fire doors. 8-1519. Each stage shall be equipped with a 21/2-inch standpipe and hose on each side of the stage, installed in accordance with the appropriate Standard listed in Appendix B. 8-161. Projection Booth 8-1611.* Every place of assembly in which pictures are pro- jected from cellulose acetate, or other safety film using electric arc, Xenon, or other light sources which generate hazardous gases, dust, or radiation, shall have a projection room which com- plies with 8-1612 and Section 8-6. Where cellulose nitrate film is used the projection room shall comply with the applicable standard listed in Appendix B. 8-1612. Unless the projection room is constructed in accordance with the applicable standard listed in Appendix B, there shall be posted on the outside of each projection room door and within the projection room proper, a conspicuous sign with one-inch block letters stating: "SAFETY FILM ONLY PERMITTED IN THIS ROOM." 8-17. PROTECTION 8-171. Protection of Exits and Vertical Openings 8-1711.* All interior stairways and other vertical openings shall be enclosed and protected as provided in Section 6-1 except that stairs may be open between balconies and main assembly floors in theaters, churches, or auditoriums. PLACES OF ASSEMBLY 101-81 8-172. Interior Finish 8-1721. The interior finish requirements of this Section shall be in accordance with Section 6-2 of this Code and subject to modi- fications specified therein. 8-1722. Interior finish in all means of egress in all places of as- sembly shall be Class A. 8-1723.* Interior finish in general assembly areas shall be as follows: In Class A and Class B places of assembly: Class A or Class B interior finish. In all Class C places of assembly; Class A, B, or C interior finish. See 6-2152 and 6-2153. In any place of assembly, exposed portions of structural members complying with the requirements for heavy timber construction may be permitted. 8-1724. Screens on which pictures are projected shall comply with requirements of Class A or Class B interior finish. 8-173. Hazardous Areas 8-1731. Service Equipment, Hazardous Alterations or Processes, and Storage Facilities a. Rooms containing high pressure boilers, refrigerating machinery of other than domestic refrigerator type, large transformers or other service equipment subject to possible explosion shall not be located directly under or adjacent to required exits. All such rooms shall be effectively cut off from other parts of the building by construc- tion having not less than a 1-hour fire resistance rating. b. All openings between the balance of the building and rooms or enclosures for hazardous operations or processes shall be protected by standard self-closing or automatic fire doors and shall be pro- vided with adequate vents to the outer air, in accordance with Section 6-5 of this Code. c.* All rooms or areas used for storage of any combustible ma- terials or equipment, or for painting, refinishing, repair, or similar purposes shall be effectively cut off from assembly areas in ac- cordance with Section 6-5 or protected with a system of automatic sprinklers. Where the hazard is severe, both the separation required in Section 6-5 and automatic sprinklers shall be provided. 101-82 LIFE SAFETY CODE 8-18. BUILDING SERVICE EQUIPMENT 8-181. Elevators 8-1811. Elevators shall not constitute required means of exit. When places of assembly are more than 3 stories high or more than 3 stories above grade and equipped with automatic elevators, one or more elevators shall be designed and equipped for fire emer- gency use by fire fighters as specified in 7-114. Key operation shall transfer automatic elevator operation to manual and bring elevator to ground or first floor for use of fire service. The elevator shall be situated so as to be readily accessible by the fire department. 8-182. Air Conditioning 8-1821. All air conditioning, heating, and ventilation installa- tions shall comply with Chapter 7 of this Code. 8-183. Special Provisions for Food Service Establishments 8-1831. All devices in connection with the preparation of food shall be so installed and operated as to avoid hazard to the safety of occupants. 8-1832.* All devices in connection with the preparation of food shall be of an approved type and shall be installed in an approved manner. SECTION 8-2. OUTDOOR ASSEMBLY 8-2111. All grandstands, tents, and other places of outdoor as- sembly shall comply with the requirements of the appropriate Standard listed in Appendix B. 8-2112. Grandstand and bleacher type seating may be used as indoor type seating when it meets with the requirements of the ap- propriate Standard listed in Appendix B. SECTION 8-3. UNDERGROUND STRUCTURES AND WINDOWLESS BUILDINGS 8-3111. The requirements of places of assembly shall be in ac- cordance with this Chapter and Section 16-4 of this Code. PROJECTION ROOMS 101-83 SECTION 8-4. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR EXHIBITION HALLS 8-4111. No display or exhibit shall be so installed or operated as to interfere in any way with access to any required exit, or with visibility of any required exit, or of any required exit sign, nor shall any display block access to fire fighting equipment. 8-4112* All displays or exhibits of combustible material or con- struction, and all booths and temporary construction in connection therewith shall be so limited in combustibility or protected as to avoid any undue hazard of fire which might endanger occupants before they have opportunity to use available exits, as determined by the authority having jurisdiction. SECTION 8-5. EXISTING PLACES OF ASSEMBLY 8-511. Capacity Limitations 8-5111. In existing places of assembly the authority having juris- diction may permit occupancy by number of persons not to exceed that for which the existing exits are adequate,provided that measures are established satisfactory to the authority having jurisdiction to prevent occupancy by any greater number of persons. 8-512. Height Limitations 8-5121. Existing places of assembly may be permitted at greater heights than specified in 8-111 in buildings provided with auto- matic sprinkler protection in accordance with Section 6-4. 8-513. Interior Finish 8-5131. In existing places of assembly where interior finish does not conform to the requirements for new assembly buildings, the authority having jurisdiction may apply the provisions of 6-2121, 6-2122 and 6-2131 as alternate requirements where applicable. SECTION 8-6. PROJECTION ROOMS FOR SAFETY FILM 8-6111. Every projection room shall be of permanent construc- tion consistent with the construction requirements for the type of building in which the projection room is located. Openings need 101-84 LIFE SAFETY CODE not be protected. The room shall have a floor area of not less than 80 square feet for a single machine and at least 40 square feet for each additional machine. Each motion picture projector, flood- light, spotlight, or similar piece of equipment shall have a clear working space not less than thirty inches on each side and at the rear thereof, but only one such space shall be required between adjacent projectors. The projection room and the rooms appurtenant thereto shall have a ceiling height of not less than 7 feet, 6 inches. 8-6112. Each projection room shall have at least one out-swinging, self-closing door not less than 2 feet 6 inches wide by 6 feet 8 inches high. 8-6113. The aggregate of ports and openings for projection equip- ment shall not exceed twenty-five percent of the area of the wall between the projection room and the auditorium. All openings shall be provided with glass or other approved ma- terial, so as to completely close the opening. 8-6114. Projection booth room ventilation shall be not less than the following: a. Supply Air: Each projection room shall be provided with two or more separate fresh air inlet ducts with screened openings terminat- ing within 12 inches of the floor, and located at opposite ends of the room. Such air inlets shall be of sufficient size to permit an air change every three minutes. Fresh air may be supplied from the general building air conditioning system, providing it is so arranged that the projection booth will continue to receive one change of air every three minutes,when no other air is supplied by the general air conditioning system. b. Exhaust Air: Each projection room shall be provided with one or more exhaust air outlets which may be manifolded into a single duct outside the booth. Such outlets shall be so located as to ensure circulation throughout the room. Projection room exhaust air sys- tems shall be independent of any other air systems in the buildings. Exhaust air ducts shall terminate at the exterior of the building in such a location that the exhaust air cannot be readily recirculated into the supply air system. The exhaust system shall be mechanically operated and of such a capacity as to provide a minimum of one change of air every three minutes. The blower motor shall be outside the duct system. The projection room ventilation system may also serve appur- tenant rooms, such as the generator room and the rewind room. 8-6115. Each projection machine shall be provided with an ex- • haust duct which will draw air from each lamp and exhaust it directly to the outside of the building in such a fashion that it will PROJECTION ROOMS 101-85 not be picked up by supply inlets. Such a duct shall be of rigid materials, except for a continuous flexible connector approved for the purpose. The lamp exhaust system shall not be interconnected with any other system. a. Electric Arc Projection Equipment: The exhaust capacity shall be 200 cfm for each lamp connected to the lamp exhaust system, or as recommended by the equipment manufacturer. Auxiliary air may be introduced into the system through a screened opening to stabilize the arc. b. Xenon Projection Equipment: The lamp exhaust system shall ex- haust not less than 300 cfm per lamp, nor less than that exhaust vol- ume required or recommended by the equipment manufacturer, whichever is the greater. The external temperature of the lamp housing shall not exceed 130° F when operating. 8-6116. a. Each projection room shall be provided with rewind and film storage facilities. b. A maximum of four containers for flammable liquids not greater than sixteen ounce capacity and of a nonbreakable type may be permitted in each projection booth. c. Appurtenant electrical equipment such as rheostats, trans- formers, and generators may be located within the booth or in a separate room of equivalent construction. 101-86 CHAPTER 9. EDUCATIONAL OCCUPANCIES (See also Chapter 17) SECTION 9-1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 9-11. OCCUPANCY AND OCCUPANT LOAD 9-111. Definition of Educational Occupancies 9-1111. Educational occupancies shall include all buildings used for the gathering of groups of 6 or more persons for purposes of instruction such as schools, universities, colleges, and academies. 9-1112. Educational occupancy includes part-day, nursery schools, kindergartens, and other schools whose purpose is primarily edu- cational even though the children are of preschool age. 9-1113. Other occupancies associated with educational institutions shall be in accordance with the appropriate parts of this Code. See Chapters 10, 11, 14, 15, and 16, and 4-113. 9-1114.* In cases where instruction is incidental to some other occupancy, the section of this Code governing such other occupancy shall apply. 9-112. Occupant Load 9-1121. The occupant load of educational buildings or any indi- vidual story or section thereof for the purpose of determining exits shall be the maximum load as determined by the authority having jurisdiction but not less than one person for each 20 square feet of net classroom area or 50 square feet of net area of shops,laboratories, and similar vocational rooms. In day nurseries where sleeping facilities are provided, the occupant load shall be not less than one person for each 35 square feet of net area. 9-1122. The occupant load of an area having fixed seats shall be determined by the number of fixed seats installed. Required aisle space serving the fixed seats shall not be used to increase the oc- cupant load. 9-1123. The occupant load of an educational occupancy or por- tion thereof may be increased over that specified above if the neces- sary aisles and exits are provided. An approved aisle or seating diagram may be required by the authority having jurisdiction to substantiate such increase in occupant load. EDUCATIONAL OCCUPANCIES 101-87 9-1124. The occupant load of individual lecture rooms, gym- nasiums, or cafeterias used for assembly purposes of more than 100 persons, shall be determined in accordance with 8-113 of this Code. 9-12. EXIT DETAILS 9-121. Additional Exit Details 9-1211.* The provisions of this Section are based on occupancy by normal individuals. Educational buildings used by persons with physical or mental handicaps shall have additional features as may be required by the enforcing authority, to ensure safe use of such exits in an emergency. 9-122. Capacity of Exits 9-1221.* Every educational building, and every floor, section or room thereof considered separately, shall have exits sufficient to provide for the capacity thereof, comprised of one or more types of exits, as follows: Any door, in accordance with Section 5-2, leading directly out- side building at ground level, or not to exceed 3 risers above or below the ground. . . . 100 persons per unit of exit width. Any door leading outside building but requiring steps of over 3 risers to reach the ground. . . . 100 persons per unit of exit width; steps must have %3 more units of width than doors to allow for slower travel rate. Stairs, outside stairs, or smokeproof towers, in accordance with Sections 5-3 and 5-4. . . . 60 persons per unit of exit width. Ramps, in accordance with Section 5-6 Class A . . . 100 persons per unit of exit width Class B . . . 60 persons per unit of exit width. Horizontal exits, in accordance with Section 5-5. . . . 100 persons per unit of exit width. 9-1222.* The same exit units or fraction thereof required for any individual floor may be counted as simultaneously serving all floors above the first story or floor of exit discharge. 9-123. Minimum Number of Exits 9-1231. Every room or space with a capacity of over 50 persons or over 1,000 square feet in area shall have at least 2 doorways as remote from each other as practicable. Such doorways shall pro- vide access to separate exits, but, where egress is through corridors, may open upon a common corridor leading to separate exits in opposite directions. 101-88 LIFE SAFETY CODE 9-124. Travel Distance to Exits 9-1241. Except in open plan and flexible plan buildings, travel distance to an exit from any point in a building without a complete automatic fire extinguishing system shall not exceed 150 feet, and shall not exceed 200 feet in any building. See Section 9-2 for limitations for open plan and flexible plan buildings. 9-125. Access to Exits 9-1251. Every aisle, corridor, balcony, and other means of access to exits, and discharge from exits, shall be in accordance with Section 5-1. 9-1252. Any corridor shall be not less than 6 feet wide in the clear. 9-1253. Doors which swing into an exit access corridor shall be recessed to prevent interference with corridor traffic; any doors not so recessed shall open 180 degrees to stop against wall. Doors in any position shall not reduce the required corridor width by more than one half. 9-1254. Drinking fountains or other equipment, fixed or movable, shall not be so placed as to obstruct the required minimum 6-foot corridor width. 9-126. Exterior Corridors or Balconies 9-1261.* Where exterior corridors or balconies are provided as means of exit, they shall open to the outside air except for railings or balustrades, with stairs or level exits to grade not over 250 feet apart, so located that an exit will be available in either direction from the door to any individual room or space, with dead ends not to exceed 20 feet. If balconies are enclosed by glass or in any other manner, they shall be treated as interior corridors. 9-1262. The floors of balconies (exterior corridors) and stairs shall be solid, without openings, and shall comply with require- ments for outside stairs as regards balustrades or railings, width and pitch of stairs, and other details, but are not required to be shielded from fire within the building by blank walls, wired glass windows or the like where the stairs are located on the side of balcony or corridor away from the building and are separated from the building by the full required width of the balcony or corridor. Regardless of other provisions, exterior balconies and stairs may be of the same type of construction as the building which they serve. EDUCATIONAL OCCUPANCIES 101-89 9-127. Exit Arrangement 9-1271* Exits shall be so arranged that at least 2 separate exits will be available from every floor area. Exits shall be as remote from each other as practicable, so arranged that there will be no pockets or dead ends of appreciable size in which occupants may be trapped, and in no case shall any dead-end corridor extend more than 20 feet beyond the stairway or other means of exit there- from. 9-1272. Every classroom or room used for educational purposes or student occupancy, below the floor of exit discharge, shall have access to at least 1 exit which leads directly to the exterior at level of discharge, without entering the floor above. 9-13. DOORS 9-131. Door Closure 9-1311. All exit doors designed to be kept normally closed shall conform with 5-2133. 9-132. Door Swing 9-1321. If a room or space is subject to occupancy by more than 50 persons, exit doors shall swing out. Only 1 locking or latching device shall be permitted on a door or a leaf of a pair of doors. 9-133. Panic Hardware 9-1331. Any exterior door and any room door subject to use by 100 or more persons shall be operated by bars or other panic hard- ware device, in accordance with 5-216, except that a door leading directly to the outside from a classroom occupied by less than 100 persons may be equipped with the same knob-operated schoolhouse type lock as is used on classroom doors leading to corridor, with no provision whatsoever for locking against egress from the classroom. 9-141. Lighting and Signs 9-1411. All educational buildings shall have adequate exit il- lumination in accordance with Section 5-10. Flexible plan and open plan buildings and buildings designed for night occupancy and portions of buildings having interior and windowless rooms, areas, and corridors, shall have Type 1 emergency exit illumination. 101-90 LIFE SAFETY CODE 9-1412. All educational buildings shall have signs designating the location of exits or the path of travel to reach them, in accordance with Section 5-11. 9-1413. Signs are not required in situations where location of exits is otherwise obvious and familiar to all occupants, such as in small elementary school buildings. 9-151. Windows for Rescue and Ventilation 9-1511.* Except in buildings with complete sprinkler protection in accordance with Section 6-4, every room or space used for class- room or other educational purposes or normally subject to student occupancy, unless it has a door leading directly to the outside of building, shall have at least one outside window which can readily be used for emergency rescue or ventilation purposes, and which meets all of the following provisions: a. Is readily openable from the inside without the use of tools. b. Provides a clear opening with a minimum dimension of ap- proximately 22 inches and is approximately 5 square feet in area. c. Bottom of window opening is not more than 32 inches above the floor. d. Where storm windows, screens, or burglar guards are used, these shall be provided with quick opening devices so that they may be readily opened from the inside for emergency egress, and shall be so arranged that when opened they will not drop to the ground. 9-16. PROTECTION 9-161. Protection of Vertical Openings 9-1611. Any interior stairway and other vertical opening in edu- cational buildings shall be enclosed and protected in accordance with Section 6-1. 9-1612. In educational buildings, stairway enclosure will not be required for a stairway serving only one adjacent floor except a basement and not connected with corridors or stairways serving other floors. 9-162. Interior Corridors 9-1621. Every interior corridor shall be of construction having not EDUCATIONAL OCCUPANCIES 101-91 less than a 1-hour fire resistance rating, and all openings therein protected accordingly. Room doors may be 13/4-inch solid bonded core wood doors or the equivalent. Such corridor protection shall not be required when all classrooms served by such corridors have at least one door directly to the outside or to an exterior balcony or corridor as in 9-126. 9-1622. Any interior corridor more than 300 feet in length shall be divided into sections not to exceed 300 feet in length by smoke barriers, consisting of partitions with smokestop doors therein. Such partitions shall be continuous through any concealed space such as between the hung ceiling and the floor or roof above. Doors in smoke barriers shall comply with 6-6111. 9-163. Interior Finish 9-1631. Interior finish shall be Class A in corridors, stairways and other means of egress, and may be Class B or C elsewhere in ac- cordance with the provisions of Section 6-2. 9-164. Fire Alarm System 9-1641. Approved manually operated fire alarm facilities in ac- cordance with Section 6-3 shall be provided in every educational building. 9-1642. In buildings provided with automatic sprinkler protec- tion,the operation of the sprinkler system shall automatically actuate electrical school fire alarm systems. 9-165. Automatic Sprinkler Protection 9-1651. Every portion of educational buildings below the floor of exit discharge shall be protected with complete automatic sprinkler protection in accordance with Section 6-4. 9-166. Hazardous Areas 9-1661. An area used for general storage, boiler or furnace rooms, fuel storage, janitors closets, maintenance shops including wood- working and painting areas, laundries and kitchens, shall be separated from other parts of the building with construction having not less than a 1-hour fire resistance rating and all open- ings shall be protected with self-closing fire doors, or such area shall be provided with automatic sprinkler protection. Where the hazard is severe, both the fire-resistive separation and automatic sprinklers shall be provided. 101-92 LIFE SAFETY CODE 9-17. BUILDING SERVICE EQUIPMENT 9-171. Elevators 9-1711. An elevator shall not constitute required means of exit. When an educational occupancy is more than 3 stories high or more than 3 stories above grade and equipped with automatic elevators, one or more elevators shall be designed and equipped for fire emergency use by fire fighters as specified in 7-114. Key operation shall transfer automatic elevator operation to manual and bring elevator to ground or first floor for use of fire service. The elevator shall be situated so as to be readily accessible by the fire department. 9-172. Air Conditioning 9-1721. Every air-conditioning, heating, and ventilating installa- tion shall comply with Chapter 7 of this Code. 9-173. Electrical Wiring and Equipment 9-1731. Electrical wiring and equipment shall be in accordance with the appropriate Standard listed in Appendix B, and all cook- ing and heating equipment, incinerating and other building service equipment shall be installed in accordance with Chapter 7. n SECTION 9-2. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR FLEXIBLE PLAN AND OPEN PLAN BUILDINGS 9-211. Definitions 9-2111. Flexible plan and open plan educational buildings include every building or portion of a building not having corridors which comply with 9-1621 and are designed for multiple teaching stations. 9-2112. Flexible plan buildings have movable corridor walls and movable partitions of full height construction, with doors leading from rooms to corridors. 9-2113. Open plan buildings have rooms and corridors delineated by use of tables, chairs, desks, bookcases, counters, low height (5 feet) partitions, or similar furnishings. Flexible plan buildings without exit access doors between rooms and corridors shall be classified as open plan buildings. 9-212. Area Limitations and Separations 9-2121. Flexible plan and open plan buildings shall not exceed 30,000 square feet in undivided area. A solid wall or smokestop OPEN PLAN BUILDINGS 101-93 partition (9-1622) shall be provided at maximum intervals of 300 feet. Such wall or partition shall have smokestop doors complying with 6-6111. 9-2122. Vertical openings shall be enclosed as required by 9-161. 9-2123. Stages in places of assembly shall be separated from school areas by construction of noncombustible materials having at least a 2-hour fire resistance rating and shall comply with 8-151. 9-2124. Shops, laboratories, and similar vocational rooms, as well as storage rooms, shall be separated from school areas by construc- tion having at least a 1-hour fire resistance rating. They shall have exits independent from other areas. 9-213. Travel Distance to Exits 9-2131. Travel distance to an exit from any point in an open plan building without a complete automatic extinguishing system shall not exceed 100 feet and shall not exceed 150 feet in any open plan building. Travel distance to an exit from any point in a flexible plan build- ing without a complete automatic extinguishing system shall not exceed 150 feet and shall not exceed 200 feet in any flexible plan building. 9-214. Doors in Flexible Plan Building 9-2141. Doors in room dividers and in corridor walls and parti- tions in flexible plan buildings shall be 13A.-inch solid bonded core wood or the equivalent. 9-215. Interior Finish 9-2151.* Interior finish in flexible plan and open plan buildings shall be as follows: a. Corridors in flexible plan buildings—Class A, on rigid material which will not deform at temperature below 450°F. Smoke emis- sions shall be minimum as approved by the authority having jurisdic- tion (see 6-2116). b. Other than corridor walls—Class A or Class B throughout except that fixtures and low height partitions may be Class C. In 1-story buildings the exposed portions of structural members com- plying with the requirements for heavy timber construction may be permitted. See also 6-2116, 6-2152 and 6-2153. 9-216. Variable Plans 9-2161. Flexible plan schools may have walls and partitions re- arranged periodically, only after revised plans or diagrams have been approved by the authority having jurisdiction. 101-94 LIFE SAFETY CODE 9-2162. Open plan schools shall have furniture, fixtures, or low height partitions so arranged that exits will be clearly visible and unobstructed, and exit paths are direct, not circuitous. If paths or corridors are established, they shall be at least as wide as required by 9-1252. 9-217. Automatic Fire Extinguishing Systems 9-2171. Any flexible plan building in which the travel distance to exits exceeds 150 feet, or any open plan building in which the travel distance to exits exceeds 100 feet shall have complete automatic fire extinguishing systems in accordance with Section 6-4. Extinguish- ing systems shall be electrically interconnected with the school fire alarm system. 9-2172. Automatic fire extinguishing systems shall be modified to conform with partition changes. Modification plans shall have prior approval of the authority having jurisdiction. SECTION 9-3. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR KINDERGARTENS, ETC. 9-3111. Rooms used for kindergarten or first grade pupils shall not be located above or below the floor of exit discharge. Rooms used for second grade pupils shall not be located more than 1 story above the floor of exit discharge. SECTION 9-4. UNDERGROUND AND WINDOWLESS EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS 9-4111. In addition to the requirements of this Section for Under- ground and Windowless Educational Buildings, the provisions of Section 16-4 of this Code shall apply and such buildings shall be provided with complete automatic sprinkler protection. SECTION 9-5. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR COMBINED OCCUPANCIES 9-511. Assembly and Educational 9-5111. Any auditorium, assembly room, cafeteria, gymnasium used for assembly purposes such as athletic events, with pro- visions for seating of spectators, or other spaces subject to assembly occupancy, shall comply with Chapter 8, including Special Pro- COMBINED OCCUPANCIES 101-95 visions for Places of Assembly in Buildings of Other Occupancy, which provides that where auditorium and gymnasium exits lead through corridors or stairways also serving as exits for other parts of the building, the exit capacity shall be sufficient to permit simul- taneous exit from auditorium and classroom sections, except in case of an auditorium and gymnasium of a type suitable only for use of the school occupant load (and therefore not subject to simul- taneous occupancy) in which case the same exit capacity may serve both sections. 9-512. Dormitory and Classrooms 9-5121. Any building used for both classroom and dormitory purposes shall comply with the applicable provisions of Chapter 11 in addition to complying with Chapter 9. Where classroom and dormitory sections are not subject to simultaneous occupancy the same exit capacity may serve both sections. 9-513. Other Combined Occupancies 9-5131. Any other combinations of occupancy not covered in 9-511 and 9-512 shall comply with all applicable Chapters of this Code, with exits adequate to serve all occupancies simultaneously. 9-5132. Each room having an occupant load of more than 100 shall be located at the floor of exit discharge, except in buildings of fire resistive construction. SECTION 9-6. EXISTING EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS 9-611. General 9-6111. An existing building housing educational occupancies established prior to the effective date of this Code may have its use continued if it conforms, or is made to conform to the provisions of this Code to the extent that in the opinion of the authority having jurisdiction reasonable life safety against the hazards of fire, ex- plosion, and panic is provided and maintained. 9-612. Additional Protection 9-6121. Additional means of egress, the installation of automatic sprinkler protection, area separations, emergency lighting, and other alternate means of protection may be used to provide reason- able life safety from fire and panic. 101-96 LIFE SAFETY CODE 9-613. Exits 9-6131. Exit deficiency may be corrected by adding additional exits, preferably those which will provide direct exit to the outside from classroom or student-occupied areas. 9-6132. In lieu of direct exits to the outside from classrooms addi- tional life safety may be afforded by the provision of communicating doors between classrooms or student-occupied areas to provide access to at least one exit or exit stair without passing through in- terior corridors. 9-614. Interior Finish 9-6141. In existing educational buildings which have interior finish that does not comply with the requirements for new buildings, the provisions of 6-2122 and 6-2123 shall be acceptable as alternate requirements. 9-615. Fire Alarm Systems 9-6151. Requirements for fire alarm systems for existing educa- tional buildings shall conform to those for new educational buildings subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. 101-97 CHAPTER 10. INSTITUTIONAL OCCUPANCIES 10-0001. Institutional buildings are those used for purposes such as medical or other treatment or care of persons suffering from physical or mental illness, disease or infirmity; for the care of in- fants, convalescents or aged persons; and for penal or corrective purposes. Institutional buildings provide sleeping facilities for the occupants and are occupied by persons who are mostly incapable of self-preservation because of age, physical or mental disability, or because of security measures not under the occupants' control. Buildings or sections of buildings which house, or in which care is rendered to mental patients who are capable of average judgment in taking action for self-preservation under emergency conditions, in the opinion of competent medical authority approved by the state agency having jurisdiction, may come under other sections of this Code instead of Section 10-1. Sections of institutional buildings may come under other occu- pancy classifications regarding exit requirements if these areas are not used to house institutional occupants, or are not areas in which these persons are treated or to which they have normal access, or which serve as a means of egress for them. Institutional buildings comprise three groups; groups a. and b. are treated together in Chapter 10 and group c. is considered separately: a. Health Care Facilities (Hospitals and Nursing Homes) b. Residential-Custodial Care (Nurseries, Homes for the Aged, Mentally Retarded Care Institutions, etc.) c. Residential-Restrained Care (Penal Institutions, Reforma- tories,Jails, etc.) See Section 10-3. 10-0002. Institutional occupancies shall include all buildings or parts thereof with occupancy as described in 10-0001. 10-0003. All institutional buildings shall be so designed, con- structed, maintained, and operated as to minimize the possibility of a fire emergency requiring the evacuation of occupants. Because the safety of occupants of institutional buildings cannot be assured adequately by dependence on evacuation of the building, their pro- tection from fire shall be provided by appropriate arrangement of facilities, adequate staffing, and careful development of operating and maintenance procedures composed of the following: 101-98 LIFE SAFETY CODE a. Proper design, construction, and compartmentation, b. Provisions for detection, alarm, and extinguishment; and c. Fire prevention and the planning, training, and drilling in programs for the isolation of fire and transfer of occupants to areas of refuge or evacuation of the building. 10-0004. It is recognized that in buildings housing various types of psychiatric patients, or used as penal institutions,it may be neces- sary to lock doors and bar windows that are equipped to confine and protect building inhabitants. Other sections of this Code re- quiring the keeping of exits unlocked may be waived by the author- ity having jurisdiction. It is also recognized that some psychiatric patients are not capable of seeking safety without guidance. In buildings in which doors are locked or windows are barred, provi- sions shall be made for the rapid removal of occupants by such re- liable means as the remote control of locks, or by keying all locks to keys carried by attendants. SECTION 10-1. NEW HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES AND RESIDENTIAL-CUSTODIAL CARE OCCUPANCIES 10-111. Application 10-1111. This Section establishes life safety requirements for hos- pitals, nursing homes, and residential-custodial care institutions. Where requirements vary, the specific occupancy, such as Hospital, Nursing Home, Nursery, Residential-Custodial Care Institution, Home for the Aged, or Mentally Retarded Care Institution, is named in the paragraph pertaining thereto. See Chapter 17 for Operating Features. 10-112. Definitions 10-1121. Hospital—a building or part thereof used for the medical, psychiatric, obstetrical or surgical care, on a 24-hour basis, of 4 or more inpatients. Hospital,wherever used in this Code, shall include general hospitals, mental hospitals, tuberculosis hospitals, children's hospitals, and any such facilities providing inpatient care. 10-1122. Nursing Home—a building or part thereof used for the lodging,boarding and nursing care, on a 24-hour basis, of 4 or more persons who, because of mental or physical incapacity, may be un- able to provide for their own needs and safety without the assist- ance of another person. Nursing Home,wherever used in this Code, shall include nursing and convalescent homes and infirmaries of homes for the aged. 10-1123. Residential-Custodial Care Facility—a building, or part thereof, used for the lodging or boarding of 4 or more persons who NEW HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES 101-99 are incapable of self-preservation because of age, or physical or mental limitation. This includes facilities such as Homes for the Aged, Nurseries (custodial care for children under 6 years of age), and Mentally Retarded Care Institutions. Day care facilities that do not provide lodging or boarding for institutional occupants are not covered in this section of the Code. 10-113. New Construction, Additions, Conversions 10-1131. Any addition shall be separated from any existing non- conforming structure by a noncombustible fire partition having at least a 2-hour fire resistance rating. Communicating openings in such dividing fire partition shall occur only in corridors and shall be protected by an approved self-closing fire door. Except where provisions meeting the requirements of 5-2134 and 10-1245 are made for such doors, they are intended normally to be kept closed. Unless these doors are required exits, they are not required to swing with exit travel as specified in 5-2121. 10-1132. Any building converted to these occupancies shall comply with all requirements for new facilities. 10-1133. See Section 2-2 for life safety provisions during con- struction. 10-114. Occupancy and Occupant Load 10-1141. Any occupancy housed in these facilities shall be re- stricted to those under the control of and incidental to the operation of the institution. Exception: Educational facilities for medical, nursing and related personnel. 10-1142. Sections of institutional buildings may be classified as other occupancies if they meet all of the following conditions: a. They are not intended to serve institutional occupants for purposes of housing, treatment, customary access, or means of egress. b. They are adequately separated from areas of institutional oc- cupancies by construction having a 2-hour fire resistance rating. 10-1143.* Auditoriums, chapels, staff residential areas, garages or similar occupancies provided in connection with institutions shall have exits provided in accordance with other applicable sec- tions of this Code. 10-1144. The occupant load for which means of egress shall be provided for any floor shall be the maximum number of persons in- 101-100 LIFE SAFETY CODE tended to occupy that floor but not less than 1 person for each 120 square feet gross floor area in institutional sleeping departments and not less than 1 person for each 240 square feet of gross floor area of inpatient institutional treatment departments. Gross floor areas shall be measured within the exterior building walls with no deduc- tions. (See Chapter 3.) 10-12. EXIT DETAILS 10-121. Number and Types 10-1211.* Exits shall be restricted to the following permissible types: a. Doors leading directly outside the building (see 10-124) b. Stairs and smokeproof towers (see 10-125) c. Ramps (see 10-127) d. Horizontal exits (see 10-126) e. Outside stairs (see Section 5-4) f. Exit Passageways (see Section 5-7) 10-1212. At least 2 exits of the above types, remote from each other, shall be provided for each floor or fire section of the building. At least 1 exit in each floor or fire section shall be as indicated in 10-1211 a, b, e, or f. 10-1213. Revolving doors shall not be counted as required exits, and shall not be installed except as specifically stated in Section 5-2. Elevators constitute a supplementary facility, but are not counted as required exits. 10-122. Capacity of Exits 10-1221.* The capacity of any required exit shall be based on its width in units of 22 inches as defined in 5-115. The capacity of exits providing travel by means of stairs shall be 22 persons per exit unit; and exits providing travel without stairs, such as doors or horizontal exits, shall be 30 persons per exit unit. 10-123. Access to Exit 10-1231. Every aisle, passageway, corridor, exit discharge, exit location and access shall be in accordance with Section 5-1, except as modified in the following paragraphs. 10-1232. Travel distance (a) between any room door intended as exit access and an exit shall not exceed 100 feet; (b) between any point in a room and an exit shall not exceed 150 feet; (c) between any point in an institutional sleeping room or suite and an exit access door of that room or suite shall not exceed 50 feet. The travel distances in (a) or (b) above may be increased by 50 feet in build- NEW HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES 101-101 ings completely equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system. Travel distance shall be measured in accordance with 5-119. 10-1233. Every institutional sleeping room, unless it has a door opening to the ground, shall have an exit access door leading di- rectly to a corridor which leads to an exit. One adjacent room such as a sitting or anteroom may intervene if all doors along the path of exit travel are equipped with nonlockable hardware, except as provided in 10-1242, and this intervening room is not intended to serve more than 8 institutional sleeping beds. Exception: Special nursing suites permitted in 10-1237 shall not be limited to 8 beds or bassinets. 10-1234. Aisles, corridors and ramps required for exit access or exit in a hospital or nursing home shall be at least 8 feet in clear and unobstructed width except that corridors and ramps in adjunct areas not intended for the housing, treatment, or use of inpatients, may be a minimum of 6 feet in clear and unobstructed width. Aisles, corridors and ramps required for exit access or exit in a residential- custodial care institution shall be at least 6 feet in clear and unob- structed width. 10-1235. Any room and any suite of rooms, as permitted in 10-1233, of more than 1,000 square feet shall have at least 2 exit access doors remote from each other. 10-1236. Every exit or exit access shall be so arranged that no cor- ridor or aisle has a pocket or dead end exceeding 30 feet. 10-1237. Any institutional sleeping room which complies with the requirements previously set forth in this section may be subdivided with nonfire-rated, noncombustible partitions, provided, that the arrangement allows for direct and constant visual supervision by nursing personnel. Rooms which are so subdivided shall not exceed 5,000 square feet. 10-124. Doors 10-1241. Doors shall be in accordance with Section 5-2, except as modified below. For door requirements in horizontal exits and smokestop partitions see 10-1261 and 10-1314. 10-1242. Locks installed on institutional sleeping room doors shall be so arranged that they can be locked only from the corridor side, except, such doors leading directly to the outside of the build- ing may be subject to locking from the room side. All such locks, except those permitted in 10-0004, shall be arranged to permit exit from the room by a simple operation without the use of a key. Exception: Doors in homes for the aged may be lockable by the 101-102 LIFE SAFETY CODE occupant if they can be unlocked on the corridor side, and keys are carried by attendants at all times. 10-1243. Exit access doors to hospital and nursing home sleeping rooms, diagnostic and treatment rooms or areas such as X-ray, surgery and physical therapy, all doors between these spaces and the required exits, and all exit doors serving these spaces shall be at least 46 inches wide. Doors to residential-custodial sleeping rooms and doors to nursery sleeping rooms and all exit doors serving these spaces shall be at least 36 inches wide. Exception: Exit doors which are so located as not to be subject to use by any institutional occupant may be not less than 28 inches wide. 10-1244. Any door in a fire separation, horizontal exit or a smoke- stop partition may be held open only by an electrical device which complies with 5-2134. The device shall be so arranged that the operation of any one of the following will initiate the self-closing action: a. The manual alarm system required in 10-1366. b. A local device designed to detect smoke or other products of combustion other than heat on either side of the opening. c. A required and approved automatic fire extinguishing system or automatic fire detection system. 10-1245. Any door in a stairway enclosure or in walls surrounding hazardous areas shall not be equipped with hold-open devices. 10-125. Stairs, Smokeproof Towers 10-1251. Every stair and smokeproof tower shall be in accordance with Section 5-3, shall be Class A, and shall be constructed as described in 10-1323. Exception: Stairs that do not connect to a corridor, do not con- nect more than two levels, and do not serve as a means of egress, need not comply with these regulations. 10-126. Horizontal Exits 10-1261.* A horizontal exit shall be in conformance with Section 5-5 except as modified below. a. At least 30 net square feet per occupant in a hospital or nursing home or 15 net square feet per occupant in a residential-custodial care institution shall be provided on each side of the horizontal exit for the total number of occupants in adjoining compartments. b. A single door may be used as a horizontal exit if it serves one direction only and is at least 46 inches wide for a hospital or nursing NEW HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES 101-103 home or at least 36 inches wide for residential-custodial care institu- tions. The swing shall be in the direction of exit travel. c. A horizontal exit in a hospital or nursing home in a corridor 8 feet or more in width serving as a means of egress from both sides of the doorway shall have the opening protected by a pair of swinging doors, each leaf to be a minimum of 44 inches wide and swinging in the opposite direction from the other. d. A horizontal exit in a residential-custodial care institution in a corridor 6 feet or more in width serving as a means of egress from both sides of the doorway shall have the opening protected by a pair of swinging doors, each leaf to be a minimum of 32 inches wide and swinging in the opposite direction from the other. e. An approved vision panel is required in each horizontal exit door. Center mullions are prohibited. 10-127. Ramps 10-1271. Ramps shall be in accordance with Section 5-6, and shall be Class A and shall not exceed 6 feet in vertical dimension between top and bottom floor elevations; a Class B ramp may be used where the height of the ramp is 1 foot or less. Ramp width shall be as specified in 10-1234. 10-128. Emergency Lighting, Exit Markings,Alarms and Com- munication Systems 10-1281.* Each hospital shall be provided with emergency lighting as described in Section 5-10 and exit markings as described in Section 5-11. Such emergency lighting and the illumination of required exits and directional signs shall be supplied by the Life Safety Branch of the hospital electrical system as described in Chapter 3, NFPA No. 76A — 1970, Standard for Essential Elec- trical Systems for Hospitals. The Life Safety Branch shall also serve alarms, emergency communication systems and the illumination of generator set locations as described in paragraphs (c), (d) and (e), Section 312 of the same reference. 10-1282. Each nursing home shall be provided with Type 1 emergency lighting as described in 5-10223.a. 10-1283. Each residential-custodial care facility shall have Type 3 emergency lighting in accordance with Section 5-10. 10-1284. Exit signs shall be in accordance with Section 5-11. 10-13. PROTECTION 10-131. Subdivision of Building Spaces 10-1311.* Each floor used for institutional sleeping rooms, unless 101-104 LIFE SAFETY CODE provided with a horizontal exit, shall be divided into at least 2 com- partments by a smokestop partition. 10-1312. Corridor length between smokestop partitions, horizontal exits, or from either, to the end of the corridor on any institutional sleeping floor shall not exceed 150 feet. 10-1313. Any smokestop partition shall have a fire resistance rating of at least 1 hour. Such a partition shall be continuous from outside wall to outside wall and from floor slab to the underside of the slab above, through any concealed spaces such as between the hung ceiling and the floor or roof above. Such a partition shall have open- ings only in a public room or corridor. At least 30 net square feet per institutional occupant for the total number of institutional occu- pants in adjoining compartments shall be provided on each side of the smokestop partition. 10-1314. Any corridor opening in smokestop partitions in hospitals and nursing homes shall be protected by a pair of swinging doors, each leaf to be a minimum of 44 inches wide and swinging in op- posite directions from each other. Any opening in smokestop parti- tions in residential-custodial institutions shall be protected by a pair of swinging doors,each leaf a minimum of 32 inches and swing- ing in the opposite direction from the other. In addition, any smokestop door shall conform to the following minimum standards: a. Smokestop doors shall be at least 1%-inch solid core wood doors designed to close the opening completely with only such clearance as is reasonably necessary for proper operation. Rabbets, bevels, or astragals are required at the meeting edges and stops are required on the head and sides. Positive latching hardware is not required. Center mullions are prohibited. b. Smokestop doors shall be self-closing and may be held in an open position only if they meet the requirements of 10-1244. c. Vision panels are required in all doors in smokestop partitions. They shall be wired glass in approved metal frames not exceeding 720 inches. 10-1315. Any building space, other than institutional sleeping spaces, shall be subdivided into sections of not more than 20,000 square feet by walls or partitions constructed to have a fire resistance rating of at least 2 hours. Such walls or partitions shall extend from the floor to the underside of the floor or roof slab next above,includ- ing any concealed spaces, and from wall to outside wall or to any intervening walls of equal or greater fire resistance rating and in- tegrity. Where such partitions cross corridors, a horizontal exit shall be provided. 10-1316. An approved automatic fire or smoke detection system shall be installed throughout any floor or fire section subject to NEW HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES 101-105 actual occupancy of 100 or more persons from which there is no direct access to outdoors or having no ventilation from windows. 10-132. Minimum Construction Standards 10-1321.* Institutional buildings of 1 story in height only may be constructed of protected noncombustible construction, fire-re- sistive construction, protected ordinary construction, protected wood frame construction, heavy timber construction, or unpro- tected noncombustible construction. (See 10-136 for automatic sprinkler requirements.) 10-1322. Institutional buildings 2 stories or more in height shall be constructed of at least fire-resistive construction. 10-1323. The enclosure walls of stairways, ramps, exit passage- ways, elevator shafts, chutes and other vertical openings between floors shall be of noncombustible materials having a fire resistance rating of at least 2 hours in buildings of any height. For exceptions see 10-1251. 10-1324. Nothing in this Section removes the requirements in 10-1331 for 1-hour corridor walls or 1-hour smokestop partitions called for in 10-1311. 10-1325. All interior walls and partitions in buildings of fire- resistive and noncombustible construction shall be composed of noncombustible materials. 10-1326.* Every institutional sleeping room shall have an outside window or outside door arranged and located so that it can be opened from the inside without the use of tools or keys to permit the venting of products of combustion and to permit any occupant to have direct access to fresh air in case of emergency. (See 10-0004 for detention screen requirements.) The maximum allowable sill height shall not exceed 36 inches above the floor, except that the window sill in special nursing care areas may be 60 inches above the floor. Exception: Rooms housing obstetrical labor beds, recovery beds, observation beds in the emergency department, or newborn bas- sinets need not comply with this section. 10-133. Construction of Corridor Walls 10-1331.* Corridors shall be separated from use areas by walls having a fire resistance rating of at least 1-hour construction and without transfer grilles whether or not such grilles are protected by dampers actuated by fusible links. Exceptions: a. Doors between all rooms and corridors, other than doors to 101-106 LIFE SAFETY CODE hazardous areas, horizontal exits or stair doors, shall be of no less than 1/-inch solid core wood doors and shall be without undercuts or louvers. The doors shall be provided with latches of a type suit- able for keeping the door tightly closed and acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction. b. Fixed wired glass vision panels may be placed in corridor walls, provided they do not exceed 1,296 square inches in size and are installed in approved steel frames. Fixed wired glass vision panels may be installed in wood doors, provided they do not exceed 720 square inches in size and are installed in approved steel frames. c. Waiting areas of 250 square feet or less on an institutional sleeping floor may be open to the corridor, provided that they are located to permit direct supervision by the institutional staff. Such areas shall be equipped with an electrically supervised automatic fire detection system actuated by smoke or products of combustion other than heat and installed in accordance with 10-1365. Not more than one such waiting area is permitted in each smoke com- partment. d. Waiting areas of 600 square feet or less on floors other than institutional sleeping floors may be open to the corridor, provided that they are located to permit direct supervision by the institu- tional staff and so arranged as not to obstruct any access to required exits. Such areas shall be protected by an electrically supervised automatic fire detection system actuated by smoke or other products of combustion other than heat and installed in accordance with 10-1365. 10-134. Protection of Vertical Openings and Firestopping 10-1341. Any stairway, ramp, elevator shaft, light and ventilation shaft, chute and other openings between stories shall be enclosed with noncombustible materials and in accordance with 6-1111, 6-1113 and 6-1114, and 10-1323. A door in a stairway enclosure shall be self-closing, shall normally be kept in closed position and shall be marked in accordance with 5-2133. 10-1342. Firestopping shall be provided in accordance with 6-1311. 10-135. Interior Finish 10-1351. Interior finish in means of egress shall be Class A. In- terior finish of any room shall be Class A in accordance with Sec- tion 6-2 except that Class B materials may be used in individual rooms of not over 4 persons capacity. The provisions of 6-2131, permitting a lower class finish in buildings with automatic sprin- klers do not apply for institutional occupancies. NEW HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES 101-107 10-136. Extinguishment and Alarm Systems* 10-1361. Automatic fire extinguishing protection shall be provided throughout all hospitals, nursing homes, and residential-custodial care facilities, except those of fire resistive or protected noncom- bustible construction. (See 10-132 for construction types per- mitted.) 10-1362. Required automatic sprinkler systems shall be in accord- ance with Section 6-4, for systems in light hazard occupancies, and shall be electrically interconnected with the fire alarm system. The main sprinkler control valve shall be electrically supervised so that at least a local alarm will sound when the valve is closed. 10-1363. The sprinkler piping for any isolated hazardous area which can be adequately protected by a single sprinkler may be connected directly to a domestic water supply system having a flow of at least 22 gallons per minute at 15 pounds per square inch residual pressure at the sprinkler. An approved shutoff valve shall be installed between the sprinkler and the connection to the domestic water supply. 10-1364. Sprinkler requirements for hazardous areas are stated in 10-1371 and sprinkler requirements for chutes are given in 7-1131. 10-1365. Wherever a required electrically supervised fire detec- tion device or system is used it shall be electrically interconnected to the manually operated fire alarm system. 10-1366.* Every building shall have an electrically supervised, manually operated fire alarm system, in accordance with Section 6-3, except that pre-signal systems shall not be permitted in insti- tutional occupancies. The fire alarm system shall be installed to transmit an alarm automatically to the fire department that is legally committed to serve the area in which the institution is located, by the most direct and reliable method approved by local regula- tions. 10-1367. Portable fire extinguishers shall be provided in all insti- tutional occupancies in accordance with 6-422. 10-137. Hazardous Areas 10-1371.* Any hazardous area shall be safeguarded in accordance *See Page 101-I for Annual Meeting action. 101-108 LIFE SAFETY CODE with Section 6-5. Hazardous areas include, but are not restricted to the following: Boiler and heater rooms Rooms or spaces used for storage, Laundries in quantities deemed hazardous by the authority having juris- Kitchens diction, of combustible supplies Repair shops and equipment Handicraft shops Trash collection rooms Employee locker rooms Gift shops Soiled linen rooms 10-1372. Laboratories shall be in accordance with the applicable standard listed in Appendix B. 10-14. BUILDING SERVICE EQUIPMENT 10-141. Air-Conditioning, Ventilating, Heating, Cooking, and Other Service Equipment 10-1411. Air-conditioning, ventilating, heating, cooking, and other service equipment shall be in accordance with Chapter 7 except as modified in 10-1412 and 10-1413 below, and shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications. 10-1412.* a. Portable comfort heating devices are prohibited. b. Any heating device other than a central heating plant shall: 1. Be so designed and installed that combustible material will not be ignited by it or its appurtenances. 2. If fuel fired, be chimney or vent connected, take its air for combustion directly from outside, and be so designed and installed to provide for complete separation of the combustion system from the atmosphere of the occupied area. In addition, it shall have safety devices to immediately stop the flow of fuel and shut down the equipment in case of either excessive temperatures or ignition failure. Exceptions: a. Approved suspended unit heaters may be used, except in means of egress and patient sleeping areas, provided such heaters are located high enough to be out of the reach of persons using the area and provided they are equipped with the safety devices called for in item b.2. above. b. Fireplaces may be installed and used only in areas other than patient sleeping areas, provided that these areas are separated from patient sleeping spaces by construction having a 1-hour fire re- EXISTING HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES 101-109 sistance rating and they comply with the appropriate standard listed in Appendix B. In addition thereto, the fireplace must be equipped with a hearth that shall be raised at least 4 inches, and a heat tempered glass fireplace enclosure guaranteed against breakage up to a temperature of 650° Fahrenheit. If, in the opinion of the authority having jurisdiction, special hazards are present, a lock on the enclosure and other safety precautions may be required. 10-1413. Combustion and ventilation air for boiler, incinerator or heater rooms shall be taken directly from and discharged directly to the outside air. 10-1414. Any rubbish chute and linen chute shall be safeguarded in accordance with 7-113. An incinerator shall not be directly flue-fed nor shall any floor charging chute directly connect with the combustion chamber. Any trash chute shall discharge into a trash collecting room used for no other purpose and protected in ac- cordance with Section 6-5. 10-15. WINDOWLESS BUILDINGS 10-1511. See Section 16-4 for requirements for windowless buildings. SECTION 10-2. EXISTING HOSPITALS,NURSING HOMES, AND RESIDENTIAL-CUSTODIAL CARE OCCUPANCIES 10-211. Application 10-2111. This part of the Life Safety Code covers existing hospitals, nursing homes, and residential-custodial care institutions. The re- quirements for exits and related features of life safety from fire are similar in these occupancies. All structures, both existing and new, housing occupancies defined in 10-0001 as Types a. and b. shall comply with all the foregoing provisions unless specifically excepted in the following paragraphs. (Some requirements for new institu- tions are repeated here for ease of reference.) (See Chapter 17 for Operating Features.) 10-212. Modification of Retroactive Provisions 10-2121. The authority having jurisdiction in enforcing the re- quirements of this section may modify them under the following two conditions: a. If the building in question was occupied as a hospital, nursing home or residential-custodial care institution prior to adoption or amendment of these requirements. b. Only those requirements whose application would be clearly impractical in the judgment of the authority having jurisdiction shall be modified. 101-110 LIFE SAFETY CODE 10-2122.* In the application of 10-2121, the requirements may be modified by the authority having jurisdiction to allow alterna- tive arrangements that will secure as nearly equivalent safety to life from fire as practical; but in no case shall the modification afford less safety than compliance with the corresponding provisions contained in the following part of this Code. A reasonable time shall be allowed for compliance with any part of this Section,com- mensurate with the magnitude of expenditure and the disruption of services. When alternate protection is installed and accepted, the institution shall be considered as conforming for purposes of this Code. 10-213. Conversions 10-2131. No existing building shall be converted to a hospital, nursing home, or residential-custodial care institution unless it complies with all requirements for new institutional buildings. 10-2132. For life safety provisions during the construction of addi- tions, alterations or conversions see Section 2-2. 10-214. Occupancy and Occupant Load 10-2141. Occupancies housed in these facilities shall be restricted to those under the control of and incidental to the operation of the institution. Exceptions are facilities for medical, nursing, and re- lated education. 10-2142.* Sections of institutional buildings may come under other occupancy classifications if they meet all of the following conditions: a. They are not intended to serve institutional occupants for pur- poses of housing, treatment, customary access, or means of egress. b. They are adequately separated from areas of institutional oc- cupancies by construction having a 2-hour fire resistance rating. (See 10-1143.) 10-2143. Auditoriums,chapels,residential areas, garages, or other occupancies in connection with hospitals or nursing homes shall have exits provided in accordance with the other applicable sec- tions of this Code. 10-2144. The occupant load for which means of egress shall be provided for any floor shall be the maximum number of persons intended to occupy that floor, but not less than 1 person for each 120 square feet gross floor area in institutional sleeping departments and not less than 1 person for each 240 square feet of gross floor area of inpatient institutional treatment departments. Gross floor areas shall be measured within the exterior building walls with no de- ductions. EXISTING HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES 101-111 10-22. EXIT DETAILS 10-221. Number and Types 10-2211. Exits shall be restricted to the following permissible types: a. Doors leading directly outside the building (see Section 5-2) b. Stairs and smokeproof towers (see 10-225) c. Horizontal exits (see 10-226) d. Ramps (see 10-2252) e. Outside stairs (see Section 5-4) f. Exit passageways (see Section 5-7) 10-2212. At least 2 exits of the above types,remote from each other, shall be provided for each floor or fire section of the building. At least 1 exit in each floor or fire section shall be as indicated in 10-2211 a, b, e or f. 10-2213. Revolving doors shall not be counted as required exits, and shall not be installed except as specifically stated in Section 5-2. Elevators constitute a supplementary facility, but are not counted as required exits. 10-222. Capacity of Exits 10-2221. The capacity of any required exit shall be based on its width in units of 22 inches as defined in 5-115. The capacity of(a) exits providing travel by means of stairs shall be 22 persons per exit unit; and (b) exits providing travel without stairs, such as doors or horizontal exits, shall be 30 persons per exit unit. 10-223. Access to Exits 10-2231. Every aisle, passageway, corridor, exit discharge, exit location and access shall be in accordance with Section 5-1, except as modified below. 10-2232. Travel distance (a) between any room door intended as exit access and an exit shall not exceed 100 feet; (b) between any point in a room and an exit shall not exceed 150 feet; (c) between any point in an institutional sleeping room or suite and an exit access door of that room or suite shall not exceed 50 feet. The travel distance in (a) or (b) above may be increased by 50 feet in build- ings completely equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing sys- tem. Travel distance shall be measured in accordance with 5-119. 10-2233. Every institutional sleeping room, unless it has a door opening to the ground, shall have an exit access door leading di- rectly to a corridor which leads to an exit. One adjacent room such as a sitting or anteroom may intervene if all doors along the 101-112 LIFE SAFETY CODE path of exit travel are equipped with nonlockable hardware, except as provided in 10-2242, and this intervening room is not intended to serve more than 8 institutional sleeping beds. 10-2234. Any required aisle, corridor, or ramp shall be not less than 48 inches in clear width when serving as means of egress from institutional sleeping rooms. It shall be of such width and so ar- ranged as to avoid any obstructions to the convenient removal of nonambulatory persons carried on stretchers or on mattresses serv- ing as stretchers. 10-2235. Any room, and any suite of rooms, as permitted in 10-2233, of more than 1,000 square feet shall have at least 2 exit access doors remote from each other. 10-2236. Every corridor shall provide access to at least two ap- proved means of egress from the building in accordance with 5-120, without passing through any intervening rooms or spaces other than corridors or lobbies. Existing dead-end corridors are unde- sirable and shall be altered wherever possible so that exits will be accessible in at least 2 different directions from all points in aisles, passageways, and corridors. 10-224. Doors 10-2241. Every door shall be in accordance with Section 5-2 except as modified below. For doors in horizontal exits and smoke- stop partitions see 10-2261 and 10-2313. 10-2242. Locks installed on institutional sleeping room doors shall be so arranged that they can be locked only from the corridor side,except such doors leading directly to the outside of the building may be subject to locking from the room side. All such locks, ex- cept those permitted in 10-0004, shall be arranged to permit exit from the room by a simple operation without the use of a key. Exception: Doors in homes for the aged may be lockable by the occupant if they can be unlocked on the corridor side, and keys are carried by attendants at all times. 10-2243. Exit access doors to hospital and nursing home sleeping rooms, diagnostic and treatment areas such as, X-ray, surgery, and physical therapy, all doors between these spaces and the required exits, and all exit doors serving these spaces shall be at least 42 inches wide. Doors to residential-custodial sleeping rooms and all exit doors serving these spaces shall be at least 32 inches wide. Exception: Exit doors which are so located as not to be subject to use by an institutional occupant may be not less than 28 inches in width as defined in 5-2141. EXISTING HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES 101-113 10-2244. Any door in a fire separation, horizontal exit or a smoke- stop partition may be held open only by an electrical device which complies with 5-2134. The device shall be so arranged that the operation of any one of the following will initiate the self-closing action: a. The manual alarm system required in 10-2344. b. A local device designed to detect smoke or other products of combustion other than heat on either side of the opening. c. A required and approved automatic fire extinguishing system or automatic fire detection system. 10-2245. Any door in a stairway enclosure or in a wall separating hazardous areas shall not be equipped with hold-open devices. 10-225. Stairs, Smokeproof Towers,Ramps 10-2251. Every stair and smokeproof tower shall be in accordance with Section 5-3 and shall be Class A or B, except that any existing interior stair not complying with Section 5-3 may be continued in use subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. 10-2252. Every ramp shall be in accordance with Section 5-6, and shall be Class A or Class B. Ramp width shall be as specified in 10-2234. 10-226. Horizontal Exits 10-2261.* A door in a horizontal exit shall be at least 46 inches wide and shall be in accordance with Section 5-5, except as modi- fied herein. At least 30 net square feet per institutional occupant shall be provided for the total number of institutional occupants in adjoining compartments. A door in a horizontal exit is not re- quired to swing with exit travel as specified in 5-5143. 10-227. Exit Lighting and Signs 10-2271. Each hospital and nursing home shall be provided with Type 1 emergency lighting as described in 5-10223-a, b, or c. 10-2272. Each residential-custodial care facility shall have Type 3 emergency lighting in accordance with Section 5-10. 10-2273. Exit signs shall be in accordance with Section 5-11, except that signs may be omitted in 1-story buildings with an oc- cupancy of less than 30 persons. 10-23. PROTECTION 10-231. Subdivision of Building Spaces 10-2311. Each floor used for sleeping rooms for more than 30 101-114 LIFE SAFETY CODE institutional occupants, unless provided with a horizontal exit, shall be divided into at least 2 compartments by a smoke partition. 10-2312. Corridor length between smokestop partitions, horizontal exits, or from either to the end of the corridor shall not exceed 150 feet on any institutional sleeping floor. 10-2313. Any smokestop partition shall have at least a 1/2-hour fire resistance rating and shall be continuous from wall to wall and floor to floor or roof arch above. Openings in a smokestop partition shall be protected by fixed wired glass panels in steel frames or by 1%-inch solid core wood doors as a minimum requirement. Such doors shall be self-closing or may be so installed that they may be kept in an open position provided they meet the requirements of 10-2244. Doors in smokestop partitions are not required to swing with exit travel. Ample space shall be provided on each side of the barrier for the total number of institutional occupants on both sides. See 10-226 for further requirements applying to such division walls if they are intended for use as horizontal exits. (See 10-1314) 10-2314. Every interior wall and partition in buildings of fire- resistive and noncombustible construction shall be of noncom- bustible materials. 10-2315. Every institutional sleeping room shall have an outside window or outside door arranged and located to permit the venting of products of combustion and to permit any occupant to have access to fresh air in case of emergency. (See 10-0004 for detention screen requirements.) Exception: Rooms housing obstetrical labor beds, recovery, emergency observation beds, and newborn bassinets. 10-232. Protection of Vertical Openings and Firestopping 10-2321. Each stairway between stories shall be enclosed in ac- cordance with 6-1113 and 6-1114 with partitions having a 1-hour fire resistance rating,except that where a full enclosure is impractical the required enclosure may be limited to that necessary to prevent a fire originating in any story from spreading to any other story. Exception: Stairs that do not connect to a corridor do not connect more than two levels, and do not serve as a means of egress need not comply with these regulations. 10-2322. Any elevator shaft, light and ventilation shaft, chute, and other vertical opening between stories shall be protected as required above for stairways. 10-2323. Each exterior wall of frame construction and interior stud partitions shall be firestopped so as to cut off all concealed EXISTING HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES 101-115 draft openings, both horizontal and vertical, between any cellar or basement and the first floor. Such firestopping shall consist of suitable noncombustible material or of wood at least 2 inches (nominal) thick. 10-2324. Any existing linen and trash chute which opens directly on to any corridor shall be sealed by fire-resistive construction to prevent further use or shall be provided with a fire door assembly suitable for a Class B location and having a fire protection rating of 1% hours. All new chutes shall comply with 7-113. 10-233. Interior Finish 10-2331.* Interior finish shall be Class A or Class B in accordance with Section 6-2. In buildings equipped with a complete automatic fire extinguishing system, Class C interior finish may be continued in use, except in means of egress. 10-234. Extinguishing and Alarm Systems* 10-2341.* Automatic fire extinguishing protection shall be pro- vided throughout all hospitals, nursing homes, and residential- custodial care facilities except those of fire resistive construction or protected noncombustible construction not over 1 story in height. 10-2342. Any required automatic sprinkler system shall be in ac- cordance with Section 6-4, for systems in light hazard occupancies, and shall be electrically interconnected with the fire alarm system. The main sprinkler control valve shall be electrically supervised so that at least a local alarm will sound when the valve is closed. 10-2343. The sprinkler piping for any isolated hazardous area which can be adequately protected by a single sprinkler may be connected directly to a domestic water supply system having a flow of at least 22 gallons per minute at 15 pounds per square inch residual pressure at the sprinkler. An approved shutoff valve shall be installed between the sprinkler and the connection to the domestic water supply. 10-2344. Every building shall have a manually operated fire- alarm system, in accordance with Section 6-3, except that presignal systems shall not be permitted in institutional occupancies. Audible alarm devices shall be used; however, where visible alarm devices have been installed in patient sleeping areas, they may be accepted by the authority having jurisdiction. 10-2345. Portable fire extinguishers shall be provided in all institutional occupancies in accordance with 6-422. *See Page 101—I for Annual Meeting action. 101-116 LIFE SAFETY CODE 10-235. Hazardous Areas 10-2351. Any hazardous area shall be safeguarded in accordance with Section 6-5. Hazardous areas include, but are not restricted to the following: Boiler and heater rooms Rooms or spaces used for storage, Laundries in quantities deemed hazardous F Kitchens by the authority having juris- Repair shops diction, of combustible supplies Handicraft shops and equipment Employee locker rooms Trash collection rooms Soiled linen rooms Gift shops 10-2352. Laboratories shall be in accordance with the applicable standard listed in Appendix B. 10-24. BUILDING SERVICE EQUIPMENT 10-241. Air-Conditioning, Ventilating,Heating, Cooking, and Other Service Equipment 10-2411. Air-conditioning,ventilating,heating,cooking, and other service equipment shall be in accordance with Chapter 7 except as modified in 10-2412 and 10-2413 below. They shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications. 10-2412.* Heating devices shall be as follows: a. Portable comfort heating devices are prohibited. b. Any heating device, other than a central heating plan, shall: 1. Be so designed and installed that combustible material will not be ignited by it or its appurtenances. 2. If fuel fired, be chimney or vent connected, take its air for combustion directly from the outside, and be so designed and in- stalled to provide for complete separation of the combustion system from the atmosphere of the occupied area. In addition, it shall have safety devices to immediately stop the flow of fuel and shut down the equipment in case of either excessive temperatures or ignition failure. Exceptions: a. Approved suspended unit heaters may be used, except in means of egress and patient sleeping areas, provided such heaters are located high enough to be out of the reach of persons using the area and provided they are equipped with the safety devices called for in item b.2. above. PENAL INSTITUTIONS 101-117 b. Fireplaces may be installed and used only in areas other than patient areas,provided that these areas are separated from patient sleeping spaces by construction having a 1-hour fire resistance rating and they comply with the appropriate standard listed in Appendix B. In addition thereto, the fireplace must be equipped with a heat tempered glass fireplace enclosure guaranteed against breakage up to a temperature of 650° Fahrenheit. If, in the opinion of the authority having jurisdiction, special hazards are present, a lock on the enclosure and other safety precautions may be required. 10-2413. Combustion and ventilation air for boiler, incinerator, or heater rooms shall be taken directly from and discharged directly to the outside air. 10-2414. Any rubbish chute and linen chute shall be safeguarded in accordance with 7-113. Existing flue-fed incinerators shall be sealed by fire resistive construction to prevent further use. Any trash chute shall discharge into a trash collecting room used for no other purpose and protected in accordance with Section 6-5. SECTION 10-3. PENAL INSTITUTIONS 10-311. Application 10-3111. This part of the Life Safety Code covers residential- restrained care institutions such as jails, penal institutions, re- formatories, prisons, and houses of correction. 10-312. Definition 10-3121. Residential-Restrained Care Institution: a building, or part thereof, used to house occupants under some degree of restraint or security. 10-313. Occupancy Classification 10-3131. Penal institutions are a complex of structures with each serving a definite and usually different purpose. For instance, in all probability there will be represented in most penal institutions an example of all, or most all, of the occupancy type classifications. Exits and other features shall be governed by the type of occupancy classification and the hazard of occupancy. 10-3132. All buildings and structures shall be classified, using Chapter 4, Section 4-1, Occupancy Classification, as a guide, 101-118 LIFE SAFETY CODE subject to the ruling of the authority having jurisdiction in case of question as to the proper classification of any individual building or structure. Exit features shall comply with the applicable section of the Code with the exceptions noted below. 10-3133. Hazards of contents shall be determined by the authority having jurisdiction using Section 4-2. The foregoing shall be used in so far as applicable and shall be subject to the ruling of the authority having jurisdiction in case of question. 10-3134. Custody classification of the institution as well as in- dividual areas within the complex shall always be considered by the authority having jurisdiction. 10-314. Means of Egress 10-3141. Reliable means shall be provided to permit the prompt release of inmates confined in locked sections, spaces, or rooms in the event of fire or other emergency, regardless of the type of oc- cupancy. 10-3142. Prompt release will be guaranteed by adequate correc- tional personnel that are continuously on duty (24 hour) and keys which shall be readily accessible. 10-3143. Any emergency entrance which is locked may be classified as an exit provided that keys are readily available to guards or at- tendants. 10-315. Hazardous Areas 10-3151. Every hazardous area shall be protected in accordance with Section 10-1371 of this Code. 10-316. Operating Features 10-3161. Each operating feature shall comply with the Institu- tional Section of Chapter 17, Operating Features. 10-3162. Smoking regulations will depend on management and authorities having jurisdiction within the institution. The Smoking Regulations contained in Chapter 17, Operating Features, shall be used as a guide. 101-119 CHAPTER 11. RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCIES 11-0001. Residential occupancies shall include all occupancies so classified in 4-115. They shall be classified in the following groups, subject to determination by the authority having jurisdiction. a. Hotels. Includes buildings or groups of buildings under the same management in which there are more than 15 sleeping ac- commodations for hire, primarily used by transients who are lodged with or without meals, whether designated as a hotel, inn, club, motel, or by ony other name. So-called apartment hotels shall be classified as hotels because they are potentially subject to transient occupancy like that of hotels. b. Apartment Buildings. Includes buildings containing 3 or more living units with independent cooking and bathroom facilities, whether designated as apartment house, tenement, garden apart- ment, or by any other name. c. Dormitories. Includes buildings where group sleeping accommo- dations are provided for persons not members of the same family group in one room or in a series of closely associated rooms under joint occupancy and single management, as in college dormitories, fraternity houses, military barracks, ski lodges; with or without meals. d. Lodging or Rooming Houses. Includes buildings in which separate sleeping rooms are rented providing sleeping accommodations for a total of 15 or less persons, on either a transient or permanent basis; with or without meals, but without separate cooking facilities for individual occupants, except as provided in e. e. 1- and 2-Family Dwellings. Includes dwellings in which each liv- ing unit is occupied by members of a single family, with rooms rented to outsiders, if any, not accommodating more than 3 persons. SECTION 11-1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (Applies to all the following Sections, 11-2, 11-3, 11-4 and 11-5.) 11-11. OCCUPANT LOAD AND EXIT CAPACITY 11-111. Occupant Load 11-1111.* The occupant load of residential occupancies in num- bers of persons for whom exits are to be provided except in 1- 101-120 LIFE SAFETY CODE and 2-family dwellings shall be determined on the basis of 1 per- son per 200 square feet gross floor area, or the maximum probable population of any room or section under consideration, which- ever is greater. The occupant load of any open mezzanine or balcony shall be added to the occupant load of the floor below for the purpose of determining exit capacity. 11-112. Capacity of Exits 11-1121. Exits, arranged as specified elsewhere in this Section of the Code, shall be sufficient to provide for the occupant load in numbers of persons as determined in accordance with 11-1111, on the following basis: a. Doors discharging outside the building at ground level or not more than 3 risers or 24 inches above or below the ground; or Class A ramps or horizontal exits; 100 persons per unit of exit width. b. Stairs or other type of exit not indicated in (a) above; 75 per- sons per exit unit. 11-113. Maintenance of Exits 11-1131. No door and any means of egress shall be locked against exit travel when the building is occupied. SECTION 11-2. HOTELS 11-2111. This part of this Section shall apply to hotels with ac- commodations for more than 15 persons, as defined in 11-0001. 11-212. Public Assembly Occupancies 11-2121. Any ballroom, assembly or exhibition hall, and other space used for purposes of public assembly shall be in accordance with Chapter 8. Restaurants having a capacity of 100 or more persons shall be treated as places of assembly. 11-22. EXIT DETAILS 11-221. General 11-2211. Any room having a capacity of less than 100 persons with an outside door at street or ground level may have such out- side door as a single exit provided that no part of the room or area is more than 50 feet from the door measured along the natural path of travel. 11-2212. Any floor below the floor of exit discharge occupied for public purposes shall have exits arranged in accordance with 11-2241 and 11-2251, with access thereto in accordance with Section 5-1. HOTELS 101-121 11-2213. Any floor below the floor of exit discharge not open to the public and used only for mechanical equipment, storage, and service operations (other than kitchens which are considered part of the hotel occupancy) shall have exits appropriate to its actual oc- cupancy in accordance with other applicable sections of this Code. 11-2214.* The same stairway or other exit required to serve any one upper floor may also serve other upper floors, except that no inside open stairway, escalator, or ramp may serve as a required egress facility from more than one floor. 11-222. Types of Exits 11-2221. Exits, arranged in accordance with Chapter 5 shall be of one or more of the following types: Doors to outside at ground level Revolving Doors, as per Section 5-2 (not at foot of stairs) Doors to subways, only if the subway meets the requirements for exit passageways or tunnels as specified in Section 5-7 Stairs, Class A or Class B, in accordance with Section 5-3 Outside stairs, in accordance with Section 5-4 Smokeproof towers in accordance with Section 5-3 Ramps, Class A or Class B, in accordance with Section 5-6 Escalators, in accordance with Section 5-8 Horizontal Exits, in accordance with Section 5-5. 11-2222. Any existing interior stair or fire escape not complying with Section 5-3 or Section 5-4 may be continued in use subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. 11-223. Capacity of Exits 11-2231. Street floor exits shall provide units of exit width, as follows, occupant load being determined in accordance with 11-1111: One unit for each 100 persons street floor capacity for door or other level exit discharging at ground level or not more than 24 inches or 3 risers above or below ground level. 101-122 LIFE SAFETY CODE One unit for each 75 persons street floor capacity for stair or other exit requiring descent to ground level. One and one-half door units for each 2-unit required stair from upper floors discharging through the street floor. One and one-half door units for each 2-unit required stair from floors below the street floor discharging through the street floor. 11-2232. Every floor below the floor of exit discharge shall have exits sufficient to provide for the occupant load of that floor as de- termined in accordance with 11-1111, as the basis of 100 persons per exit unit for travel on the same level, 75 persons for upward travel, as up stairs. 11-2233. Upper floor exits shall provide numbers of units of exit width sufficient to meet the requirements of 11-1121. 11-224. Number of Exits 11-2241. Not less than 2 exits shall be accessible from every floor, including floors below the floor of exit discharge and occupied for public purposes, except as a single exit is permitted by 11-2211. Exits and ways of access thereto shall be so arranged that from every point in any open area, or from any room door, exits will be ac- cessible in at least 2 different directions, except that not to exceed the first 35 feet of exit travel from a room door may be along a cor- ridor with means of exit only in one direction (dead end), and in open areas a single path of travel may be permitted for the first 35 feet. 11-225. Travel Distance to Exits 11-2251. Any exit as indicated in 11-2241 shall be such that it will not be necessary to travel more than 100 feet from the door of any room to reach the nearest exit. Exceptions: a. Travel distance to exits may be increased to 200 feet where the access to the exits is an exterior way of exit access in accordance with 5-121. b. Travel distance to exits may be increased to 150 feet if the access to exits and any portion of the building which is tributory to the access to exits are equipped with automatic sprinkler protection. In addition, the portion of the building in which the 150-foot travel distance is permitted shall be separated from the remainder of the building by construction having a fire resistance rating of not less than 1 hour for buildings up to 4 stories in height and 2 hours for buildings 4 or more stories in height. HOTELS 101-123 11-226. Access to Exits 11-2261. Access to all required exits shall be in accordance with Section 5-1. It shall be unobstructed and shall not be veiled from open view by ornamentation, curtain, or other appurtenance. 11-227. Discharge from Exits. 11-2271. At least half of the required number of units of exit width from upper floors, exclusive of horizontal exits, shall lead to the street directly or through a yard, court, or passageway with protected openings and separated from all parts of the interior of the building. 11-2272. A maximum of 50 percent of the exits may discharge through areas on the floor of discharge provided: a. Such exits discharge to a free and unobstructed way to the ex- terior of the building, which way is readily visible and identifiable from the point of discharge from the exit. b. The floor of discharge into which the exit discharges is provided with automatic sprinkler protection and any other portion of the level of discharge with access to the discharge area is provided with automatic sprinkler protection or separated from it in accordance with the requirements for the enclosure of exits (see 5-114). Exception: If the discharge area is a vestibule or foyer with no dimension exceeding 10 feet and separated from the remainder of the floor of discharge by construction providing protection at least the equivalent of wired glass in steel frames, and serving only for means of egress including exits directly to the outside, the require- ments of 11-2272(b) may be waived. c. The entire area on the floor of discharge is separated from areas below by construction having a minimum of 2-hour fire-resistance rating. 11-228. Exit Lighting and Signs 11-2281. Each public space, hallway, stairway, or other means of egress shall have illumination in accordance with Section 5-10. Access to exits shall be continuously illuminated at all times. Any hotel with over 500 rooms shall have Type 1 emergency exit lighting; a hotel with 25 to 500 rooms shall have Type 1 or Type 2 emergency exit lighting, provided that where each guest room has a direct exit to the outside of the building at ground level (as in motels) no emergency exit lighting shall be required. 101-124 LIFE SAFETY CODE 11-2282. Every exit from public hallways or passageways on floors with sleeping accommodations shall have an illuminated sign in accordance with Section 5-10. Where exits are not visible in a hall- way or passageway, illuminated signs shall be provided to indicate the direction to exits. 11-23. PROTECTION 11-231. Protection of Vertical Openings 11-2311. Every stairway, elevator shaft and other vertical opening shall be enclosed or protected in accordance with Section 6-1 ex- cept as otherwise permitted by 11-2313 and 11-2314. 11-2312.* Any required exit stair which is so located that it is necessary to pass through the lobby or other open space to reach the outside of the building shall be continuously enclosed down to the lobby level. 11-2313. Unprotected vertical openings connecting not more than 3 floors used for hotel occupancy only may be permitted in ac- cordance with the conditions of 6-1112. 11-2314. In any existing building provided with a complete auto- matic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 6-4, and where exits and required ways of travel thereto are adequately safeguarded against fire and smoke within the building,or where every individual room has direct access to an exterior exit without passing through any public corridor, the protection of vertical openings not part of required exits, may be waived by the authority having jurisdiction to such extent as such openings do not endanger required means of exit. 11-2315. A floor below the floor of exit discharge used for only storage, heating equipment, or other purposes other than hotel occupancy open to guests or the public, shall have no unpro- tected openings to floors used for hotel purposes. 11-232. Protection of Guest Rooms 11-2321. In any new building every corridor shall be separated from guest rooms by construction having at least a 1-hour fire re- sistance rating. This paragraph does not apply to buildings equipped with a complete automatic sprinkler system. 11-2322. Each guest room shall be provided with a door having at least a fire resistance the equivalent of a 13A-inch solid bonded core wood door. HOTELS 101-125 11-233. Interior Finish 11-2331. Interior finish in accordance with Section 6-2,and subject to the limitations and modifications therein specified, shall be as follows: For new construction or new interior finish Exitways, Class A or Class B Lobbies and corridors, Class A or Class B Individual guest rooms, Class A, B, or C Other rooms, Class A, B, or C Existing interior finish Exitways, Class A or Class B Lobbies and corridors Used as required access to exits, Class A or Class B Not used as required access to exits, Class A, B, or C Individual guest room, Class A, B, or C Other rooms, Class A, B, or C 11-234. Alarms 11-2341. An alarm system, in accordance with Section 6-3, shall be provided for any hotel having accommodations for 15 or more guests except where each guest room has direct exit to the outside of the building and the building is not over 3 stories in height, as in motels. 11-2342. Every sounding device shall be of such character and so located as to arouse all occupants of the building or section thereof endangered by fire. 11-2343. An alarm sending station shall be provided at the hotel desk or other convenient central control point under continuous supervision of responsible employees. Additional alarm sending stations (as specified in Section 6-3) may be waived where there are other effective means (such as automatic sprinkler or automatic fire detection systems) for notification of fire. 11-2344. Suitable facilities shall be provided for immediate noti- fication of the public fire department, or private fire brigade where there is no public fire department, in case of fire. 11-235. Hazardous Areas 11-2351. Any room containing high pressure boilers, refrigerating machinery, transformers, or other service equipment subject to 101-126 LIFE SAFETY CODE possible explosion shall not be located directly under or directly adjacent to exits. All such rooms shall be effectively cut off from other parts of the building as specified in Section 6-5. 11-2552. Every hazardous area shall be separated from other parts of the building by construction having a fire-resistance rating of at least 1 hour and communicating openings shall be protected by ap- proved automatic or self-closing fire doors, or such area shall be equipped with automatic fire protection. Where a hazard is severe, both fire-resistive construction and automatic fire protection shall be used. Hazardous areas include: Boiler and heater rooms Rooms or spaces used for storage, Laundries in quantities deemed hazardous Repair shops by the authority having juris- diction, of combustible supplies and equipment 11-24. BUILDING SERVICE EQUIPMENT 11-241. Air Conditioning and Ventilation 11-2411. Every air conditioning installation shall comply with Chapter 7. 11-2412. No transom shall be installed in sleeping rooms in new buildings. In existing buildings transoms shall be fixed in the closed position and shall be covered or otherwise protected to provide a fire resistance rating at least equivalent to that of the wall in which they are installed. SECTION 11-3. APARTMENT BUILDINGS 11-3111. Any apartment building which complies with all of the preceding requirements of this Section for hotels may be considered as a hotel and as such the following requirements for apartment buildings will not be applicable. 11-3112. Every individual living unit covered by this Section shall at least comply with the minimum provisions of Section 11-6, 1-and 2-Family Dwellings. 11-32. EXIT DETAILS 11-321. General 11-3211. Exits, arranged in accordance with 11-3221 and 11-3231 shall provide sufficient capacity to accommodate all occupants on the same basis as hotels, and using the same types of exit facilities, all as provided in 11-22 of Section 11-2 except as modified as follows. APARTMENTS 101-127 11-322. Number of Exits 11-3221. Every living unit shall have access to at least 2 separate exits which are remote from each other and are reached by travel in different directions, except that a common path of travel may be permitted for the first 35 feet (i.e., a dead-end corridor up to 35 feet long may be permitted) provided that a single exit may be per- mitted under any of the following conditions: a. Any living unit which has direct exit to the street or yard at ground level, or by way of an outside stairway or an enclosed stair- way with fire resistance rating of 1 hour or more serving that apart- ment only and not communicating with any floor below the floor of exit discharge or other area not a part of the apartment served. b. Any building of any height with not more than 4 living units per floor, with a smokeproof tower or an outside stairway as the exit, immediately accessible to all apartments served thereby. c. Any building not more than 3 stories in height with no floor below the floor of exit discharge, or, in case there is such a floor, with the street floor construction of at least 1-hour fire resistance, subject to the following conditions: 1. The stairway is completely enclosed with 1-hour fire-resistive construction with self-closing fire doors protecting all openings between the stairway enclosure and the building. 2. The stairway does not serve any floor below the floor of exit discharge. 3. All corridors serving as access to exits have at least a 1-hour fire-resistance rating. 4. There is not more than 20 feet of travel distance to reach an exit from the entrance door of any living unit. 11-323. Access to Exits 11-3231. Exits and means of access thereto shall be so located that: a. It will not be necessary to travel more than 50 feet within any individual living unit to reach the nearest exit, or to reach an en- trance door of the apartment which provides access through a public corridor to an exit on the same floor level. b. Within any individual living unit it will not be necessary to traverse stairs more than 1 story above and/or below the floor level of the nearest exit or entrance door to the apartment. c. The entrance door to any apartment is within 100 feet of an exit or within 150 feet in a building protected by automatic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4. 101-128 LIFE SAFETY CODE 11-324. Discharge from Exits 11-3241. Discharge from exits shall be the same as required for hotels, 11-2271 and 11-2272. 11-325. Exit Lighting and Signs 11-3251. Every public space, hallway, stairway, and other means of egress shall have illumination in accordance with Section 5-10. Any apartment building with more than 25 living units shall have Type 1 or Type 2 emergency exit lighting. 11-3252. Exit signs in accordance with Section 5-11 shall be pro- vided in all apartment buildings having more than one exit. 11-33. PROTECTION 11-331. Protection of Vertical Openings 11-3311. Protection of vertical openings shall be the same as re- quired for hotels, 11-2311 through 11-2315 except that there shall be no unprotected vertical opening in any building or fire section with only one exit. 11-332. Interior Finish 11-3321. Interior finish in accordance with Section 6-2, and sub- ject to the limitations and modifications therein specified shall be as follows: For new construction or new interior finish Exitways, Class A or B Lobbies, corridors and public spaces, Class A or B Individual living units, Class A, B, or C Existing interior finish Exitways, Class A or B Other spaces, Class A, B, or C 11-333. Alarm Systems 11-3331. Every apartment building, unless provided with auto- matic sprinkler protection in accordance with Section 6-4, or auto- matic fire alarms in accordance with Section 6-3 shall have manual fire alarm facilities in accordance with Section 6-3 if of more than 3 stories in height or more than 12 apartment units. DORMITORIES 101-129 11-334. Hazardous Areas 11-3341. Every hazardous area shall be separated from other part of the building by construction having a fire resistance rating of at least 1 hour and communicating openings shall be protected by ap- proved automatic or self-closing fire doors or such area shall be provided with automatic fire protection. Where the hazard is severe,both fire-resistive construction and automatic fire protection shall be used. Hazardous areas include: Boiler and heater rooms Rooms or spaces used for storage, Laundries in quantities deemed hazardous Repair shops by the authority having juris- diction, of combustible supplies and equipment 11-34. BUILDING SERVICE EQUIPMENT 11-341. Air Conditioning and Ventilation 11-3411. Air conditioning and ventilation, when provided, shall be in accordance with Chapter 7. SECTION 11-4. DORMITORIES 11-4111. Any dormitory complying with all the requirements for hotels may be accepted as such in which case the following pro- visions of Section 11-4 will not be applicable. 11-4112. Any dormitory divided into suites of rooms, with 1 or more bedrooms opening into a living room or study which has a door opening into a common corridor serving a number of suites, shall be classed as an apartment building and shall be subject to all requirements of Section 11-3 in which case the following provisions of Section 11-4 will not be applicable except 11-4331 which shall apply. 11-42. EXIT DETAILS 11-421. Types and Capacity of Exits 11-4211. Exits shall provide sufficient capacity to accommodate all occupants on the same basis as hotels, and using the same types of exit facilities, all as provided in 11-22 of Section 11-2 except as modified in the following paragraphs. 101-130 LIFE SAFETY CODE 11-4212. Any existing interior stair or fire escape not complying with Section 5-3 or Section 5-4 may be continued in use subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. 11-4213. Each street floor door shall be sufficient to provide 1 unit of exit width for each 50 persons capacity of the street floor, plus 1 unit for each unit of required stairway width discharging through the street floor. 11-422. Travel Distance to Exits 11-4221. Exits shall be so arranged that it will not be necessary to travel more than 100 feet from any point, or 150 feet in a build- ing protected by automatic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4, to reach the nearest outside door or stair, nor to traverse more than a 1-story flight of inside, unenclosed stairs. 11-423. Access to Exits 11-4231. Any dormitory not otherwise covered under 11-4111 and 11-4112 shall have exits so arranged that from any sleeping room or open dormitory sleeping area there will be access to 2 separate and distinct exits in different directions with no common path of travel unless the room or space is subject to occupancy by not more than 10 persons and has a door opening directly to the outside of the building at street or ground level, or to an outside stairway in which case 1 means of exit may be accepted. 11-424. Exit Lighting and Signs 11-4241. Every dormitory shall have exit lighting in accordance with Section 5-10. Any dormitory, subject to occupancy by more than 100 persons, shall have Type 1 or Type 2 emergency exit lighting and exit signs in accordance with Section 5-11. 11-43. PROTECTION 11-431. Protection of Vertical Openings 11-4311. Every exit stairway and other vertical opening shall be enclosed or protected in accordance with Section 6-1. In existing buildings not more than 2 stories in height of any type of construc- tion, unprotected openings may be permitted by the authority hav- ing jurisdiction if the building is protected by automatic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4; or if every sleeping room or area has direct access to an outside exit without the necessity of passing LODGING OR ROOMING HOUSES 101-131 through any corridor or other space exposed to any unprotected vertical opening and the building is equipped with an automatic fire detection system in accordance with Section 6-3. 11-432. Interior Finish 11-4321. All interior finish of dormitories shall be Class A or B in exits, in lobbies and corridors, Class A or Class B, Class C else- where, in accordance with Section 6-2. 11-433. Alarm Systems 11-4331. Any dormitory not equipped with an automatic fire detection system in accordance with Section 6-3, or an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 6-4,shall have a manual fire alarm system in accordance with Section 6-3. 11-44. BUILDING SERVICE EQUIPMENT 11-441. Air Conditioning and Ventilation 11-4411. Every air conditioning installation shall comply with Chapter 7. 11-4412. Transoms shall not be installed in sleeping rooms in new buildings. In existing buildings transoms shall be fixed in the closed position and shall be covered or otherwise protected to provide a fire resistance rating at least equivalent to that of the wall in which they are installed. SECTION 11-5. LODGING OR ROOMING HOUSES 11-5111. This part of this Section applies only to lodging or rooming houses providing sleeping accommodations for less than 15 persons as specified in 11-0001. 11-5112. In addition to the following provisions, every lodging or rooming house shall comply with the minimum requirements for 1-and 2-family dwellings. 11-52. EXIT DETAILS 11-521. Number, Type,and Access to Exits 11-5211. Every sleeping room above the street floor shall have ac- cess to 2 separate means of exit, at least one of which shall consist of 101-132 LIFE SAFETY CODE an enclosed interior stairway or an exterior stairway, or a fire escape or horizontal exit, all so arranged as to provide a safe path of travel to the outside of the building without traversing any corridor or space exposed to an unprotected vertical opening, except that traversing unprotected vertical openings may be per- mitted in existing sprinklered buildings. 11-5212. Any sleeping room below the street floor shall have direct access to the outside of the building. 11-53. PROTECTION 11-531. Alarm System 11-5311. A manual fire alarm system in accordance with Section 6-3 shall be provided unless the building is equipped with an auto- matic fire detection system in accordance with Section 6-3 or an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 6-4. SECTION 11-6. 1- AND 2-FAMILY DWELLINGS 11-6111. This part of this Section covers 1- and 2-family private dwellings as specified in 11-0001 and where the occupancy is so limited the only requirements applicable are those in 11-6211 through 11-6411. 11-62. EXIT DETAILS 11-621. Number, Type, and Access to Exits 11-6211. In any dwelling of more than 2 rooms, every room used for sleeping, living, or dining purposes shall have at least 2 means of egress, at least one of which shall be a door or stairway providing a means of unobstructed travel to the outside of the build- ing at street or ground level. No room or space shall be occupied for living or sleeping purposes which is accessible only by a ladder, folding stairs or through a trap door. 11-6212.* Every sleeping room, unless it has 2 doors providing separate ways of escape, or has a door leading outside of the build- ing directly, shall have at least 1 outside window which can be opened from the inside without the use of tools to provide a clear opening of not less than 22 inches in Ieast dimension and 5 square feet in area, with the bottom of the opening not more than 4 feet above the floor. 1- AND 2-FAMILY DWELLINGS 101-133 11-6213. No required path of travel to the outside from any room shall be through another room or apartment not under the im- mediate control of the occupant of the first room or his family, nor through a bathroom or other space subject to locking. 11-6214. No exit access from sleeping rooms to outside shall be less than 3 feet wide. 11-622. Doors 11-6221. Each door providing means of exit shall be not less than 24 inches wide. 11-6222. Every closet door latch shall be such that children can open the door from inside the closet. 11-6223. Every bathroom door lock shall be designed to permit the opening of the locked door from the outside in an emergency. 11-623. Stairs 11-6231. Every stairway shall comply at least with the minimum requirements for Class B stairs, as described in Section 5-3 in respect to width, risers and treads. 11-63. PROTECTION 11-6311. Interior finish of occupied spaces shall be no more haz- ardous than Class C as defined in Section 6-2; in existing buildings, Class D. 11-64. BUILDING SERVICE EQUIPMENT 11-641. Heating Equipment 11-6411. No stove or combustion heater shall be so located as to block escape in case of malfunctioning of the stove or heater which could result in a fire. 101-134 CHAPTER 12. MERCANTILE OCCUPANCIES SECTION 12-1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 12-11. OCCUPANCY AND OCCUPANT LOAD 12-111. Occupancy 12-1111. Mercantile occupancies shall include all buildings and structures or parts thereof with occupancy as described in 4-116. 12-112. Classification of Occupancy 12-1121. Mercantile occupancies shall be classified as follows: Class A. All stores having aggregate gross area of 30,000 square feet or more, or utilizing more than 3 floor levels for sales purposes. Class B. All stores of less than 30,000 square feet aggregate gross area, but over 3,000 square feet, or utilizing any balconies or mezzanines or any floors above or below the street floor level for sales purposes, except that if more than 3 floors are utilized,the store shall be Class A. Class C. All stores of 3,000 square feet or less gross area, used for sales purposes on the street floor only. (Balcony per- mitted, see 12-1123.) 12-1122. For the purpose of the classification in 12-1121, the aggregate gross area shall be the total gross area of all floors used for mercantile purposes, and where a store is divided into sections by fire walls, shall include the area of all sections used for sales purposes. Areas of floors not used for sales purposes, such as a floor below the street floor used only for storage and not open to the public, are not counted for the purposes of the above classifi- cations, but exits shall be provided for such nonsales areas in ac- cordance with their occupancy as specified by other Chapters of this Code. 12-1123.* A balcony or mezzanine floor having an area less than one-half of the floor below shall not be counted as a floor level for the purpose of applying the classification of 12-1121, but if there are 2 balcony or mezzanine floors, 1 shall be counted. 12-1124. Where a number of stores under different management are located in the same building or in adjoining buildings with no fire wall or other standard fire separations between, the aggre- gate gross area of all such stores shall be used in determining classification as per 12-1121. MERCANTILE OCCUPANCIES 101-135 12-113. Occupant Load 12-1131.* The occupant load of mercantile buildings or parts of buildings used for mercantile purposes shall be the maximum load as determined by the authority having jurisdiction, but not less than the following: a. Street floor, 1 person for each 30 square feet gross floor area. In stores with no street floor, but accessible directly from the street by stairs or escalators, the principal street floor at the point of entrance to the store shall be considered the main floor. In stores where, due to differences in grade of streets on different sides, there are 2 or more floors directly accessible from streets (not including alleys or similar back streets) each such floor shall be considered a street floor for the purpose of determining occupant load. b. Sales floors below the street floor, same as street floor. c. Upper floors, used for sales, 1 person for each 60 square feet gross floor area. d. Floors or sections used only for offices, storage, shipping and not open to the general public, 1 person for each 100 square feet gross floor area. e. Floors or sections used for assembly purposes, occupant load determined in accordance with Chapter 8. 12-1132. In case of mezzanines or balconies open to the floor below, or other unprotected vertical openings between floors as permitted by 12-1312, the occupant load (or area) of the mez- zanine or other subsidiary floor level shall be added to that of the street floor for the purpose of determining required exits, provided, however, that in no case shall the total number of exit units be less than would be required if all vertical openings were enclosed. 12-114. Classification of Contents 12-1141.* Mercantile occupancies shall be classed as ordinary hazard in accordance with Section 4-2, except that they shall be classified as high hazard if high hazard commodities are displayed or handled without protective wrappings or containers, in which case the following additional provisions shall apply: a. Exits shall be so located that not more than 75 feet of travel from any point is required to reach the nearest exit. b. From every point there shall be at least 2 exits accessible by travel in different directions (no common path of travel). c. All vertical openings shall be enclosed. 101-136 LIFE SAFETY CODE 12-12. EXIT DETAILS 12-121. General 12-1211* All exit facilities shall be in accordance with Chapter 5 and this Chapter 12, provided, however, only types of exits specified in 12-122 may be used as required exit facilities in any mercantile occupancy. 12-1212.* Where a stairway,escalator, outside stair,or ramp serves 2 or more upper floors, the same stairway or other exit required to serve any 1 upper floor may also serve other upper floors,except that no inside open stairway, escalator, or ramp may serve as a required egress facility from more than 1 floor. 12-1213. Where there are 2 or more floors below the street floor, the same stairway or other exit may serve all floors (same principle as stated in 12-1212 for upper floors), but all required exits from such areas shall be independent of any open stairways between street floor and the floor below it. 12-1214. Where a level outside exit from upper floors is possible owing to hills, such outside exits may serve instead of hozitonzal exits. If, however, such outside exits from the upper floor also serve as an entrance from a principal street, the upper floor shall be classed as a street floor in accordance with the definition in Chapter 3, and is subject to the requirements of this Section for street floors. 12-122. Types of Exits 12-1221. Exits shall be restricted to the following permissible types: Doors (see Section 5-2) Stairs, Class A or B, or smokeproof towers (see Section 5-3) Outside stairs (see Section 5-4) Horizontal exits (see Section 5-5) Ramps (see Section 5-6) Escalators (see Section 5-8) Any existing interior stair or fire escape not complying with Section 5-3 or Section 5-4 may be continued in use subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. 12-123. Capacity of Exits 12-1231. The capacity of a unit of exit width shall be as follows: MERCANTILE OCCUPANCIES 101-137 Doors leading to outside the building at the ground level or not more than 3 risers above or below the ground level 100 persons per unit of exit width Class A or B stairs or smokeproof towers or outside stairs 60 persons per unit of exit width Escalators, same as stairs if qualifying as required exits Horizontal exits 100 persons per unit of exit width 12-1232. In Class A and Class B stores, street floor exit doors or horizontal exit doors, located as required by 12-1251, 12-1252, and 12-1241 shall be sufficient to provide the following numbers of units of exit width: a. One unit for each 100 persons capacity of street floor, plus b. One and one-half units for each 2 units of required stairways discharging through the street floor from floors below, plus c. One and one-half units for each 2 units of required stairways discharging through the street floor, plus d. One and one-half units for each 2 units of escalator width dis- charging through the street floor where escalators qualify as re- quired exits or as means of access to required exits. e. If ramps are used instead of stairways, street floor doors shall be provided on the same basis as for stairways, with door width appropriate to the rated discharge of ramps, as per Section 5-6. 12-124. Number of Exits 12-1241.* In Class A and B stores at least 2 separate exits shall be accessible from every part of every floor including floors below the street floor. Such exits are to be as remote from each other as practicable and so arranged as to be reached by different paths of travel in different directions, except that a common path of travel may be permitted for the first 50 feet from any point. 12-1242. If the only means of customer entrance is through 1 exterior wall of the building, two-thirds of the required exit width shall be located in this wall. 12-1243. At least one-half of the required exits shall be so located as to be reached without going through check-out stands. In no case shall check-out stands or associated railings or barriers ob- struct exits or required aisles or approaches thereto. 101-138 LIFE SAFETY CODE 12-1244. In Class C stores, at least 2 separate exits shall be pro- vided as specified by 12-1241,except that where no part of the store is more than 50 feet from the street door measured along the natural path of travel, a second exit may be waived. 12-125. Location of Exits 12-1251. Exits shall be so located that no portion of any floor area will be more than 100 feet from the nearest exit, or 150 feet in a building protected by a complete automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 6-4. 12-1252. Distance to exits shall be measured from the most remote point, along the natural path of travel, except that where floor areas are divided into rooms not used for sales purposes, such as offices, rest rooms or stock rooms, the distance may be measured from the room door, provided the room is of such size and so ar- ranged that the maximum path of travel within the room to reach the room door does not exceed 50 feet. 12-126. Access to Exits 12-1261. At least 1 aisle of 5 feet minimum width shall lead directly to an exit and the aggregate width of this aisle and all other aisles leading to such exit must be at least equal to the re- quired width of the exit. 12-127. Discharge from Exits 12-1271* In buildings with automatic sprinkler protection in ac- cordance with Section 6-4, one-half of rated number of exit units of stairways,escalators or ramps serving as required exits,from floors above or below the street floor may discharge through the main street floor area instead of direct to the street, or through a fire- resistive passage to the street, provided that: a. Not more than one-half of the required exit units from any single floor considered separately discharge through the street floor area. b. The exits are enclosed in accordance with Section 6-1 to the street floor. c. The distance of travel from the termination of the enclosure to an outside street door is not more than 50 feet. d. The street floor doors provide sufficient units of exit width to serve exits discharging through the street floor in addition to the street floor itself, as per 12-1232. MERCANTILE OCCUPANCIES 101-139 12-128. Doors 12-1281. Every street floor door shall be in accordance with Sec- tion 5-2, and a horizontal exit door, if used, in accordance with Section 5-5, except that in Class C mercantile occupancies doors may swing in where such doors serve only the street floor area; all doors at the foot of stairs from upper floors or at the head of stairs leading to floors below the street floor shall swing with the exit travel. 12-1282* Where revolving doors are used to provide part of the required number of units of street floor exit width, such doors shall be used in accordance with the provisions of Section 5-2. 12-129. Signs and Lighting 12-1291. Every mercantile occupancy shall have exit illumination and signs in accordance with Sections 5-10 and 5-11. 12-1292. Every Class A store shall have emergency lighting fa- cilities conforming to Type 1 or Type 2 specifications of Section 5-10. 12-1293. Every Class B store shall have emergency lighting fa- cilities conforming to Type 1, 2, or 3 specifications of Section 5-10. 12-13. PROTECTION 12-131. Protection of Vertical Openings 12-1311.* Any stairway, elevator shaft, escalator opening or other vertical opening shall be enclosed or protected in accordance with Section 6-1 except as otherwise permitted by 12-1312, 12-1313, and 12-1314. 12-1312. Exceptions for Class A stores. a. In any Class A store, openings may be unprotected between any 2 floors, such as open stairs or escalators between street floor and the floor below, or open stairs to second floor or balconies or mezzanines above the street floor level (not both to the floor below the street floor and above unless sprinklered). b. In any Class A store with automatic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4, openings may be unprotected under the condi- tions permitted by 6-1112, or between the street floor and the floor below the street floor and between street floor and second floor, or if no openings to the floor below the street floor, between street floor, street floor balcony, or mezzanine, and second floor, but not more than between 3 floor levels. 101-140 LIFE SAFETY CODE C. In existing Class A stores only, 1 floor above those otherwise permitted may be open if such floor is not used for sales purposes and the entire building is sprinklered. 12-1313. Exceptions for Class B stores. a. In any Class B store, openings may be unprotected between any 2 floors, such as open stairs or escalators between street floor and the floor below, or between street floor and mezzanine or second floor (but not to both the floor below the street floor and above unless sprinklered). b. In any Class B store with automatic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4, openings may be unprotected under the conditions permitted in 6-1112, or between the floor below the street floor and street floor and between street floor and balcony or mezzanine and second floor. c. In any existing Class B store only,all floors permitted under Class B may have unprotected openings if the entire building is com- pletely sprinklered in accordance with Section 6-4. 12-1314. Exceptions for Class C stores. a. In any Class C store, openings may be unprotected between street floor and balcony. b. In an existing building only, openings may be unprotected be- tween street floor and the floor below or second floor not used for sales purposes. 12-132. Interior Finish 12-1321. Interior finish of exits of all stores shall be Class A or Class B, in accordance with Section 6-2. 12-1322. In any Class A or Class B store, interior finish of the ceiling shall be Class A or Class B in accordance with Section 6-2 unless completely sprinklered in accordance with Section 6-4, in which case Class C may be used. In any Class A or Class B store, interior finish of the walls shall be Class A, Class B, or Class C in accordance with Section 6-2. In any mercantile occupancy, ex- posed portions of structural members complying with the require- ments for heavy timber construction may be permitted. Laminated wood shall not delaminate under the influence of heat. 12-1323. In a Class C store, interior finish shall be Class A, B, or C, in accordance with Section 6-2. 12-133. Automatic Sprinklers 12-1331. Approved automatic sprinkler protection shall be in- MERCANTILE OCCUPANCIES 101-141 stalled in accordance with Section 6-4 in all mercantile occupancies as follows: a. In all 1-story buildings over 15,000 square feet in area. b. In all buildings over 1 story in height and exceeding 30,000 square feet in gross area. c. Throughout floors below the street floor having an area ex- ceeding 2,500 square feet when used for the manufacture, sale, storage, or handling of combustible goods and merchandise. 12-134. Areas Requiring Special Protection 12-1341. An area used for general storage, boiler or furnace rooms, fuel storage, janitor closets, maintenance shops including wood- working and painting areas, and kitchens shall be separated from other parts of the building by construction having a fire resistance rating of not less than 1 hour, and all openings shall be protected with self-closing fire doors, or such area shall be provided with auto- matic sprinkler protection. Where the hazard is severe, both the fire-resistive separation and automatic sprinklers shall be provided. 12-135. Alarms 12-1351. In any Class A or Class B building not provided with automatic fire detection in accordance with Section 6-3, or auto- matic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4, a manual fire alarm system shall be provided in accordance with Section 6-3. 12-14. BUILDING SERVICE EQUIPMENT 12-141. Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Cooking 12-1411. Air-Conditioning, Ventilating, Heating, Cooking, and other Service Equipment shall be in accordance with Chapter 7. 12-142. Elevators 12-1421. An elevator shall not constitute required means of exit. When Mercantile Occupancies are more than 3 stories high or more than 3 stories above the street floor and equipped with auto- matic elevators,one or more elevators shall be designed and equipped for fire emergency use by fire fighters as specified in 7-114. Key operation shall transfer automatic elevator operation to manual and bring elevator to the street floor for use of fire service. The elevator shall be situated so as to be readily accessible by the fire department. 101-142 LIFE SAFETY CODE SECTION 12-2. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR SELF-SERVICE STORES 12-2111. In any self-service store, no check-out stand or associated railings or barriers shall obstruct exits or required aisles or ap- proaches thereto. 12-2112. In every self-service store where wheeled carts or buggies are used by customers, adequate provision shall be made for the transit and parking of such carts to minimize the possibility that they may obstruct exits. SECTION 12-3. OPEN-AIR MERCANTILE OPERATIONS 12-3111. Open-air mercantile operations,such as open-air markets, gasoline filling stations, roadside stands for the sale of farm produce, and other outdoor mercantile operations shall be so arranged and conducted as to maintain free and unobstructed ways of travel at all times to permit prompt escape from any point of danger in case of fire or other emergency, but no dead ends in which persons might be trapped due to display stands, adjoining buildings, fences, vehicles, or other obstructions. 12-3112. If mercantile operations are conducted in roofed-over areas, they shall be treated as mercantile buildings, provided that canopies over individual small stands to protect merchandise from the weather shall not be construed to constitute buildings for the purposes of this Code. SECTION 12-4. COMBINED MERCANTILE AND RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCIES 12-4111. No dwelling unit shall have its sole means of exit through any mercantile occupancy in the same building, except in the case of a single family unit where the family operates the store. 12-4112. No multiple dwelling occupancy shall be located above a mercantile occupancy unless the dwelling occupancy and exits therefrom are separated from the mercantile occupancy by con- struction having a fire resistance of at least 1 hour,or unless the mer- cantile occupancy is protected by automatic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4, or in the case of existing buildings with not more than 2 dwelling units above the mercantile occupancy, by an automatic fire detection system in accordance with Section 6-3. SHOPPING MALLS 101-143 SECTION 12-5. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR SHOPPING MALLS 12-5111.—Definition a. Covered Mali. A covered or roofed interior area having a mini- mum horizontal dimension of 30 feet used as a pedestrian public way and connecting buildings and/or a group of buildings housing individual or multiple tenants. 12-512. General Requirements 12-5121. A covered mall and all buildings connected to it shall be treated as a single mercantile building and shall be subject to the requirements for mercantile occupancies. 12-5122. The covered mall portion shall be provided with not less than 12 feet of unobstructed pedestrian travel space parallel and adjacent to the connected buildings and extending to each mall exit. 101-144 • CHAPTER 13. OFFICE OCCUPANCIES SECTION 13-1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 13-11. OCCUPANCY, CLASSIFICATION, AND OCCU- PANT LOAD 13-111. Occupancy 13-1111. Any office occupancy shall include all buildings and struc- tures or parts thereof with occupancy as described in 4-117. 13-112. Classification of Contents 13-1121. An office occupancy shall be classified as ordinary haz- ard in accordance with Section 4-2. 13-113. Occupant Load 13-1131. For purposes of determining required exits, the oc- cupant load of office buildings, or parts of buildings used for office purposes, shall be the maximum load as determined by the au- thority having jurisdiction, but not less than 1 person per 100 square feet gross floor area. 13-1132. In the case of a mezzanine or balcony open to the floor below, or other unprotected vertical openings between floors as permitted by 13-1312 and 13-1313, the occupant load of the mez- zanine or other subsidiary floor level shall be added to that of the street floor for the purpose of determining required exits, pro- vided, however, that in no case shall the total number of exit units be less than would be required if all vertical openings were enclosed. 13-12. EXIT DETAILS 13-121. General 13-1211. All exit facilities shall be in accordance with Chapter 5 and this Chapter, provided, however, only types of exits specified in 13-122 may be used as required exit facilities in any office occupancy with access thereto and ways of travel .therefrom in accordance with Section 5-1. 13-1212. If owing to differences in grade, any street floor exits are at points above or below the street or ground level, such exits shall comply with the provisions for exits from upper floors or floors below the street floor. OFFICE OCCUPANCIES 101-145 13-1213* Where a stairway, escalator, outside stair, or ramp serves 2 or more upper floors, the same stairway or other exit re- quired to serve any one upper floor may also serve other upper floors, except that no inside open stairway, escalator, or ramp may serve as a required egress facility from more than 1 floor. 13-1214. Where 2 or more floors below the street floor are occu- pied for office use, the same stairways, escalators or ramps may serve each, except that no inside open stairway, escalators or ramp may serve as a required egress facility from more than 1 floor level. 13-1215. Floor levels below the street floor used only for storage, heating, and other service equipment, and not subject to office occupancy, shall have exits in accordance with Chapter 15. 13-122. Types of Exits 13-1221. Exits shall be restricted to the following permissible types: Doors (see Section 5-2) Stairs, Class A or B, or smokeproof towers (see Section 5-3) Outside stairs (see Section 5-4) Horizontal exits (see Section 5-5) Ramps (see Section 5-6) Escalators (see Section 5-8) Any existing interior stair or fire escape not complying with Section 5-3 or Section 5-4 may be continued in use subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. 13-1222. No slide escape, elevator or other type of exit facility not specified in 13-1221 shall be used to provide required exits from any office occupancy. 13-123. Measurement of Exit Width 13-1231. The minimum width of any corridor or passageway serving as a required exit or means of travel to or from a required exit shall be 44 inches in the clear. 13-124. Capacity of Exits 13-1241. The capacity of a unit of exit width shall be as follows: Doors leading outside the building at the ground level or not more than 3 risers above or below the ground level One unit for 100 persons Class A or Class B stairs, outside stairs or smokeproof towers One unit for 60 persons 101-146 LIFE SAFETY CODE Ramps Class A, one unit for 100 persons Class B, one unit for 60 persons Escalators One unit for 60 persons Horizontal exits One unit for 100 persons, but no more than 50 percent of exit capacity 13-1242. Any street floor exit, arranged as required by 13-125 and 13-126, shall be sufficient to provide the following numbers of units of exit width: a. One unit for each 100 persons capacity of the street floor, plus b. One and one-half units for each 2 units of stairway, ramp or escalator from upper floors discharging through the street floor, plus c. One and one-half units for each 2 units of stairway, ramp or escalator from floor levels below the street floor. 13-125. Number of Exits 13-1251. Not less than 2 exits shall be accessible from every part of every floor, including floor levels below the street floor occu- pied for office purposes or uses incidental thereto, except as 1 exit is permitted by 13-1252 and 13-1253. 13-1252. For a room or area with a total occupant load of less than 100 persons, having direct exit to the street or to an open area outside the building at the ground level, with a total travel dis- tance from any point of not over 100 feet, a single exit may be permitted. Such travel shall be on the same floor level, or if the traversing of stairs is required,these shall not be more than 15 feet in height, and such stairs shall be provided with complete en- closures to separate them from any other part of the building, with no door openings therein. 13-1253. Any 3-story office building not exceeding 3,000 square feet gross floor area per floor may be permitted with a single stair- way to the third floor, if the total travel distance to the outside of the building does not exceed 100 feet, if such stairway does not pro- vide any communication with floor below the street floor or the first or second floors, and if it is fully enclosed or is an outside stairway. 13-126. Travel Distance to Exits 13-1261. Exits shall be as remote from each other as practicable, OFFICE OCCUPANCIES 101-147 so arranged that it will not be necessary to travel more than 200 feet from any point in the building to reach the nearest exit, or 300 feet in a building protected by a complete automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 6-4. 13-1262.* No corridor shall have any dead end extending more than 50 feet beyond the point where exits are accessible in different directions. 13-127. Discharge of Exits 13-1271. In buildings completely protected by automatic sprin- klers in accordance with Section 6-4, one-half of required exits from floors above or below the street may discharge through the open street floor area under the same conditions as permitted for mercan- tile occupancies, 12-1271. 13-128. Signs and Lighting 13-1281. Signs designating exits or ways of travel thereto shall be provided in accordance with Section 5-11. 13-1282. Exit lighting shall be provided in accordance with Sec- tion 5-10. 13-1283. In any office building subject to occupancy by 1,000 or more persons, emergency lighting of Type 1, 2, or 3 shall be pro- vided in accordance with Section 5-10. 13-13. PROTECTION 13-131. Protection of Vertical Openings 13-1311. Every stairway, elevator shaft, escalator opening, and other vertical opening shall be enclosed or protected in accordance with Section 6-1 except as otherwise permitted by 13-1312 and 13-1313. 13-1312. Unprotected vertical openings connecting not more than 3 floors used for office occupancy only may be permitted in ac- cordance with the conditions of 6-1112. 13-1313. In existing buildings only, where provided with complete automatic sprinkler protection in accordance with Section 6-4, vertical openings may be unprotected if no unprotected vertical opening serves as any part of any required exit facility, and all re- quired exits consist of smokeproof towers in accordance with Sec- 101-148 LIFE SAFETY CODE tion 5-3, outside stairs in accordance with Section 5-4, or horizontal exits in accordance with Section 5-5. 13-1314. Floors below the street floor used for storage or other than office occupancy shall have no unprotected openings to office occupancy floors. 13-132. Interior Finish 13-1321. Interior finish of exits, and of enclosed corridors furnish- ing access thereto, or ways of travel therefrom shall be Class A or Class B in accordance with Section 6-2, or Class C if sprinklered in accordance with Section 6-4. 13-1322. In general office areas, Class A, Class B, or Class C interior finish shall be provided in accordance with Section 6-2. 13-133. Alarms 13-1331. In any building not provided with automatic fire de- tection in accordance with Section 6-3, or automatic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4, a manual fire alarm system shall ` be provided in accordance with Section 6-3 if the total capacity of the building is over 1,000 persons, or if more than 200 persons are employed above or below the street floor. 13-14. BUILDING SERVICE EQUIPMENT 13-141. Air Conditioning, Heating, and Cooking 13-1411. Air conditioning, ventilation, heating, cooking, and other service equipment shall be in accordance with Chapter 7. 13-142. Elevators 13-1421. An elevator shall not constitute required means of exit. When office occupancies are more than 3 stories high or more than 3 stories above the street floor and equipped with automatic ele- vators, one or more elevators shall be designed and equipped for fire emergency use by fire fighters as specified in 7-114. Key opera- tion shall transfer automatic elevator operation to manual and bring elevator to the street floor for use of fire service. The elevator shall be situated so as to be readily accessible by the fire department. COMBINED OFFICE, MERCANTILE OCCUPANCY 101-149 SECTION 13-2. COMBINED OFFICE AND MERCANTILE OCCUPANCY 13-2111. In any building occupied both for office and mercantile purposes, the entire building shall have exits in accordance with Chapter 13, unless mercantile occupancy sections are effectively segregated from office occupancy sections in which case exit fa- cilities may be treated separately. 101-150 CHAPTER 14. INDUSTRIAL OCCUPANCIES SECTION 14-1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 14-11. OCCUPANCY AND OCCUPANT LOAD 14-111. Occupancy 14-1111. Industrial occupancies include factories making products of all kinds and properties used for operations such a§ processing, assembling, mixing, packaging, finishing or decorating, repairing, and similar operations. They shall be subdivided for the purposes of this Code into the following groups: a. General Industrial Occupancy. Includes all manufacturing operations, except high hazard, conducted in buildings of con- ventional design suitable for various types of manufacture. This group may include multistory buildings where floors are rented to different tenants, or buildings suitable for such occupancy and therefore subject to possible use for types of manufacturing with a high density of employee population such as in garment factories. (This covers ordinary and low hazard with moderate and high population density.) b. Special Purpose Industrial Occupancy. Includes all build- ings, except high hazard occupancy, designed for and suitable only for particular types of operations, characterized by a relatively low density of employee population with much of the area occupied by machinery or equipment. (This covers ordinary and low hazard with low population density.) c.* High Hazard Industrial Occupancy. Includes those buildings having contents which are liable to burn with extreme rapidity or from which poisonous fumes or explosions are to be feared in the event of fire. d. Open Industrial Structures. Includes operations conducted in the open air as distinguished from enclosure within buildings, such as often found in oil refining and chemical processing plants where equipment is in the open with platforms used for necessary access, sometimes with roofs or canopies to provide some shelter, but no walls. 14-112. Occupant Load 14-1121.* The occupant load of industrial occupancies for which GENERAL INDUSTRIAL OCCUPANCIES 101-151 exits are to be provided shall be 1 person per 100 square feet gross floor area provided that in Special Purpose Industrial Oc- cupancy and for Open Structures, the occupant load shall be the maximum number of persons to occupy the area under any probable conditions, and further provided that in existing in- dustrial occupancies, the authority having jurisdiction may waive requirements for additional exits if the existing exits are adequate for the maximum number of persons actually employed. 14-1122. Every auditorium, restaurant, office, garage and medical facility in connection with industrial occupancies has exits provided in accordance with the other applicable sections of this Code. 14-1123. Exit requirements for specific occupancies shall comply with this Chapter except as may be modified by a specific occu- pancy standard listed in Appendix B. SECTION 14-2. GENERAL INDUSTRIAL OCCUPANCIES 14-21. EXIT DETAILS 14-211. General 14-2111. Each required exit shall be in accordance with the appli- cable sections of Chapter 5, with access thereto and ways of travel therefrom in accordance with Section 5-1. 14-2112.* Where any stairway, escalator, outside stair, or ramp serves 2 or more upper floors, the same stairway or other exit re- quired to serve any 1 upper floor may also serve other upper floors, except that no inside open stairway, escalator or ramp may serve as a required egress facility from more than 1 floor. 14-2113. No slide escape or other type of exit facility not specified in 14-2121 shall be used to provide required exits from any ordinary hazard industrial occupancy. 14-2114. Where 2 or more stories below the floor of exit discharge are occupied for industrial use, the same stairways, escalators or ramps may serve each, except that no inside open stairway, escalator or ramp may serve as a required egress facility from more than 1 floor level. 14-2115. Any floor below the street floor used only for storage, heating, and other service equipment, and not subject to industrial occupancy, shall have exits in accordance with Chapter 15. 14-212. Types of Exits 14-2121. Exits shall be restricted to the following permissible types: 101-152 LIFE SAFETY CODE Doors (see Section 5-2) Stairs, Class A or B, or smokeproof towers (see Section 5-3) Outside stairs (see Section 5-4) Horizontal exits (see Section 5-5) Ramps (see Section 5-6) Escalators (see Section 5-7) Any existing interior stair or fire escape not complying with Section 5-3 or Section 5-4 may be continued in use subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. 14-213. Measurement of Width of Exits 14-2131* The minimum width of any corridor or passageway serving as a required exit or means of travel to or from a required exit shall be 44 inches in the clear. 14-214. Capacity of Exits 14-2141. The capacity of a unit of exit width shall be as follows: Doors leading outside the building at ground level or not more than 3 risers above or below ground level One unit for 100 persons Class A or Class B stairs, outside stairs or smokeproof towers One unit for 60 persons Ramps Class A, one unit for 100 persons Class B, one unit for 60 persons Escalators One unit for 60 persons Horizontal exits One unit for 100 persons, but not more than 50 percent of exit capacity 14-2142. Any exit at the floor of exit discharge shall be sufficient to provide the following numbers of units of exit width: a. One unit for each 100 persons capacity of the floor of exit discharge, plus b. One and one-half units for each 2 units of stairway, ramp, or escalator from upper floors discharging through the floor of exit discharge, plus c. One and one-half units for each 2 units of stairway, ramp, or escalator from floors below the floor of exit discharge discharging through the street floor. GENERAL INDUSTRIAL OCCUPANCIES 101-153 14-215. Number of Exits 14-2151. Not less than 2 exits shall be provided for every floor or section, including floors below the floor of exit discharge used for industrial purposes or uses incidental thereto, except as a single exit as permitted by 14-2152. 14-2152. For rooms or areas with a total capacity of less than 25 persons having direct exit to the street or to an open area outside the building at ground level, with a total travel distance from any point of not over 50 feet, a single exit may be permitted. Such travel shall be on the same floor level, or if the traversing of stairs is re- quired, there shall not be a vertical travel of more than 15 feet, and such stairs shall be provided with complete enclosures to separate them from any other part of the building, with no door openings therein. 14-216. Travel Distance to Exits 14-2161. Exits shall be as remote from each other as practicable, so arranged that it will not be necessary to travel more than 100 feet from any point to reach the nearest exit, or 150 feet in a building protected by a complete automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 6-4, except as otherwise permitted by 14-2162. 14-2162. In any building used for aircraft assembly or other occu- pancy requiring undivided floor areas so large that the distances from points within the area to the nearest outside walls where exit doors could be provided are in excess of 150 feet, requirements for distance to exits may be satisfied by providing stairs leading to exit tunnels or to overhead passageways in accordance with Sec- tion 5-7. In cases where such arrangements are not practicable the authority having jurisdiction may, by special ruling, permit other exit arrangements for 1-story buildings with distances in excess of the maximum distances specified in 14-2161 if complete automatic sprinkler protection is provided and if the height of ceilings, ceiling curtain boards, and roof ventilation is such as to minimize the pos- sibility that employees will be overtaken by the spread of fire or smoke within 6 feet of the floor level before they have time to reach exits, provided, however, that in no case may the distance of travel to reach the nearest exit exceed 400 feet. Where smoke venting is required as a condition for permitting distances of travel to exits in excess of the maximum otherwise allowed, the smoke venting arrangement shall be in accordance with 7-112. 14-2163* From every point there shall be at least 2 separate exits accessible (except as provided by 14-2152), so arranged as to be reached by different paths of travel in different directions except 101-154 LIFE SAFETY CODE that a common path of travel may be permitted for the first 50 feet from any point,i.e.,no dead end may be more than 50 feet deep. 14-217. Discharge from Exits 14-2171.* A maximum of 50 percent of the exits may discharge through areas on the floor of discharge provided: a. Such exits discharge to a free and unobstructed way to the ex- terior of the building, which way is readily visible and identifiable from the point of discharge from the exit. b. The floor of discharge into which the exit discharges is pro- vided with automatic sprinkler protection and any other portion of the level of discharge with access to the discharge area is provided with automatic sprinkler protection or separated from it in ac- cordance with the requirements for the enclosure of exits(see 5-114). Exception: If the discharge area is a vestibule or foyer with no dimension exceeding 10 feet and separated from the remainder of the floor of discharge by construction providing protection at least the equivalent of wired glass in steel frames, and serving only for means of egress including exits directly to the outside, the require- ments of 11-2272(b) may be waived. c. The entire area on the floor of discharge is separated from areas below by construction having a minimum of 2-hour fire-resistance rating. 14-218. Signs, Lighting, Alarms 14-2181. Signs designating exits or ways of travel thereto shall be provided in accordance with Section 5-11. 14-2182. Exit lighting shall be provided in accordance with Sec- tion 5-10. 14-2183. In any building not provided with automatic fire de- tection facilities in accordance with Section 6-3, or automatic sprin- klers in accordance with Section 6-4, a manual fire alarm system shall be provided in accordance with Section 6-3 if the total capa- city of the building is over 100 persons, or if more than 25 persons are employed above or below the street level, except that no manual fire alarm system shall be required in 1-story buildings where the entire area is undivided and all parts thereof are clearly visible to all occupants. SPECIAL PURPOSE OCCUPANCY 101-155 14-22. PROTECTION 14-221. Protection of Vertical Openings 14-2211. Every stairway, elevator shaft, escalator opening, and other vertical opening shall be enclosed or protected in accordance with Section 6-1 except as otherwise permitted by 14-2212 and 14-2213. 14-2212. Unprotected vertical openings connecting not more than 3 stories used for industrial occupancy only may be permitted in accordance with the conditions of 6-1112, with automatic sprin- kler protection. 14-2213. In any existing building only, where provided with com- plete automatic sprinkler protection in accordance with Section 6-4, vertical openings may be unprotected if no unprotected vertical opening serves as any part of any required exit facility, and all required exits consist of smokeproof towers in accordance with Section 5-3, outside stairs in accordance with Section 5-4, or hori- zontal exits in accordance with Section 5-5. 14-222. Interior Finish 14-2221. Interior finish shall be Class A, Class B, or Class C unless otherwise permitted by the authority having jurisdiction. SECTION 14-3. SPECIAL PURPOSE INDUSTRIAL OCCUPANCY 14-3111. Special purpose industrial occupancies, as defined in 14-1111, shall have exits and other features in accordance with the provisions for general industrial occupancy, except as modified in this Section. 14-32. EXIT DETAILS 14-321. Number of Exits 14-3211. Exits need be provided only for the persons actually em- ployed; spaces not subject to human occupancy because of the presence of machinery or equipment may be excluded from con- sideration. 14-33. PROTECTION 14-331. Protection of Vertical Openings 101-156 LIFE SAFETY CODE 14-3311. Where unprotected vertical openings are necessary to manufacturing operations they may be permitted beyond the limits specified for General Industrial Occupancy, provided that every floor level has direct access to 1 or more enclosed stairways or other exits protected against obstruction by any fire in the open areas connected by the unprotected vertical openings or smoke therefrom. SECTION 14-4. HIGH HAZARD INDUSTRIAL OCCUPANCY 14-4111. High hazard industrial occupancy as defined in 14-1111c shall comply with the provisions for General Industrial Occupancy, except as modified by the following paragraphs. 14-42. EXIT DETAILS 14-421. Types of Exits 14-4211. In addition to the types of exits for upper floors specified for General Industrial Occupancy, approved slide escapes may be used as required exits for both new and existing buildings. Slide escapes shall only be counted as exits when regularly used in drills, or for normal exit, so that occupants are, through practice, familiar with their use. 14-422. Number of Exits 14-4221. From every point in every floor area there shall be at least 2 exits accessible in different directions. Where floor areas are divided into rooms, there shall be at least 2 ways of escape from every room, however small, except for toilet rooms so located that the points of access thereto are out of or suitably shielded from areas of high hazard. 14-423. Travel Distance to Exits 14-4231. Exits shall be so located that it will not be necessary to travel more than 75 feet from any point to reach the nearest exit. 14-43. PROTECTION 14-431. Protection of Vertical Openings HIGH HAZARD OCCUPANCY 101-157 14-4311. Every vertical opening in a new or existing building of high hazard occupancy shall be enclosed or protected in accordance with Section 6-1, except that where unprotected openings are necessary to a manufacturing operation they may be permitted by the authority having jurisdiction subject to such restrictions as to occupancy, exits, and other features as the authority having juris- diction may specify to offset the hazard of the unprotected vertical openings. 14-432. Automatic Sprinklers, Explosion Venting 14-4321. Every high hazard occupancy shall have automatic sprinkler protection or such other protection as may be appropriate to the particular hazard, including explosion venting for any area subject to an explosion hazard, designed to minimize danger to occupants in case of fire or other emergency before they have time to utilize exits to escape. SECTION 14-5. OPEN INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURES 14-5111. Open industrial structures,as defined in 14-1111d, shall have exit facilities such as to provide at least 1 means of escape from any point subject to human occupancy, such means of escape affording reasonable safety from any probable fire or smoke there- from, explosion or release of fumes, all in general conformity with the general provisions of this Chapter of the Code in so far as applicable, with due allowance for the increased safety inherent in any open structure where any heat, smoke, or fumes will not be confined by walls or roofs. 14-5112. Where subject to occupancy by more than 10 persons, at least 1 additional means of escape shall be provided. • 101-158 CHAPTER 15. STORAGE OCCUPANCIES SECTION 15-1. GENERAL STORAGE OCCUPANCIES 15-11. OCCUPANCY AND CLASSIFICATION 15-111. Occupancy 15-1111. Storage occupancies shall include all occupancies de- fined in 4-119. Areas of storage occupancies which are used for the purpose of packaging, labeling, sorting, special handling, or other operations requiring an occupant load greater than normally con- templated for storage occupancies shall be classified as industrial occupancy. 15-112. Classification of Contents 15-1121* Storage occupancies shall be classified as ordinary haz- ard, high hazard, or low hazard in accordance with Section 4-2, depending upon the character of the materials stored, their pack- aging, and other factors. 15-12. EXIT DETAILS 15-121. Number of Exits 15-1211. Every building or structure used for storage, and every section thereof considered separately, shall have access to at least 1 exit so arranged and located as to provide a suitable means of escape for any persons employed therein, and in any room or space exceeding 15,000 square feet gross area, or where more than 10 persons may be normally present, at least 2 separate means of exit shall be available, as remote from each other as practicable. 15-1212. Every storage area shall have access to at least 1 means of exit which can be readily opened, not subject to locking at any time that any persons are therein,and not dependent on any power- operated doors except power-operated doors complying with 5-218. 15-122. Travel Distance to Exits 15-1221. Every area used for the storage of high hazard com- modities shall have an exit within 75 feet of any point in the area where persons may be present, or 100 feet where automatic sprin- kler protection in accordance with Section 6-4 is provided,distances to be measured along the natural path of travel. GARAGES 101-159 SECTION 15-2. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR GARAGES 15-2111.* The following provisions apply to parking garages of closed or open type, above or below ground, but not to mechanical or exclusively attendant parking facilities, which are not occupied by customers and thus requiring a minimum of exits. Where repair operations are conducted the exits shall comply with Chapter 14, Ordinary Hazard Industrial Occupancy, in addition to compliance with the following paragraphs. 15-2112. Where both parking and repair operations are conducted in the same building, the entire building shall comply with Chapter 14, unless the parking and repair sections are effectively separated by fire-resistive construction in which the parking and repair sec- tion may be treated separately. 15-22. EXIT DETAILS 15-221. General 15-2211. On the street floor at least 2 separate exit doors shall be provided in accordance with Section 5-2, except that any opening for the passage of automobiles may serve as a means of exit, pro- vided that no door or shutter is installed thereon. Street floor exits in closed garages shall be so arranged that no point in the area is more than 100 feet from the nearest exit, or 150 feet in the case of garages protected by automatic sprinklers in accordance with Sec- tion 6-4, distance being measured along the natural path of travel. 15-2212. On floors above the street at least 2 means of exit shall be provided, one of which shall be an enclosed stairway, smoke- proof tower, or outside stair in accordance with Sections 5-3 and 5-4, or a horizontal exit in accordance with Section 5-5. The other means of egress may be a second exit of any of the types permitted by the preceding sentence,or in a ramp-type garage with open ramps not subject to closure, the ramp may serve as the second means of exit. 15-2213. On floors below the floor of exit discharge at least 2 exits shall be provided, not counting any automobile ramps except that for garages extending only 1 floor level below the floor of exit dis- charge, a ramp leading direct to the outside may constitute 1 re- quired means of exit. 101-160 LIFE SAFETY CODE 15-2214.* If any gasoline pumps are located within any closed parking garage, exits shall be so located that travel away from the gasoline pump in any direction will lead to an exit, with no dead end in which occupants might be trapped by fire or explosion at any gasoline pump. Such exit shall lead to the outside of the building on the same level, or down stairs; no upward travel permitted unless direct outside exits are available from that floor. Any story below the story at which gasoline is being dispensed shall have exits direct to the outside via outside stairs or doors at ground level. 15-222. Travel Distance to Exits 15-2221. Every floor of every closed parking garage shall have ac- cess to at least 2 separate means of exit, so arranged that from any point in the garage the paths of travel to the 2 means of exit will be in different directions except that a common path of travel may be permitted for the first 50 feet from any point. 15-2222. Upper floor exits in closed garages shall be so arranged that no point in the area will be more than 100 feet (measured along the line of travel) from the nearest exit other than a ramp on the same floor level, or 150 feet in the case of garages protected by auto- matic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4. 15-2223. Exits at the floor of discharge in closed garages shall be so arranged that no point in the area is more than 100 feet from the nearest exit, or 150 feet in the case of garages protected by auto- matic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4, distance being measured along the natural path of travel. 15-2224. In garages below the floor of exit discharge, exits shall be so arranged that no part of the area will be more than 100 feet (measured along the line of travel) from the nearest exit stair. 15-223. Signs 15-2231. Exit signs, in accordance with Section 5-11, shall be provided for all required exits, or ways of travel to reach exits, ex- cept that ramps and doors for automobiles need not have signs. AIRCRAFT HANGARS, GRAIN ELEVATORS 101-161 SECTION 15-3. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR AIRCRAFT HANGARS 15-31. EXIT DETAILS 15-311. General 15-3111.* Exits from aircraft storage or servicing areas shall be provided at intervals of not more than 150 feet on all exterior walls of aircraft hangars. There shall be a minimum of 2 exits serving each aircraft storage or servicing area. Horizontal exits through interior fire walls shall be provided at intervals of not more than 100 feet. Dwarf or "smash" doors in doors accommo- dating aircraft may be used to comply with these requirements. All doors designated as exits shall be kept unlocked in the direc- tion of exit travel while area is occupied. 15-3112. Exits from mezzanine floors in aircraft storage or servicing areas shall be so arranged that the maximum travel to reach the nearest exit from any point on the mezzanine shall not exceed 75 feet. Such exits shall lead directly to a properly enclosed stair- well discharging directly to the exterior or to a suitably cutoff area or to outside stairs. 15-312. Signs 15-3121. Exit signs shall be provided over doors and exitways in accordance with Section 5-11. SECTION 15-4. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR GRAIN ELEVATORS 15-4111.* In grain elevators, there shall be at least 1 stair tower from stories below the floor of exit discharge to the floor of exit discharge and from the floor of exit discharge to the top floor of the working house enclosed in a dust-tight noncombustible shaft. 15-4112. Noncombustible doors of the self-closing type shall be provided at each floor landing. 15-4113. An exterior stair or basket ladder type fire escape shall be provided from the roof of the working house to ground level or to the roof of an adjoining annex with access from all floors above the floor of exit discharge. 15-4114. An exterior stair or basket ladder type fire escape shall be provided from the roof of each storage annex to ground level. 101-162 CHAPTER 16. MISCELLANEOUS STRUCTURES 16-0001. Any building or structure occupied for purposes not covered by Chapters 8 through 16 shall have exits and related safeguards in accordance with the fundamental principles of this Code as stated in Chapter 2, and shall comply with the following provisions where applicable. SECTION 16-1. TOWERS 16-1111* Any tower occupied for purposes such as observation, signaling, either an independent structure or on top of a building, shall be permitted with a single stairway or ramp exit if all of the following conditions are met: a. The tower is of such size as not to be subject to occupancy by more than 25 persons on any one floor level. b. The tower is subject only to occupancy by able-bodied persons and is not used for living or sleeping purposes. c. The construction is fire-resistive, noncombustible or heavy tim- ber. The interior finish, if any, is Class A or Class B (see Section 6-2), and there are no combustible materials in, under, or in the immediate vicinity of the tower except necessary furniture such as chairs or benches. 16-1112. In each tower where there is no occupancy below the top floor level and the conditions of 16-1111 are met, stairs may be open with no enclosure required, or where the structure is entirely open, fire-escape type stairs may be used. 16-1113. Stairs shall be Class B for new construction, but may be outside stairs or fire-escape type stairs for existing towers. 16-1114. A tower such as a forest fire observation tower and a railroad signal tower designed for occupancy only by not more than 3 persons employed therein may be of any type of construction, and may be served by ladders instead of stairs, provided, however, MISCELLANEOUS STRUCTURES 101-163 that if used for living or sleeping purposes it shall at least comply with exit requirements for private dwellings, Section 11-6. SECTION 16-2. PIERS AND WATER-SURROUNDED STRUCTURES 16-2111. Every pier occupied as a place of amusement, passenger terminal, or used for any purpose other than for the mooring of vessels and handling of cargo shall be provided with means of exit from any structures thereon and to the mainland appropriate to the character of occupancy of the pier in general accordance with the applicable sections of Chapters 8 through 16. 16-2112* Any pier, occupied as per 16-2111,extending more than 150 feet from the shore shall be so arranged as to minimize the possibility that fire in or under the pier may block escape of oc- cupants to shore, by one or more of the following measures: a. Pier so arranged as to provide 2 separate ways of travel to shore, as by 2 well-separated walkways or independent structures. b. Open, fire-resistive pier deck on noncombustible supports. c. Pier deck provided with automatic sprinkler protection for combustible substructure and for superstructure, if any. d. Pier is completely open and unobstructed and is 50 feet or more in width if less than 500 feet long or its width is not less than 10 percent of its length if over 500 feet long. e. Any other arrangement providing equivalent safety, as approved by the authority having jurisdiction. 16-2113. Any building or structure surrounded by water, such as a lighthouse or "Texas tower," shall have sufficient outside area of ground as on an island, or fire-resistive platform, to provide an adequate area of refuge from any fire in the structure. Means shall be available for transportation of occupants away from such struc- tures to the mainland or other places of safety, such as by boat or helicopter, in case of fire or other emergency, within a reasonable period of time. SECTION 16-3. VEHICLES AND VESSELS 16-3111.* Any house trailer or similar vehicle, railroad car, street car, truck or bus from which the wheels have been removed, a 101-164 LIFE SAFETY CODE permanent-type foundation provided, or otherwise fixed so that it is not mobile shall be considered as a building and shall be subject to the requirements of this Code which are applicable to buildings of similar occupancy. 16-3112. Any ship, barge, or other vessel which is permanently moored or aground and is occupied for purposes other than navi- gation shall be subject to the requirements of this Code applicable to buildings of similar occupancy. SECTION 16-4. UNDERGROUND STRUCTURES AND WINDOWLESS BUILDINGS 16-41. GENERAL 16-4111.* Any fire area subject to occupancy by 100 or more persons, from which there is no direct access to outdoors or to another fire area, and no outside light or ventilation through windows, shall be equipped with complete automatic sprinkler pro- tection in accordance with Section 6-4. 16-4112. Any underground structure, building, or floor area lack- ing direct outside access or windows and having combustible con- tents, interior finish, or construction, if subject to occupancy by more than 1,000 persons shall have automatic smoke venting facil- ities in accordance with Chapter 7 in addition to automatic sprin- kler protection. 16-4113. Any underground structure, or windowless building for which no natural lighting is provided, subject to occupancy by more than 100 persons in any room or fire area, shall be provided with Type 1, 2, or 3 emergency exit lighting in accordance with Section 5-9, provided that where the occupancy is such as to re- quire a specific type of emergency lighting such requirements shall govern. 16-42. UNDERGROUND STRUCTURES 16-4211. Where required exits from underground structures in- volve upward travel, such as ascending stairs or ramps, such up- ward exits shall be cut off from main floor areas and shall be pro- UNDERGROUND STRUCTURES 101-165 vided with outside smoke venting facilities or other means to pre- vent the exits serving as flues for smoke from any fire in the area served by the exits, thereby making the exits impassable. 16-43. WINDOWLESS BUILDINGS 16-4311. Every windowless building shall be provided with out- side access panels on each floor level, designed for fire department access from ladders for purposes of ventilation and rescue of trapped occupants. 101-166 CHAPTER 17. OPERATING FEATURES SECTION 17-1. GENERAL 17-11. FIRE EXIT DRILLS 17-1111.* Fire exit drills conforming to the provisions of this Chap- ter of the Code shall be regularly conducted in schools through grade 12 and in other occupancies where specified by the provisions of Chapters 8 through 16, or by appropriate action of the enforcing authority having jurisdiction, but with any necessary modifications in detail of procedures to make the drills most effective for their intended purpose in any individual building. 17-1112. Fire exit drills, where required, shall be held with suf- ficient frequency to familiarize all occupants with the drill procedure and to have the conduct of the drill a matter of established routine. 17-1113* Drills shall be held at unexpected times and under varying conditions to simulate the unusual conditions obtaining in case of fire. 17-1114. Responsibility for the planning and conduct of drills shall be assigned only to competent persons qualified to exercise leadership. 17-1115. In the conduct of drills emphasis shall be placed upon orderly evacuation under proper discipline rather than upon speed as such; no running or horseplay shall be permitted. 17-1116.* Drills shall include suitable procedures to make sure that all persons in the building, or all persons subject to the drill, ac- tually participate. 17-1117. Fire alarm facilities, where available, shall be regularly used in the conduct of fire exit drills. 17-1118.* Fire exit drills in schools shall not include any fire ex- tinguishing operations. 17-12. FURNISHINGS AND DECORATIONS 17-1211. No furnishings, decorations, or other objects shall be so placed as to obstruct exits, access thereto, egress therefrom, or visibility thereof. OPERATING FEATURES 101-167 17-1212.* Flammable furnishings or decorations shall be flame retardant where required by the applicable provisions of this Chapter. 17-1213.* No furnishings or decorations of an explosive or highly flammable character shall be used in any place of assembly or other occupancy except private dwellings. 17-13. AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEMS 17-1311.* All automatic sprinkler systems required by this Code shall be continuously maintained in reliable operating condition at all times, and such periodic inspections and tests shall be made as are necessary to assure proper maintenance. 17-14. ALARM AND FIRE DETECTION SYSTEMS 17-1411. Systems shall be under the supervision of a responsible person who shall cause proper tests to be made at specified inter- vals and have general charge of all alterations and additions. 17-1412. Systems shall be tested at not less than weekly intervals, except as otherwise specified by the applicable provisions of Chap- ters 8 through 16. 17-1413. Fire alarm signaling equipment shall be restored to serv- ice as promptly as possible after each test or alarm, and shall be kept in normal condition for operation. Equipment requiring re- winding or replenishing shall be rewound or replenished as promptly as possible after each test or alarm. 17-15. FIRE RETARDANT PAINTS 17-1511. Fire retardant paints or solutions shall be renewed at such intervals as necessary to maintain the necessary flame re- tardant properties. 17-16. RECOGNITION OF MEANS OF EGRESS 17-1611. Hangings or draperies shall not be placed over exit doors or otherwise located as to conceal or obscure any exit. Mirrors shall not be placed on exit doors. Mirrors shall not be placed in or adjacent to any exit in such a manner as to confuse the direction of exit. 101-168 LIFE SAFETY CODE SECTION 17-2. PLACES OF ASSEMBLY 17-211. Drills 17-2111.* The employees or attendants of places of public assembly shall be schooled or drilled in the duties they are to perform in case of fire, panic, or other emergency in order to be of greatest service in effecting orderly exit of assemblages. 17-212. Open Flame Devices 17-2121* No open flame lighting devices shall be used in any place of assembly except: a. Where necessary for ceremonial or religious purposes the au- thority having jurisdiction may permit open flame lighting under such restrictions as are necessary to avoid danger of ignition of combustible materials or injury to occupants. b. Open flame devices may be used on stages where a necessary part of theatrical performances, provided adequate precautions, satisfactory to the authority having jurisdiction are taken to pre- vent ignition of any combustible materials. c. Gas lights may be permitted provided adequate precautions satisfactory to the authority having jurisdiction are taken to pre- vent ignition of any combustible materials. d. As permitted in 17-213. 17-213. Special Food Service Devices 17-2131. Portable cooking equipment,not flue-connected, shall be permitted only as follows: a. Equipment fueled by small heat sources which can be readily extinguished by water, such as candles or alcohol-burning equip- ment (including "solid alcohol"), may be used provided adequate precautions satisfactory to the authority having jurisdiction are taken to prevent ignition of any combustible materials. b. Candles may be used on tables used for food service if securely supported on substantial noncombustible bases, so located as to avoid danger of ignition of combustible materials, and only if ap- proved by the authority having jurisdiction. Candle flames shall be protected. PLACES OF ASSEMBLY 101-169 c. "Flaming Sword" or other equipment involving open flames and flamed dishes such as cherries jubilee, crepes suzette, etc., may be permitted provided necessary precautions are taken, and sub- ject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. 17-214. Smoking 17-2141. Smoking in places of assembly may be regulated by the authority having jurisdiction. 17-2142. In rooms or areas where smoking is prohibited, plainly visible "NO SMOKING" signs shall be posted. 17-2143. No person shall smoke in prohibited areas which are so posted. The authority having jurisdiction may permit smoking on a stage only when it is a necessary and rehearsed part of a per- formance, and only by a regular performing member of the cast. 17-2144. Where smoking is permitted, suitable ash trays or re- ceptacles should be provided in convenient locations. 17-215. Decorations and Stage Scenery 17-2151. Combustible materials shall be treated with an effective flame retardant material. Stage settings made of combustible ma- terials shall likewise be treated with flame retardant materials. Flame retardant treatments shall be as specified in 17-12. 17-2152. Only noncombustible materials or fire retardant pres- sure treated wood may be used for stage scenery or props, on the audience side of the proscenium arch. 17-216. Seating 17-2161. a. Seats in places of assembly accommodating more than 200 persons shall be securely fastened to the floor except when fastened together in groups of not less than 3 nor more than 7 and as permitted by 17-2161b. All seats in balconies and galleries shall be securely fastened to the floor, except in churches. b. Seats not secured to the floor may be permitted in restaurants, night clubs, and other occupancies where the fastening of seats to the floor may be impracticable, provided that in the area used for seating (excluding dance floor, stage, etc.), there shall be not more 101-170 LIFE SAFETY CODE than 1 seat for each 15 square feet of net floor area and adequate aisles to reach exits shall be maintained at all times. Exception: Seating diagrams may be submitted for approval of the authority having jurisdiction to allow increase in occupant load as per 8-1135. SECTION 17-3. EDUCATIONAL OCCUPANCIES 17-311. Drills 17-3111* Fire exit drills shall be conducted regularly in accord- ance with the applicable provisions of the following paragraphs. 17-3112.* There shall be at least 8 fire exit drills a year in schools through Grade 12. In climates where the weather is severe dur- ing the winter months,weekly drills should be held at the beginning of the school term to complete the required number of drills before cold weather so as not to endanger the health of the pupils. 17-3113* Drills shall be executed at different hours of the day or evening; during the changing of classes; when the school is at assembly; during the recess or gymnastic periods, etc., so as to avoid distinction between drills and actual fires. If a drill is called when pupils are going up and down the stairways, as during the time classes are changing, the pupils shall be instructed to form in file and immediately proceed to the nearest available exit in an orderly manner. 17-3114.* Every fire exit drill shall be an exercise in school man- agement for principal and teachers, with the chief purpose of every drill complete control of the class so that the teacher will form its ranks quickly and silently, may halt it, turn it, or direct it as de- sired. Great stress shall be laid upon the execution of each drill in a brisk, quiet, and orderly manner. Running shall be prohibited. In case there are pupils incapable of holding their places in a line moving at a reasonable speed, provisions shall be made to have them taken care of by the more sturdy pupils,moving independently of the regular line of march. 17-3115. Monitors shall be appointed from the more mature pupils to assist in the proper execution of all drills. They shall be in- structed to hold open doors in the line of march or to close doors where necessary to prevent spread of fire or smoke, as per 5-2134. There shall be at least 2 substitutes for each appointment so as to EDUCATIONAL OCCUPANCIES 101-171 provide for proper performance in case of absence of the regular monitors. The searching of toilet or other rooms shall be the duty of the teachers or other members of the staff. If the teachers are to do the searching, it should be done after they have joined their classes to the preceding lines. 17-3116. As all drills simulate an actual fire condition,pupils shall not be allowed to obtain clothing, after the alarm is sounded, even when in home rooms, on account of the confusion which would result in forming the lines and the danger of tripping over dragging apparel. 17-3117. Each class or group shall proceed to a predetermined point outside the building and remain there while a check is made to see that all are accounted for, leaving only when a recall signal is given to return to the building, or when dismissed. Such points shall be sufficiently far away from the building and from each other as to avoid danger from any fire in the building, any inter- ference with fire department operations, or any confusion between different classes or groups. 17-3118.* Where necessary for drill lines to cross roadways, signs reading "STOP! SCHOOL FIRE DRILL" or equivalent, shall be carried by monitors to the traffic intersecting points in order to stop traffic during the period of the drill. 17-312. Signals 17-3121. All fire exit drill alarms shall be sounded on the fire alarm system and not on the signal system used to dismiss classes. 17-3122. Whenever any of the school authorities determine that an actual fire exists, they shall immediately call the local fire de- partment using the public fire alarm system or such other facilities as are available. 17-3123. In order that pupils will not be returned to a building which is burning, the recall signal shall be one that is separate and distinct from and cannot be mistaken for any other signals. Such signals may be given by distinctive colored flags or banners. If the recall signal is electrical, the push buttons or other controls shall be kept under lock, the key for which shall be in the possession of the principal or some other designated person in order to prevent a recall at a time when there is a fire. Regardless of the method of recall, the means of giving the signal shall be kept under a lock. 101-172 LIFE SAFETY CODE 17-313. Inspection 17-3131* It shall be the duty of principals and teachers to inspect all exit facilities daily in order to make sure that all stairways, doors, and other exits are in proper condition. 17-3132. Open plan buildings require extra surveillance to ensure that exit paths are maintained clear of obstruction and are obvious. SECTION 17-4.* INSTITUTIONAL OCCUPANCIES 17-411. Attendants, Evacuation Plan, Fire Exit Drills 17-4111. The administration of every hospital, nursing home and residential-custodial care institution shall have in effect and available to all supervisory personnel written copies of a plan for the protec- tion of all persons in the event of fire and for their evacuation to areas of refuge and from the building when necessary. All em- ployees shall be instructed and kept informed respecting their duties under the plan. A copy of the plan shall be readily available at all times in the telephone operator's position or at the security center. The provisions of 17-4113 to 17-4127 inclusive shall apply and fire exit drills shall be held at reasonable intervals. 17-4112. Every bed intended for use by institutional occupants shall be easily movable under conditions of evacuation and shall be equipped with the type and size casters to allow easy mobility, especially over elements of the structure such as expansion plates and elevator thresholds. The authority having jurisdiction may make exceptions in the equipping of beds intended for use in areas limited to patients such as convalescent, self-care, or psychiatric patients. 17-4113.* Fire exit drills in hospitals shall include the transmission of a fire alarm signal and simulation of emergency fire conditions except that the movement of infirm or bed-ridden patients to safe areas or to the exterior of the building is not required. Drills shall be conducted at irregular intervals during day and night to familiar- ize hospital personnel (nurses, interns, maintenance engineers, and administrative staff) with signals and emergency action required under varied conditions. At least 12 drills shall be held every year. When drills are conducted between 9:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. a coded announcement may be used. INSTITUTIONAL OCCUPANCIES 101-173 17-412. Procedure in Case of Fire 17-4121. Any person discovering fire shall immediately transmit the interior alarm. Institutional personnel hearing the audible signal shall proceed to immediately execute their duties as outlined in the institutional fire safety plan. 17-4122. The institutional telephone operator shall determine the location of the fire as indicated by the audible signal. In a building equipped with an uncoded alarm system, a person on the floor of fire origin shall be responsible for the prompt notification of the fire location to the institutional telephone operator. 17-4123. If the telephone operator receives a telephone alarm re- porting a fire from a floor, the operator shall regard that alarm in the same fashion as an alarm over the fire alarm system. The op- erator shall immediately notify the fire department and alert all institutional personnel of the place of fire and its origin. 17-4124. If the interior alarm system is out of service, any person discovering a fire shall immediately notify the telephone operator by telephone. The operator shall then transmit this to the fire de- partment and alert the building. 17-4125. If any person is involved in the fire, the discoverer shall go to the aid of that person calling aloud an established code phrase. The use of a code provides for both the immediate aid of any en- dangered person and the transmission of an alarm. Any person in the area, upon hearing the code called aloud, shall transmit the interior alarm. 17-4126. A written institutional fire safety plan shall provide for: 1. Use of alarms 2. Transmission of alarm to fire department 3. Response to alarms 4. Isolation of fire 5. Evacuation of area 6. Preparing building for evacuation 7. Fire extinguishment. 17-4127. All institutional personnel shall be instructed in the use of, and response to, fire alarms; and, in addition, they should be in- structed in the use of the code phrase to insure transmission of an alarm under the following conditions: 1. When the discoverer of a fire must immediately go to the aid of an endangered person. 2. During a malfunction of the interior alarm system. Institutional personnel hearing the code announced shall regard 101-174 LIFE SAFETY CODE that announcement in the same fashion as they would an audible alarm signal, and immediately execute their duties as outlined in the institutional fire safety plan. 17-413. Maintenance of Exits 17-4131. Daily inspection and proper maintenance shall be pro- vided to insure the dependability of the method of evacuation se- lected. Institutions which find it necessary to lock exits shall at all times maintain an adequate staff qualified to release and conduct occupants from the immediate danger area to a place of safety in case of fire or other emergency. Where patient room doors are locked, attendants shall carry keys to these doors. 17-414. Smoking 17-4141.* Smoking regulations shall be adopted and shall include the following minimal provisions: a. Smoking shall be prohibited in any room,ward, or compartment where flammable liquids, combustible gases, or oxygen are used or stored and in any other hazardous location. Such areas shall be posted with "NO SMOKING" signs. b. Smoking by patients classified as not responsible shall be pro- hibited, except when the patient is under direct supervision. c. Ashtrays of noncombustible material and safe design shall be provided in all areas where smoking is permitted. d. Metal containers with self-closing cover devices shall be readily available to all areas where smoking is permitted. 17-415. Draperies 17-4151.* Window draperies and curtains for decorative and acoustical purposes shall be flame retardant. 17-4152.* Cubicle curtains shall be noncombustible or rendered and maintained flame retardant. 17-416. Furnishing and Decorations 17-4161. Furnishings and decorations in institutional occupancies shall be in accordance with the provisions of 17-12. 17-4162.* Combustible decorations are prohibited in any institu- tional occupancy unless flame retardant. RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCIES 101-175 SECTION 17-5. RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCIES 17-51. HOTEL EMERGENCY ORGANIZATION 17-5111.* All employees of hotels shall be instructed and drilled in the duties they are to perform in event of fire, panic, or other emergency. 17-5112.* Drills of the emergency organization shall be held at monthly intervals, covering such points as the operation and maintenance of the available first aid fire appliances, the testing of guest alerting devices, and a study of instructions for emergency duties. 17-512. Emergency Duties 17-5121. Upon discovery of fire, some or all of these duties will become immediately imperative, the number and sequence depend- ing upon the exact situation encountered — Alarms Notify office. Notify public fire department. Notify private fire brigade. Guests Warn guests or others who are or may become endangered. Assist occupants to safety, with special attention to aged, infirm, or otherwise incapacitated persons. Search rooms to be sure all occupants have escaped. Man all elevators (including those of automatic type)with com- petent operators. Extinguishment Extinguish or control the fire, using available first aid equipment. Send messenger to meet public fire department upon arrival in order to direct latter to exact location of fire. (The public fire depart- ment is in full command upon arrival.) { 101-176 LIFE SAFETY CODE Special Equipment Fire Pumps—stand by for instant operation. Ventilating Equipment—in case of dense smoke,stand by, operate under proper instructions,to clear area affected. Refrigerating Equipment — if machines are definitely endangered, shut them down and blow refrigerant to sewer or atmosphere to prevent explosion. Generators and Motors — protect against water damage with tar- paulins—shut down motors not needed—keep generators op- erating to furnish lights,elevator power,etc. Boilers— if necessary to abandon boiler room, extinguish or dump fire and lower steam pressure by blowing to sewer or atmos- phere to prevent possible explosion. 17-52. DORMITORIES 17-521. Drills 17-5211. Fire exit drills shall be regularly conducted in c- cordance with 17-11. SECTION 17-6. MERCANTILE OCCUPANCIES 17-611. Drills 17-6111. In every Class A store, employees shall be regularly trained in fire exit drill procedures, in general conformance with 17-11. SECTION 17-7. OFFICE OCCUPANCIES 17-711. Drills 17-7111. In any building subject to occupancy by more than 500 persons or more than 100 above or below the street level, em- ployees and supervisory personnel shall be instructed in fire exit drill procedures in accordance with 17-11 and shall hold practice drills periodically where practicable. GENERAL INDUSTRIAL OCCUPANCY 101-177 SECTION 17-8. GENERAL INDUSTRIAL OCCUPANCY 17-811. Drills 17-8111. In any building subject to occupancy by more than 500 persons or more than 100 persons above or below the street level, employees and supervisory personnel shall be instructed in fire exit drill procedures in accordance with Section 17-11 and shall hold practice drills periodically where practicable. 101-178 APPENDIX A. The following notes bearing the same number as the text of the Life Safety Code to which they apply, contain useful explanatory material and references to standards. CHAPTER 2 A-2-1120. The provisions of this Code will not necessarily provide a building suitable for use by physically handicapped people. Reference is made to the American Standard Specifications for Making Buildings and Facilities Ac- cessible to and Usable by the Physically Handicapped,ANSI A117.1-1961. A-2-2121. Fatal fires have occurred when a required stairway has been closed for repairs or removed for rebuilding, when a required automatic sprinkler system has been shut off to change piping,etc.,etc. A-2-3112. Attention is directed to the value of a regular program of inspec- tion to assure proper maintenance. Such inspection may be so-called "self- inspection" by occupants or outside inspection such as by a fire marshal, fire department, building department, insurance organization, or preferably both. CHAPTER 4 A-4-111. A detailed breakdown of occupancy classification is available from the National Fire Protection Association. A-4-112. Such occupancies are characterized by the presence or potential presence of crowds, with attendant panic hazard in case of fire or other emer- gency. They are generally open to the public, or may on occasions be open to the public, and the occupants present voluntarily, are not ordinarily subject to discipline or control. Such buildings are ordinarily occupied by able-bodied persons, and are not used for sleeping purposes. A-4-113. Educational occupancy is distinguished from assembly in that the same occupants are regularly present and they are subject to discipline and control. A-4-116. Office, storage, and service facilities incidental to the sale of mer- chandise and located in the same building are included with mercantile oc- cupancy. A-4-117. Doctors and dentists offices are included unless of such character as to be classified as hospitals. Service facilities usual to city office buildings such as newsstands, lunch counters serving less than 100 persons, barber shops and beauty parlors are included in this occupancy group. City halls, town halls, court houses, and libraries are included in this oc- cupancy group in so far as their principal function is the transaction of public business and the keeping of books and records; in so far as used for assembly purposes they are classed as places of assembly. A-4-119. Storage properties are characterized by the presence of relatively small numbers of persons in proportion to the area;any new use which increases the number of occupants to a figure comparable with other classes of occupancy changes the classification of the building to that of the new use. NOTES 101-179 A-4-2112. Under this provision any violation of the interior finish require- ments of Section 6-2 would automatically also involve violation of other sec- tions of the Code unless additional exit facilities appropriate for high hazard contents were provided. A-4-2113. Under this provision any violation of the requirements of Chapters 8 through 16 for segregation or protection of hazardous operation or storage would automatically also involve violation of the other sections of the Code unless additional exit facilities appropriate to high hazard contents were provided. A-4-2122. Chapter 15, Storage, recognizes as low hazard, storage of non- combustible materials. In other occupancies it is assumed that even where the actual contents hazard may normally be low, there is sufficient likelihood that some combustible material or hazardous operation will be introduced in con- nection with building repair or maintenance, or that some psychological factor might create conditions conducive to panic, so that the exit facilities cannot safely be reduced below those specified for ordinary hazard contents. A-4-2123. High hazard contents may include occupancies where gasoline and other flammable liquids are handled,used, or are stored under such conditions as to involve possible release of flammable vapors;where grain dust,wood flour or plastic dusts, aluminum or magnesium dust,or other explosive dusts may be produced; where hazardous chemicals or explosives are manufactured, stored, or handled; where cotton or other combustible fibers are processed or handled under conditions such as to produce flammable flyings, and other situations of similar hazard. Chapter 14, Industrial Occupancies, and Chapter 15, Storage, include de- tailed provision on high hazard contents. A-4-2124. This classification represents the conditions found in most buildings, and is the basis for the general requirements of this Code. The fear of poisonous fumes or explosions is necessarily a relative matter, to be determined on a judgment basis. All smoke contains some toxic fire gases, but under conditions of ordinary hazard there should be no undue danger of dangerous exposure during the period necessary to escape from the fire area,assuming proper exits. A-4-2131. Seventy-five feet can be traversed in approximately 10 to 15 seconds, even allowing for some momentary delay in decision as to which way to go, during which it may be assumed that a normal individual can hold his breath. CHAPTER 5 A-5-112. In case of a stairway, the exit includes the door to the stairway en- closure,stairs and landings inside the enclosure, the door from the stairway en- closure to the street or open air, or any passageway and door necessary to pro- vide a path of travel from the stairway enclosure to the street or open air. In case of a door leading directly from the street floor to the street or open air the exit comprises only the doorway. Doors of small individual rooms, as in hotels, while constituting means of escape from the room, are not referred to as exits except when they lead di- rectly to the outside of the building or other place of safety,but in a large room, such as a school auditorium, the doors constitute an integral part of the exit system and are referred to as exits from the room. An interior aisle,corridor or 101-180 LIFE SAFETY CODE hallway used to reach a stair or door exit is not an exit except where it is so located, arranged, and enclosed as to constitute an integral part of a system of travel. A-5-113. Portable ladders, rope fire escapes, and similar emergency escape devices may have a useful function in facilitating escape from burning buildings lacking adequate exits of the stair or other standard type,but they are not the equivalent of standard exits and their use is not in any way recognized by this Code. Such devices may give a false sense of security and be made an excuse for not providing standard exit facilities. Furthermore, many such portable devices are of types quite unsuited to use by aged or infirm persons or by small children. Elevators have a capacity roughly equivalent to 3 average elevators for 1 unit of stairway width, and have been recognized as required exits by prior editions of the Life Safety Code under certain limited conditions. No such credit is given in this edition because of some inherent characteristics which may make them unsuitable for emergency exit use, such chracteristics being accentuated in modern automatic elevators where no operator is available to exercise judgment in the control of the elevator in case of fire or other emergency. Some of the reasons why elevators are not recognized as required exits are summarized in the following paragraphs. Persons seeking to escape from a fire by means of an elevator may have to wait at the elevator door for some time, during which they may be exposed to fire or smoke,or panic may develop. Automatic elevators respond to the pressing of buttons in such a way that it would be quite possible for an elevator in use for descent from floors above a fire to stop automatically at the floor involved in the fire and the doors to open automatically exposing occupants to fire and smoke. Modern elevators cannot start until doors are fully closed and a large number of people seeking to crowd into an elevator in case of emergency might make it impossible to start. Any power failure,such as the burning out of electric supply cables during a fire,may render the elevators inoperative or might result in trapping persons in elevators stopped between floors and under fire conditions there might not be time to permit rescue of trapped occupants through emergency escape hatches or doors. Notwithstanding the above limitations of elevators for emergency exit pur- poses,they may serve an important function as a supplemental facility,particu- larly in occupancies such as hospitals. Elevators are also important for very high buildings or deep underground spaces where travel over considerable vertical distance on stairs might be such as to cause collapse of persons not accustomed to such physical effort before they reach the street. In such cases required exits such as stairs or horizontal exits may be used to escape from the area of immediate danger in a fire, and elevators used to com- plete the travel to the street. It may reasonably be assumed that in all buildings of sufficient height to indicate the need for elevators as supplementary exit fa- cilities,elevators will be provided for normal uses and for this reason no require- ment for the installation of elevators is included in the Life Safety Code. A-5-1151. A rated capacity of stairs of 45 persons per 22-inch unit allows the passage of a single line of 45 physically able people per minute down the stairs. A single line of 60 people per minute can pass through an exit which is in a horizontal plane. Capacities of units of exit width as given in the text are there- fore based on a time period long enough to be considered as a safe exiting time. NOTES 101-181 A-5-1152. The 22-inch unit of exit width represents the average space found necessary for the free passage of 1 file of persons. Measurement of exit width in terms of units representing the width occupied by 1 person,rather than measurement in feet and inches is an important con- cept of the Life Safety Code. Measurement in feet may in some cases involve additional expense in building construction without corresponding increase in safety. For example, a 44-inch stairway comfortably accommodates 2 files of people;adding 4 inches to make a 4-foot stairway does not increase the capacity of the stairway. However, it has been shown by count of stairway flows that adding 12 inches to a 44-inch stairway does increase the flow of people,in effect permitting an intermediate staggered file. A-5-1153. Handrails, at approximately waist height, do not actually restrict the effective width of exits. Door jambs, while actually restricting the width, due perhaps to psychological factors do not appear to have any significant effect on the utilization of exits. This may be because everyone uses doors and is accustomed to the slight reduction in width of the path of travel at the point of passing through a doorway, and instinctively turns or squeezes through in a way which would not occur in the case of a narrow stairway or passage,where the feeling of restricted space might be conducive to panic under fire conditions. Any projection, radiator, pipe, or other object that extends into a corridor, irrespective of width, is undesirable, particularly where large crowds must be accommodated. A-5-1161. The normal designed occupancy load is not necessarily a suitable criterion, as the greatest hazard may occur when an unusual crowd is present, a condition often difficult for authorities having jurisdiction to control by regula- tory measures. The principle of this Code is to provide exits for the maximum probable number of occupants,rather than to attempt to limit number of occu- pants to a figure commensurate with available exits; there are, however, limits of occupancy specified in certain special cases for other reasons. The following table represents a compilation of the population densities speci- fied by the individual occupancies of Chapters 8 through 16. These figures, based on counts of typical buildings, represent the average maximum density of occupancy. Sq. Ft. Occupancy Per Person Places of assembly 15 net Areas of concentrated use without fixed seating 7 net Standing space 3 net Store,street floor and sales basement 30 gross Other floors 60 gross Storage,shipping 100 gross Educational occupancies Classroom area 20 net Shops and other vocational areas 50 net Day nurseries with sleeping facilities 35 net Office,factory and workroom 100 gross Hotel and apartment 200 gross Institutional Sleeping departments 120 gross In-patient departments 240 gross A-5-1171. This Code generally requires at least 2 exits,but specifies conditions where 1 means of egress is all that can reasonably be required in the interest of public safety. 101-182 LIFE SAFETY CODE A-5-1181. The natural path of travel will be influenced by the contents and occupancy of the building. Furniture, fixtures, machinery, or storage may serve to increase the length of travel. It is good practice in building design to recognize this by spacing exits at closer intervals than would be needed for a completely open floor area,thus reducing the hazard of excessive travel distances due to introduction of furniture,fixtures,machinery,or storage,and minimizing the danger of violation of the travel-distance requirements of this Code. This is intended to represent the actual path of travel of a person. The start at 1 foot from the wall represents the center of a person. A-5-119. The following table is a compilation of the requirements of the in- dividual occupancy (Chapters 8 through 16) for length of dead-end corridors and permissible length of travel to at least one of the required exits. A dead end occurs when a hallway or other space is so arranged that a per- son therein is able to travel in one direction only in order to reach any of the exits. Although relatively short dead ends are permitted by this Code, it is better practice to eliminate them as far as possible as they increase the danger of persons being trapped in case of fire. Compliance with the dead-end limits does not necessarily mean that the requirements for remoteness of exits have been met. This is particularly true in small buildings or buildings with short public hallways. Adequate remoteness can be obtained in such cases by further reducing the length of dead ends. TABLE OF EXIT DISTANCES Type of Dead End Travel Limit to an Exit Occupancy Limit Unsprinklered Sprinklered PLACES OF ASSEMBLY 20' 150b 200 EDUCATIONAL 20 150 200 Open Plan N.R.b 100 150 Flexible Plan N.R.b 150 200 INSTITUTIONAL New 30 100 150 Existing N.R.b 100 150 RESIDENTIAL A. Hotels 35 100° 150° B. Apartments 35 100 150 C. Dormitories 0 100 150 D. Lodging or Rooming Houses, 1-& 2-Family Dwellings N.R.b N.R.b N.R.b MERCANTILE Class A,B& C 50 100 150 Open Air 0 N.R.b N.R.b NOTES 101-183 TABLE OF EXIT DISTANCES (Continued) Type of Dead End Travel Limit to an Exit Occupancy Limit Unsprinklered Sprinklered OFFICE 50 200 300 INDUSTRIAL A. General, and B. Special Purpose 50 100 150d C. High Hazard 0 75 75 D. Open Structures N.R.b N.R.b N.R.b STORAGE Low& Ordinary Hazard N.R.b N.R.b N.R.b High Hazard N.R. 75 100 Parking Garages 50 100 150e Aircraft Hangars,Ground Floor N.R.b Variesf Variesf Aircraft Hangars, Mezzanine Floor N.R.b 75 75 Grain Elevators, Miscellaneous Occupancies,Towers,Piers& Water Surrounded Structures, Vehicles & Vessels & Emer- gency Shelters N.R.b N.R.b N.R.b a In aisles. In arena and thrust stage theatres, dead-end aisles at the stage must not exceed 5 rows beyond cross aisle. b No requirement or not applicable. ° See 11-2251 for exceptions. d A special exception is made in 14-2162 for 1-story sprinklered industrial occupancies. a 15-2224 further limits distance of travel on floors below the street in sprin- klered garages to 100 feet. f See 15-3111 for special requirements. A-5-1204. Doors leading through wall panelling which harmonize in appear- ance with the rest of the wall so as to avoid detracting from some desired aes- thetic or decorative effect are not acceptable, as casual occupants may not be aware of such exits even though actually visible. A-5-1215. This paragraph is not intended to prohibit an exit from extending well beyond the end of an exit access away from the building as may be the case with a ramp. It is intended to prohibit the exit from leading at its departure from the exit access,back toward the center of the building. A-5-1221. An exit from the upper stories,in which the direction of exit travel is generally downward,should not be arranged so that it is necessary to change over to travel in an upward direction at any point before discharging to the outside. A similar prohibition of reversal of the vertical component of travel should be applied to exits from stories below the floor of exit discharge. How- ever, an exception is permissible in the case of stairs used in connection with overhead or underfloor exit passageways which serve the street floor only. It is important that ample roadways be available from buildings in which there are large numbers of occupants so that exits will not be blocked by persons already outside. Two or more avenues of departure should be available for all but very small places. Location of a large theater, for example, on a narrow dead-end street may properly be prohibited by the authority having juris- diction under this rule unless some alternate way of travel to another street is • available. 101-184 LIFE SAFETY CODE Where exits discharge into yards or open courts there should be no fences, automobile parking, or other obstruction to free travel away from the exit. Curbs or other barriers to prevent automobile parking from encroaching on the space needed for fire exit travel may be desirable to facilitate observance of this rule. A-5-2121. Types of doors which are designed to prevent spread of fire through wall openings are not necessarily suitable for use on exits, and some types may involve a personal injury hazard if used on exits. Where doors are subject to 2-way traffic,a desirable practice is to locate a small wired glass panel in the door in the interest of avoidance of accidents. See other sections of the Code such as 5-1202 and 5-5143 for special treat- ment for the direction of swing of doors used as exit access and doors used in horizontal exits. A-5-2131. Doors to the enclosures of interior stair exits should be arranged to open from the stair side at least at every third floor so that it will be possible to leave it at such floor should the fire render the lower part of the stair unuseable during egress. A-5-2132. This requirement may be satisfied by the use of conventional types of hardware, whereby the door is released by the turning of a knob or handle, or pushing against a panic bar, but not by unfamiliar methods of operation such as a blow to break glass. A-5-2151. The minimum width for the leaf of a door in an exit recommended in this paragraph may not be adequate for the normal usage of the doorway for purposes other than exiting. A-5-2161. A desirable practice is to have panic bars two-thirds the width of the door,located on the latch side. A-5-2191. There are various methods by which the function of screen or storm doors may be provided without having any door swing against the exit travel. A screen or storm door may be used in the same doorway with an ordinary door by means of a vestibule of sufficient size as to permit the inner door to swing outwardly without interfering with the operation of the door at the other end of the vestibule. A jalousie door, with a screen or storm sash panel, provides the function of both a regular door and screen or storm sash, all in a single unit. A-5-2202. The one-half unit rating here specified is based upon operation of the door in normal revolving position, where only one side is used for travel in one direction, and the rotating leaves of the door may slow the rate of travel to about half of that through an unobstructed door opening of the same width as one leaf of the revolving door. Collapsible revolving doors, while better than fixed leaf doors, are not given any increased rating in units of exit width, be- cause if the setting is such as to prevent accidental collapse of leaves in normal operation their free collapse in case of emergency may be doubtful. A-5-2204. A rate of 12 revolutions per minute is recommended. A-5-2211. Turnstiles placed in subway or other rapid transit stations and other places of assembly to prevent the entrance of persons without paying fare or NOTES 101-185 admission fee may be a serious obstruction to rapid egress in case of fire or other emergency,even though such turnstiles are designed to permit persons to leave. Multiple bar turnstiles designed to prevent persons from crawling over, under, or around the bars are more objectionable than single bar turnstiles, such as the coin-operated type, but any type of turnstile involves some interference with egress. Where turnstiles are used, required exit facilities may be pro- vided by alternate exits of swinging gate type, with visual supervision by em- ployees to prevent improper use. A-5-3175. For information on the selection and installation of fire doors, see NFPA No. 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Windows. A-5-4112. The guards that are required for the unenclosed sides of stairs by 5-316 will usually meet this requirement when the stair is not more than 3 stories high. Special architectural treatment, including application of such devices as metal or masonry screens and grilles will usually be necessary to ac- complish the intent of the requirements for stairs over 3 stories in height. A-5-5111. Horizontal exits should not be confused with egress through doors in smokestop partitions. Smokestop doors are designed only for temporary protection against smoke, whereas horizontal exits provide protection against serious fire for a relatively long period of time in addition to providing im- mediate protection from smoke. A-5-5112. Example; A department store building 270 feet by 210 feet (occu- pant load 945 per floor) would be required by this Code to have exits from the upper floors sufficient to furnish 16 units of exit width. This would ordinarily require 8 44-inch stairways. Assume now this building is divided by a fire wall into 2 sections, each 135 feet by 210 feet, with doors through the wall furnishing horizontal exits. Each section,considered separately,will require 4 2-unit exits. The horizontal exits will serve as 2 of the 4 exits required for each section,and only 2 stairways will be required for each section if the exits can be arranged to meet the require- ments for the 150-foot distance from any point which can be done in a sprin- klered building. Thus the total number of stairways required for the building will be 4, as compared with 8 if no horizontal exit is provided. However, if the building were further subdivided by a second fire wall with fire doors on open- ings, no further reduction in stairways would be permitted. A-5-5137. One or 2 steps at a doorway are considered to constitute an acci- dent hazard in emergency use. Stairways with level landings between door and stair are satisfactory. A-5-5142. NFPA Standard No. 80, Fire Doors and Windows, covers the in- stallation of fire doors. A-5-5143. The customary requirement of building codes for fire doors on both sides of an opening in a fire wall may be met by having an automatic sliding fire door on one side,and a self-closing fire door swinging out from the other side of the wall. This arrangement qualifies only as a horizontal exit from the side of the sliding door. 101-186 LIFE SAFETY CODE A-5-5144. Automatic doors as often installed covering the entire cross section of a building corridor do not qualify as horizontal exits under these provisions, as dangerous quantities of smoke might pass through the corridor before there is sufficient heat to close the door. Automatic sliding doors are also open to the objection that once closed they are difficult to open, and thus may trap people behind them in the absence of other available means of escape. A-5-6133. This is to prohibit closets and similar spaces under ramps. It is not to be interpreted to prohibit an enclosed ramp beneath another flight. A-5-6212. The guards that are required for the unenclosed sides of ramps by 5-316 will usually meet this requirement when the ramp is not more than 3 stories high. Special architectural treatment, including application of such de- vices as metal or masonry screens and grilles will usually be necessary to ac- complish the intent of the requirements for ramps over 3 stories in height. A-5-711. An exit passageway serves as a horizontal means of exit travel that is protected from fire in a manner similar to an enclosed interior exit stair. Where it is desired to offset exit stairs in a multistory building, an exit passageway can be used to preserve the continuity of the protected exit by connecting the bottom of one stair to the top of the other stair that continues to the street floor. Prob- ably the most important use of an exit passageway is to satisfy the requirement that exit stairs shall discharge directly outside from multistory buildings. Thus, if it is impractical to locate the stair on an exterior wall,an exit passageway can be connected to the bottom of the stair to convey the occupants safely to an outside exit door. In buildings of extremely large area, such as shopping malls and some factories, the exit passageway can be used to advantage where the distance of travel to reach an exit would otherwise be excessive. Exit passage- ways are different from access aisles, corridors, and hallways because the latter are not required to be protected by a fire-resistive enclosure. A-5-8111. Chapters 8 through 16 include provisions on the use of escalators as exits in various occupancies. They are not recognized as required exits in educational and institutional occupancies, residential occupancies other than hotels, or storage occupancies. Escalators as commonly installed in most oc- cupancies are not so arranged and protected as to qualify as required exits. However, in mercantile occupancies where open stairs to second floor or base- ment are permitted under specified conditions,open escalators may serve on the same basis as open stairways to provide a path of travel to reach an outside exit. See Section 5-8 for details. A-5-8112. Persons seeking to leave a building are likely to try to leave by the same route by which they entered. For this reason,other exits,with unmistak- able path of travel to reach them from the vicinity of the escalator, are essential in case fire or smoke should block the escalator. A-5-8121. It is assumed that where escalators serve as required exits they will be continued in operation in case of fire, but that in case they stop due to electric current failure or other cause they may be used as ordinary stairs. A-5-8127. See American Standard Safety Code for Elevators, Dumbwaiters, and Escalators,ANSI A17.1. A-5-8133. See American Standard Safety Code Rules for Moving Walks, ANSI A17.1.13. NOTES 101-187 A-5-9111. Fire escape stairs as specified in this section of the Code should not be confused with outside stairs as covered in Section 5-4. Fire escape stairs are regarded as at best only an expedient to remedy de- ficiencies in the exits of existing buildings where it may not be practicable to provide additional inside stairways, properly enclosed and conforming to all other provisions of this Code or outside stairs. Fire escape stairs, however, may greatly facilitate fire department rescue and fire fighting operations. The fire escape stairs specified by this Code should not be confused with the inferior fire escapes which are commonly found on old buildings. These utterly inadequate, flimsy, precipitous fire escapes, unshielded against fire in the structure to which they are attached, are positively a menace because they give a false sense of security. Such escapes are not recognized by this Code as exits. Even the superior fire escape stairs constructed in accordance with this Code have limitations which may prevent their effective use in time of fire. Even where window protection is provided conditions may be such that fire (or the smoke from fire) on lower floors may render the stairs impassable before the occupants of upper stories have had time to use them. Fire escape stairs may be blocked by snow, ice or sleet at the time when they are most needed. Persons using fire escape stairs at a considerable height are likely to be timid and to descend the stairs,if at all,at a rate much slower than that which obtains on stairs inside buildings. This applies to some extent even with the solid tread stairs which are specified by this Code in place of the ordinary slatted tread construction. Fire escape stairs are not a usual means of egress. Occupants of buildings will not so readily use them in case of fire as they will use the usual means of exit, the inside stairway. Because they are an emergency device not ordinarily used their proper up-keep may be neglected. The experiences in many fires, however, shows that properly constructed and maintained fire escape stairs, conforming to the requirements for Class A fire escapes, under favorable conditions provide an effective path of escape from fire. A-5-9131. The existing stair with a minimum width of 22 inches is a type which may be acceptable for buildings of small or moderate size. Depending upon local conditions,these existing fire escape stairs may generally be accepted. The existing stair with a minimum width of 18 inches is the lowest type in any way recognized. It represents the absolute minimum that may be accepted in an existing fire escape stairway. Because of access over window sills, steep pitch and narrow width travel down it will be necessarily slow and may be dangerous. Where there are spiral stair treads, or the stairs terminate at a balcony above ground level with a fixed or movable ladder from there down, the situation is even worse. This fire escape stair is applicable only to existing fire escape stairs, and is suitable only in situations where only a very small number of people are involved. A-5-9151. Access to fire escape balconies by doors, or by casement windows equivalent to doors,with sills at floor level,is the only way in which fire escape stairs can furnish exit facilities in any way equivalent to inside stairs. Where access requires climbing over window sills the exit facility is inherently inferior; such arrangements are suitable only for relatively small numbers of persons in existing buildings where the provision of doors may be impracticable. A-5-9189. Latch is desirable to hold stairs down when they have once swung to ground. 101-188 LIFE SAFETY CODE A-5-9221. Counterbalanced and other forms of movable ladders designed to provide access from the lowest fire escape balcony to the street are not recog- nized as exits by this Code. A-5-10111. For further information on illumination, see the following stan- dards of the Illuminating Engineering Society: American Standard Practice for Industrial Lighting. American Standard Practice for School Lighting. Recommended Practice for Office Lighting. Lighting Practice for Stores and Other Merchandising Areas. A-5-10113. A desirable form of exit lighting is by lights recessed in walls about a foot above the floor. Such lights are not likely to be obscured by smoke. A-5-10122. See National Electrical Code, NFPA No. 70, for details of recog- , nized good practice, particularly Article 700 on emergency lighting. A-5-10124. Such materials may be a useful adjunct to other illumination, but do not provide a sufficient degree of illumination for a sufficient length of time to justify any official recognition. A-5-10211. Emergency lighting facilities to provide exit illumination in the event of failure of normal lighting are desirable in all cases,but can be reasonably required only under specified conditions, such as in occupancies where large numbers of persons may be exposed to a possible panic hazard. A-5-10212. In hospitals and in certain institutions emergency light and power are needed for various purposes in addition to exit illumination,such as operating room lights, power for "iron lungs" and other equipment which must be kept in continuous operation to sustain life, power for elevators, etc. It is highly desirable for hospitals to have their own self-contained electric generating plants for emergency use in the event of failure of public utility power due to hurricane,tornado,earthquake, act of war,or other catastrophe. Such emergency electric facilities where provided for the entire hospital or for the most essential features of hospital operation may serve the purpose of emer- gency exit lighting. A-5-10213. The selection of type of service depends upon the type of emer- gency conditions for which provisions are to be made and the effectiveness of the supervision and maintenance likely to be available. Reliable public utility source of electrical current may be used to supply emergency lighting circuits which must be established and maintained inde- pendently of other electrical circuits in the building, as provided in Article 700 of the National Electrical Code. Such installations meet the requirements for Type 3 emergency lighting. Reliable public utility networks supplied through separate substations,particularly with wiring underground so as to be free from danger of derangement due to windstorms or accidents, have a high degree cf reliability. In some places there may be 2 separate electric supply systems available, permitting an alternate source with consequent further increase in reliability. However, any public utility or other outside power source may be subject to interruption such as by some natural catastrophe, or act of war, or sabotage. Where maintenance of lighting under such conditions is essential Type 1 or Type 3 emergency lighting is needed. Type 1 emergency lighting provides for illumination under more different contingencies than do the other types,but is reliable only to the extent that the equipment is properly maintained. NOTES 101-189 A-5-10214. Automobile-type lead storage batteries are not suitable by reason of their relatively short life when not subject to frequent discharge and recharge as occurs in automobile operation. Dry batteries may not be suitable because of their limited life and the danger that they may not be replaced when deteriorated due to age or exhausted by use. A-5-10215. This excludes from required emergency lighting service any manu- ally started gasoline engine driving an electric generator or other equipment, which must be manually activated after the emergency occurs. Auxiliary self- powered electric generating equipment may have a most useful function in the event of power failure, but unless automatically started does not qualify for re- quired emergency exit lighting, because of the danger that in the confusion of a fire or other emergency the auxiliary system may not be put into operation quickly enough to prevent fatal panic due to darkness. A-5-10231. This type of emergency lighting does not necessarily provide any safeguard against outside power failure, but does guard against light failure from causes within the building, and may be found suitable and reasonably adequate for many situations. A-5-10233. For installation details see National Electrical Code, NFPA No. 70,Article 700. A-5-10241. This type of emergency lighting does not necessarily provide any safeguard against failure of lighting from causes wholly within the building, but may be found suitable for situations where the principal concern is to pro- vide continued light in the event of outside power failure,such as with a public utility service particularly subject to interruption due to storms or other causes. A-5-10243. A local electric generating system supplying a single building will meet the requirements for Type 3 if the local system is itself of adequate reli- ability, and where such a local system supplies all lights in a building no sep- arate emergency lighting circuits or other special features are necessarily re- quired to furnish Type 3 emergency lighting. Where normal lighting is from a public utility or other outside source, it is necessary to have a local source of energy for emergency lighting, or for the entire building, such as an automatic starting electric generator arranged to supply the building in the event of outside power failure. In such a case, how- ever,only a few additional features are needed to qualify the system for Type 1 emergency lighting,which is obviously preferable. A-5-11111. Where a main entrance serves also as an exit, it will usually be sufficiently obvious to occupants so that no exit sign is needed. The character of the occupancy has a practical effect upon the need for signs. In any place of assembly, hotel, department store, or other building subject to transient occupancy, the need for signs will be greater than in a building subject to permanent or semipermanent occupancy by the same people,such as an apartment house where the residents may be presumed to be familiar with exit facilities by reason of regular use thereof. Even in a permanent residence type of building, however, there is need for signs to identify exit fa- cilities such as outside stairs which are not subject to regular use during the normal occupancy of the building. There are many types of situations where the actual need for signs may be debatable. In cases of doubt, however, it is desirable to be on the safe side by providing signs, particularly as the placing of signs does not ordinarily involve any material expense or inconvenience. 101-190 LIFE SAFETY CODE A-5-11112. The likelihood of mistaking for exits doors, passageways, or stair- ways which lead to dead-end spaces where occupants might be trapped depends upon the same considerations as govern the need for exit signs. Where ample and properly marked exits are immediately available from any area, the marking of nonexits may be unnecessary. A-5-11113. For example, in stores an otherwise adequate exit sign may be made inconspicuous by some high-intensity illuminated advertising sign in the immediate vicinity. A-5-11114. Red is the traditional color for exit signs and is required by law in many places. However, at an early stage in the development of the Life Safety Code,a provision was made that green be the color for exit signs,follow- ing the idea of traffic lights where green indicates safety and red is the signal to stop. During the period when green signs were specified by the Life Safety Code, many such signs were installed, but the traditional red signs also per- sisted. In 1949, the Fire Marshals Association of North America voted to re- quest that red be restored as the required exit sign color, as they found that the provision for green involved difficulties in law enforcement out of all pro- portion to the importance of the subject. The 10th Edition of the Life Safety Code accordingly specified "red where not otherwise required by law." The present text avoids any specific requirement for color, on the assumption that either red or green will be used in most cases, and that there may be some situations where some color other than red or green may actually provide better visibility. CHAPTER 6 A-6-1114. The application of the 2-hour rule, in buildings not divided into stories, may be based on the number of levels of platforms or walkways served by the stairs. Masonry enclosing walls are generally specified for new construction. For enclosing open stairways in existing buildings various types of light construction are used,including plaster on metal lath. A-6-1115. For example, an access stair connecting 2 stories, and not serving as a required exit, may be cut off by a door at either the top or bottom of the stairs. A-6-1222. This requirement can be met by the provision of an air intake from the outside of the building above the floor opening. The test of the system under "normal" conditions requires that the velocity of the downdraft be developed when windows or doors on the several stories normally used for ventilation are open. The size of the exhaust fan and exhaust ducts must be sufficient to meet such ventilation conditions. Experience indicates that fan capacity should be based on a rating of not less than 500 cfm per square foot of moving stairway opening to obtain the 300 feet per minute required. If the building is provided with an air-conditioning system, arranged to be auto- matically shut down in the event of fire,the test conditions should be met with the air-conditioning system shut down. The 300 feet per minute downdraft through the opening provides for the testing of the exhaust system without requiring an expansion of air present under actual fire conditions. A-6-1224. The electric power supply provisions of NFPA Standard No. 20, Centrifugal Fire Pumps, may be referred to as a guide to design and installa- tion features to assure maximum reliability. NOTES 101-191 A-6-1225. NFPA Standard No. 91, Blower and Exhaust Systems, contains provisions on fans and ducts which may be referred to as criteria of standard installation. A-6-1235. Supply taken from the sprinkler system is designed to provide pro- tection to the wellway opening for life hazard during the exit-period, but may not be relied upon to provide an effective floor cutoff. A-6-1238. Smoke detection devices are not desirable for actuation of the spray nozzles as accidental discharge must be safeguarded against from both a panic hazard as well as property damage standpoint. A-6-1241. The use of an automatic rolling shutter to protect moving stairway wellways between street floors and floors below is not acceptable for the reason that the normal path of travel to reach a place of safety in an emergency is usually that used for access to the area. Persons seeking egress from a floor below the street floor served by moving stairways could be trapped by fully closed rolling shutters at the street floor level. Observation of rolling shutters in use indicates the likelihood that under emergency conditions there is a quite different psychological reaction by those facing its operation from upper floors than could be expected when the rolling shutter is closed above a person seeking egress from a basement. On upper floors,the operation of an automatic rolling shutter will be clearly visible to persons seeking egress and other means of egress (i.e., stairways), can be readily found and used if the requirements of the Life Safety Code are followed. A-6-1246. The electric power supply provisions of NFPA Standard No. 20, Centrifugal Fire Pumps,may be referred to as a guide to design and installation features to assure maximum reliability. A-6-1311c. The area limitations are based on life-safety consideration and are not intended to suggest that changes should be made in local building codes having similar or more restrictive requirements that are based on other reasons. Building codes generally contain detailed information on the proper selection and installation of firestopping materials. A-6-2111. The requirements pertaining to interior finish are intended to restrict the spread of fire over the continuous surface forming the interior por- tions of a building. Furnishings,which in some cases may be secured in place for functional reasons,should not be considered as interior finish. A-6-2115. Some interior finish materials,such as fabrics not applied to a solid backing,may not lend themselves to a test made in accordance with the Method of Test of Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials, NFPA No. 255. In these cases the Large Scale Test outlined in Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame-Resistant Textiles and Films, NFPA No. 701, may be used. A-6-2116. The character of smoke and other products of combustion includes the properties of obscuration,toxicity, and irritability. Where fuel contributed and smoke density as well as flame spread are recorded in the results of a test conducted in accordance with Method of Test of Surface Burning Character- istics of Building Materials, NFPA No. 255, there is not necessarily a direct relationship between these three measurements and it is not the intent of Sec- tion 6-2 to establish a classification for other than flame spread. A-6-2151. The following is a compilation of the interior finish requirements of the occupancy chapters of the Life Safety Code. 101-192 LIFE SAFETY CODE Access Occupancy Exits to Exits Other Spaces Places of assembly—Class Al A A A or B Places of assembly—Class B2 A A A or B Places of assembly—Class C2 A A A,B,or C Educational A A A, B,or C Open Plan and Flexible Plan A A A or B C movable partitions not over 7 feet high Institutional,existing—hospi- A or B A or B A or B tals, nursing homes, resi- dential-custodial care Institutional, existing, com- A, B,or C A, B, or C pletely sprinklered — hos- pitals, nursing homes, resi- dential-custodial care Institutional, new — hospi- A A A tals, nursing homes, resi- B in individual room dential-custodial care with capacity not more than 4 persons Residential, new — apart- A or B A or B A,B, or C ment buildings Residential,existing—apart- A or B A, B,or C A,B, or C ment buildings Residential—dormitories A or B A or B A, B,or C Residential,new—1-and 2- A,B,or C family,lodging or rooming houses Residential,existing—1-and A,B, C,or D 2-family, lodging or room- ing houses Residential, new—hotels A or B A or B A, B,or C Residential,existing—hotels A or B (1)A or B if re- A,B, or C quired path of exit travel; (2) A,B,or C if not used as required path of exit travel Mercantile—Class A4 A or B ceilings—A or B walls—A, B, or C Mercantile—Class B6 A or B ceilings—A or B walls—A, B, or C Mercantile—Class A or B A or B ceilings —A, B or C sprinklered walls—A,B,or C Mercantile—Class C6 A or B A,B,or C Office A or B A or B A, B,or C Office-sprinklered A, B,or C A,B,or C A,B,or C Industrial A,B,or C A, B,or C A, B,or C Towers A or B A or B NOTES 101-193 Notes: Class A Interior Finish—Flame Spread 0-25 Class B Interior Finish—Flame Spread 26-75 Class C Interior Finish—Flame Spread 76-200 Class D Interior Finish—Flame Spread 201-500 Automatic Sprinklers — where a complete standard system of automatic sprinklers is installed, interior finish with flame spread rating not over Class C may be used in any location where Class B is normally specified, and with rating of Class B in any location where Class A is normally specified, unless specifically prohibited elsewhere in this Code. 'Class A Places of Assembly—1,000 persons or more 2Class B Places of Assembly—300 to 1,000 persons 'Class C Places of Assembly—100 to 300 persons 'Class A Mercantile Occupancies — stores having aggregate gross area of 30,000 square feet or more, or utilizing more than 3 floor levels for sales purposes. 'Class B Mercantile Occupancies — stores of less than 30,000 square feet aggregate gross area, but over 3,000 square feet, or utilizing any floors above or below street floor level for sales purposes,except that if more than 3 floors are utilized, store shall be Class A. 'Class C Mercantile Occupancies — stores of 3,000 square feet or less gross area, used for sales purposes on street level only — (balcony per- mitted 12-1123). A-6-3111. A protective signaling system consists of three primary parts,signal initiating, signal control and signal indicating devices. 1. Signal initiating devices are those devices which may be used to manually or automatically initiate an alarm signal. 2. Signal control panels are the control units which receive alarm signals from the signal initiating devices and systematically convert and transmit them to signal indicating devices. 3. Signal indicating devices are those devices which audibly and/or visually warn occupants or authorized personnel of presence of an alarm. The following NFPA standards cover installation details for protective signal- ing systems: No. 71. Central Station Protective Signaling Systems No. 72A. Local Protective Signaling Systems No. 72B. Auxiliary Protective Signaling Systems No. 72C. Remote Station Protective Signaling Systems No. 72D. Proprietary Protective Signaling Systems No. 74. Household Fire Warning Systems A-6-3132. Noncode systems sound a constant and continuous alarm signal until the system is restored to normal. These systems are used to evacuate buildings without audibly indicating the location of a fire although visual an- nunciation may be provided to indicate the location of the fire. Common coded systems sound a coded alarm signal either for a fixed number of rounds or continuously until the system is restored to normal. The coded signal is common to the system and does not audibly indicate the location of a fire. These systems are used to evacuate buildings where a distinctive coded signal is desired to differentiate between fire alarm and other audible signals. 101-194 LIFE SAFETY CODE The purpose of an alarm is to provide a signal for all occupants to leave. However,it is often advisable to give code signals to those in authority and those who will assist the occupants in leaving the building—as, for example, to principals, superintendents, managers, engineers, members of private fire brigades, etc., who require drills in the interpretation and response to code signals. Selective coded systems sound a coded alarm signal for a fixed number of rounds. The coded signal generally identifies the particular alarm initiating device which has operated,or may identify the particular section of the premises where an alarm initiating device has been operated. These systems may be used to evacuate the building and/or notify those in authority who may assist the occupants in leaving the building. These systems may also sound a continuous alarm signal after the selective code signal has been completed to provide an evacuation signal until the system is restored to normal. Dual coded systems sound a coded alarm signal for a fixed number of rounds at selected locations, and at the same time a constant and continuous alarm signal at all other locations until the system is restored to normal. The coded signal identifies the particular alarm initiating device which has operated or the particular section or zone of the premises where an alarm initiating device has been operated. These systems are used to evacuate the building and at the same time to notify those in authority and those who will assist the occupants in leaving the building. • A-6-3143. The manner of sounding alarms should be standardized with a view to obtaining uniformity throughout as large a geographical area as prac • - ticable,so that persons moving from one locality to another will not be misled and confused by differences in manner of sounding alarms. This point is of special importance in certain occupancies. For example, )� pending the time when state-wide uniformity in school alarm systems can be attained,uniformity of alarm signals should be strictly enforced in all public and private schools throughout each city and the adjacent suburban territory. A-6-3144. Visible alarm devices in addition to audible alarms are desirable in buildings occupied by deaf persons. A-6-3411. Any automatic fire detection system for life safety from fire should have a high degree of reliability. This indicates the need for such features as (a) an electric current supply independent of the electric power source for the building, (b)trouble signals to give warning in case of short circuits or breaks in wires,or other conditions which might interfere with the proper operation of the system, (c)gongs or other signals of such types and so located as to give assured warning even to sleeping persons, and (d) above all, a regular maintenance program. There is a very considerable diversity in types of automatic fire detec- tion and alarm equipment commercially available, and selection of types suit- able for any given situation calls for the exercise of judgment based upon experience. A-6-3413. Certain types of heat detectors constructed with nonrestorable elements cannot be tested. A-6-3811. It is highly desirable that fire alarm equipment installed for the notification of the occupants of buildings in localities under protection of regularly organized fire departments or private fire brigades be arranged to cause automatic transmission of alarms(directly or through an approved central office) to such fire departments or brigades upon operation of any alarm send- NOTES 101-195 ing station or system. When no such connection is provided it is recommended that a fire alarm box arranged to signal the fire department be installed either at the main entrance to the building, at the telephone switchboard, or outside the building plainly visible by day or night and conveniently accessible from the main entrance. A-6-4111. Experience shows that automatic sprinklers, properly installed and maintained, are the most effective of any of the various safeguards against loss of life by fire. Their value is psychological as well as physical, in that they give a sense of security to occupants of buildings and tend to minimize possible panic hazard in case of fire. There is no case in the NFPA records of over 100,000 fires in sprinklered buildings where water from automatic sprinklers has in any way contributed to panic. NFPA Standard No. 13, Sprinkler Systems, covers installation details for standard automatic sprinkler systems. It will generally be found most de- sirable to provide a complete standard automatic sprinkler installation to pro- tect the entire property, in the interest of both life safety from fire and the protection of property, even in situations where the Life Safety Code requires sprinklers only for hazardous areas. NFPA Standard No. 13, Sprinkler Systems, provides for the installation of systems of various types appropriate for the individual building protected, subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction. A-6-4112. Properly designed automatic sprinkler systems provide the dual function of both automatic alarms and automatic extinguishment. A-6-4113. Standard automatic sprinkler protection provides a high degree of life safety from fire. This Code, however, does not rely on any one feature as the sole safeguard for life, and specifies other additional safeguards in recog- nition of the fact that automatic sprinkler systems may in rare instances be inoperative. This Code also recognizes the fact that some quantity of smoke may be produced before fire is extinguished by automatic sprinklers, and that any smoke may create a panic hazard even though there may be no actual danger. A-6-4121. Where automatic sprinklers are installed for life safety in buildings of small or moderate size in areas where no adequate public water supplies are available,pressure tank supply will usually be found satisfactory. Pressure tanks may be filled from any small domestic water supply. A-6-4131. NFPA Standard No. 13A, Care and Maintenance of Sprinkler Systems,gives detailed information on maintenance procedures. A-6-4132. NFPA Standard No.71,Central Station Protective Signaling Systems, gives details of standard practice in sprinkler supervision. Subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction, sprinkler super- , vision may also be provided by direct connection to municipal fire departments, J or in the case of very large establishments, to a private headquarters providing similar functions. NFPA Standards Nos. 72A, 72B, 72C, and 72D cover such matters. Where municipal fire alarm systems are involved, reference should also be made to NFPA Standard No. 73, Municipal Fire Alarm Systems. 101-196 LIFE SAFETY CODE A-6-4211. Automatic extinguishing systems other than automatic sprinklers are covered by the following NFPA Standards: No. 11 Foam Extinguishing Systems No. 12 Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems No. 12A. Halogenated Fire Extinguishing Agent Systems No. 15 Water Spray Fixed Systems No. 17 Dry Chemical Extinguishing Systems A-6-4221. For description of standard types of extinguishers and their installa- tion,maintenance and use,see NFPA Standard No. 10, Installation of Portable Fire Extinguishers and No. 10A, Maintenance and Use of Portable Fire Ex- tinguishers. The labels of Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada, or the Factory Mutual Laboratories on extinguishers provide evidence of tests indicating reliability and suitability of the extinguisher for its intended use. Many unlabelled extinguishers are offered for sale which are substandard by reason of insufficient extinguishing capacity, questionable re- liability, extinguishing agents not effective on fires in ordinary combustible materials, or involving a personal hazard to the user. A-6-4222. For details, see NFPA Standard No. 14, Standpipe and Hose Systems. A-6-5113. For details,see NFPA Standard No. 68, Explosion Venting. A-6-6111. Smokestop doors, while not the equivalent of fire doors, and not completely smoketight, are effective in restricting the spread of smoke and reducing drafts which might otherwise spread fire rapidly. A-6-6112. Longer ratings may be required where doors are provided for property protection as well as life safety. NFPA Standard for Fire Doors and Windows (NFPA No. 80) may be con- sulted for standard practice in the selection and installation of fire doors. CHAPTER 7 A-7-1122. Automatic means for opening smoke vents may include smoke- actuated release equipment, connection to a complete automatic sprinkler or automatic fire detection system. Operation by the melting of fusible links, the breakage of glass,or the melting of plastic,depending upon circumstances, may or may not be sufficiently rapid to prevent dangerous smoke accumulation. NOTES 101-197 A-7-1123. In the absence of exact data as to the minimum vent areas neces- sary to provide adequate smoke venting for life safety, the design of venting facilities for any individual area can be established only on a judgment basis, taking into consideration the hazard of occupancy,the conditions of use,ceiling height,draft conditions, and other pertinent factors. As a guide,reference may be made to the Guide for Smoke and Heat Venting, NFPA No. 204. A-7-1132. Standard good practice for the installation and maintenance of in- cinerator flues will be found in NFPA Standard No. 82, Incinerators. Rubbish chutes are covered in the same publication. Linen or laundry chutes are not specifically mentioned here,but the hazard is similar to that of rubbish chutes, and the same safeguards are indicated. A-7-1133. See NFPA Standard No. 13, Sprinkler Systems, for details. A-7-1141. The requirement of this paragraph may be met by compliance with Appendix E of ANSI A17.1C-1969, Supplement to Safety Code for Elevators, Dumbwaiters, Escalators and Moving Walks,A17.1-1965. CHAPTER 8 A-8-1121. Depending upon the character of construction and the hazard of the occupancy,this will require some physical separation by walls of appropriate fire resistance, protection of the other occupancy by automatic sprinklers, or other appropriate measures. Where the building is of fire-resistive construction, and the hazard of the other occupancy is low or moderate as in a school or hotel,no separation may be necessary. A-8-1211. The difference between doors at grade and stairs is based on their rated capacity, 60 persons per minute per unit for level exit through doors, 45 down stairs. These figures provide for an evacuation time of 1 minute 40 seconds assuming rated capacity and travel rate, exclusive of time for first person to reach exit, and exclusive of time for last person to reach a place of safety after entering exit. The provisions of the above paragraph are based on the assumption that all the occupants of a place of assembly may start for the exits at the same moment, and is different from the situation in buildings of other occupancies where it is assumed that only the occupants of a single floor will rush to the exits at the immediate outbreak of fire and that occupants of other floors can use the same stairways afterwards. A-8-1223. Paragraph 8-1131 provides that assembly areas with individual occupant load of less than 100 persons in buildings of occupancies other than assembly shall be classed as part of the other occupancy. A-8-125. Elevators, slide escapes, revolving doors, and fire escapes are not recognized as constituting required exits in places of assembly. A-8-1412. Example: An assembly room for the inmates of an institution will not be subject to simultaneous occupancy. A-8-15152. See Standard Method of test for Noncombustibility of Elementary Materials, ASTM E-136 for determining noncombustibility. 101-198 LIFE SAFETY CODE A-8-1611. Standard booth construction is described in NFPA Standard No. 40, Cellulose Nitrate Motion Picture Film. NFPA No. 70, the National Electrical Code, contains similar requirements for booths, as well as electrical provisions. A-8-1711. All stairways and other vertical openings should be enclosed for safety but in the case of theater balconies, open to the main floor below, it is generally not practicable to provide enclosed stairs from upper levels to the street. However, in large capacity facilities such as sports arenas, music halls, large university assembly halls, etc., attention should be given in their design to provide protected stairways and exits from upper levels to the street. A-8-1723. NFPA No. 220, Standard Types of Building Construction, defines heavy timber construction. A-8-1731c. In many existing buildings of combustible construction enforce- ment of these requirements may involve difficult problems,which may be dealt with individually by the authority having jurisdiction under the broad powers vested in him by this Code. A-8-1832. See NFPA Standard No. 96, Vapor Removal from Commercial Cooking Equipment. A-8-4112. Exhibits employing gasoline or other flammable liquids, or com- pressed combustible gases, depending upon their character, may involve a hazard such as to justify prohibition of this class of exhibits. The hazard of booth construction of light lattice work, paper, or other highly combustible materials may be mitigated by flameproofing treatment. CHAPTER 9 A-9-1114. Educational occupancies for students of high school age and below are distinguished from assembly occupancies in that the same occupants are regularly present and they are subject to discipline and control. Sunday schools or church schools which are not used for daily classes throughout the week are considered to fall within the scope of assembly occupancies. Fire-resistive construction is not generally specified in this Chapter of the Life Safety Code,though it is obviously desirable and should be used wherever feasible. Automatic sprinkler protection, herein specified for life safety reasons, pro- vides a substantial degree of protection for the property. Sprinkler protection, to be effective,must be complete and cover all portions of the building. Partial automatic sprinkler systems covering only corridors,stairs, and points of special hazard are effective only when fires start in the protected area; they will not prevent the dangerous spread of smoke from fires starting in areas not protected by automatic sprinklers. In no case is sole reliance placed on automatic sprin- klers or on any other single safeguard. A-9-1211. Reference is made to the American Standard Specifications for Making Buildings and Facilities Accessible to and Useable by the Physically Handicapped,ANSI A117.1 -1961. NOTES 101-199 A-9-1221. This provides for emptying street floors, not over 21 inches above grade, in 1 minute 40 seconds, assuming use of exits at their rated capacity in numbers of persons per minute(60 for level travel,45 down stairs),not counting the time for the first person to reach the exit, nor for the last person to traverse the exit and reach a place of safety. For upper floors the time is 1 minute 20 seconds;the difference in time allows for the potentially greater hazard on upper floors and the fact that there may be some delay where the occupants of two or more floors use the same stairway. A-9-1222. For example, in the case of enclosed interior stairways, where the capacity of the third floor is such as to require 3 stairways, and the capacity of the second floor also requires 3 stairways,the second floor may utilize the stair- ways also serving the third floor so that the total number of stairways required is 3, not 6. However, the street floor and basement must have their required exit capacity provided by separate exits, or if the path of exit from the street floor or basement is through a part of the same stair tower serving the upper floors, the total exit capacity must be such as to provide required exit facilities for street floor and basement without encroaching upon the stair capacity re- quired for upper floors. This assumes that because of greater travel distance the occupants of floors above the second will require a longer time to reach the street and will not make simultaneous exit. A-9-1261. School design providing classroom exits directly to the outside or to exterior balconies open to the outside air with exterior stairways available to either direction to grade is considered preferable, from the fire safety stand- point, to the more conventional design using interior corridors which can be- come untenable from the accumulation of smoke and heat. A-9-1271. A school plan with outside doors or stairways at both ends of a cen- tral corridor meets this requirement. Pockets may be created where stairways are not at the end of corridors but at intermediate points. A-9-1511. It is highly desirable to have all windows of a type which can be readily opened from inside,and to have them large enough and low enough for use by students,teachers,and firemen. Windows may serve as a supplementary means of emergency escape,particularly where ladders can be raised by firemen or others. Even where the location is such as to preclude the use of windows for escape purposes, they may'provide air for breathing in a smoke-filled room while trapped occupants are awaiting rescue. Windows should have sills not too high above the floor. Where awning or hopper-type windows are used, they should be so hinged or subdivided as to provide a clear opening not less than 600 square inches in area,nor any dimension less than 22 inches. Screen walls or devices in front of required windows should not interfere with normal rescue requirements. A-9-2151. NFPA No. 220, Standard Types of Building Construction,defines heavy timber construction. CHAPTER 10 A-10-1143. Doctors offices, treatment, and diagnostic facilities intended solely for out-patient care and physically separated from facilities for the treatment or care of in-patients, but otherwise associated with the management of an in- stitution, may be classified as Office Occupancy, rather than Institutional Oc- cupancy. 101-200 LIFE SAFETY CODE A-10-1211. Ramps are undesirable in hospitals and nursing homes because of the accident hazard in both normal and emergency traffic except in the case of ramps of extremely gradual slope, which require so much space as to be im- practicable in most situations. They are,however,the only practicable method of moving patients in beds from one story to another,except by elevators which may not be available under fire conditions. The best plan is to provide for hori- zontal egress to another section of the building,minimizing the need for complete evacuation. Ramps may be the best means for providing egress from doors 2 or 3 steps above or below the grade level, and also to compensate for minor difficulties in floor levels between adjoining sections of buildings. Such ramps should be in accordance with 10-1271. A-10-1221. These exit capacities, which are substantially less than for other parts of this Code dealing with exits for occupants in normal health, are based. on the assumption that some of the occupants cannot leave without physical assistance, and some may have to be carried or moved in beds. A-10-1261. In planning exits, arrangements should be made to transfer patients from one section of a floor to another section of the same floor separated by a fire partition or smokestop partition in such a manner that patients con; fined to their beds may be transferred in their beds. Where the building design will permit,the section of the corridor containing an entrance or elevator lobby should be separated from corridors leading from it by fire or smokestop parti- tions. Such an arrangement,where the lobby is centrally located will,in effect, product a smoke lock, placing a double barrier between the area to which pa- tients may be taken and the area from which they must be evacuated because of threatening smoke and fire. A-10-1281. See NFPA No. 76A,Standard for Essential Electrical Systems for Hospitals. A-10-1311. In planning exits, arrangements should be made to transfer pa- tients from one section of a floor to another section of the same floor separated by a fire partition or smokestop partition in such a manner that patients con- fined to their beds may be transferred in their beds. Where the building design will permit,the section of the corridor containing an entrance or elevator lobby should be separated from corridors leading from it by fire or smokestop parti- tions. Such an arrangement,where the lobby is centrally located will,in effect, product a smoke lock, placing a double barrier between the area to which patients may be taken and the area from which they must be evacuated because of threatening smoke and fire. A-10-1321. See NFPA No. 220 for definitions of construction types. A-10-1326. Examples of special care rooms are recovery rooms,intensive care units,dialysis units,etc. 1 NOTES 101-201 A-10-1331. Sink closets should not be used for the storage of flammable or combustible supplies. Sink closets, bathrooms and toilets having a door which opens directly to the corridor need not comply with these provisions. A-10-1366. Alarm sending stations should be so located as to be readily avail- able in all portions of the premises, to the end that when a fire is discovered by anyone who is qualified to send an alarm, he may reach a station from which aid may be summoned without being required to leave the zone of his ordinary activities or to pass out of the sight and hearing of those immediately exposed by or in direct view of the fire. The operation of an alarm sending station should automatically act to summon aid of attendants for the purpose of assisting in the removal of physically helpless occupants and in controlling mentally in- competent occupants. The system required by this paragraph may be incorporated with an automatic fire detection system if so equipped as to perform both functions. A-10-1371. For flammable liquid storage,reference should be made to NFPA Standard No. 30. Rooms in clinical laboratories in which automatic processing of specimens with flammable solvents is likely to take place when the equipment is unattended present a limited hazard which may be more readily protected through use of sprinklers connected to the domestic water supply. Provisions for the enclosure of rooms used for charging linen and waste chutes or for the rooms into which chutes empty are provided in Chapter 7. In addition to the fire-resistive cutoff of rooms into which linen chutes and waste chutes discharge, automatic sprinkler protection is considered essential. Provisions for the pro- tection of storage facilities for flammable gases and oxygen are covered in NFPA Standard No. 56A, Code for the Use of Inhalation Anesthetics, and Standard No. 56F, Standard for Nonflammable Medical Gas Systems. A-10-1412b (1). One purpose of this paragraph is to prevent the ignition of clothing,bedclothes,furniture,or other furnishings by the heating device.Over- coming this possibility may be accomplished through the design of the device or through the installation of it as by a suitable guard or enclosure. It is gen- erally agreed that the maximum acceptable temperature to which combustible materials may be exposed for prolonged periods of time is in the order of 160 to 190 F. A-10-2122. In some cases appreciable cost may be involved-in bringing an existing occupancy into compliance. Where this is true,it would be appropriate for the authority having jurisdiction to prescribe a schedule,determined jointly with the institution allowing suitable periods of time for the correction of the various deficiencies, and giving due weight to the ability of the owner to secure the necessary funds. A-10-2142. Doctors offices,treatment, and diagnostic facilities intended solely for out-patient care and physically separated from facilities for the treatment or care of in-patients, but otherwise associated with the management of an in- stitution, may be classified as Office Occupancy, rather than Institutional Occupancy. 101-202 LIFE SAFETY CODE A-10-2261. The waiver of swinging of doors in the direction of exit travel is based on the assumption that in this occupancy there will be no possibility of a panic rush which might prevent opening of doors swinging against exit travel. A desirable arrangement, possible with corridors 8 feet or more in width, is to have two 44-inch doors, normally closed, each swinging with the exit travel (in opposite directions). A-10-2331. Section 6-2 provides for the application of approved flame- retardant coatings to correct excessive flame spread characteristics of certain types of existing interior finish. A-10-2341. See NFPA No. 220 for definitions of construction types. A-10-2412b (1). One purpose of this paragraph is to prevent the ignition of clothing, bedclothes, furniture, or other furnishings by the heating device. Overcoming this possibility may be accomplished through the design of the de- vice or through the installation of it as by a suitable guard or enclosure. It is generally agreed that the maximum acceptable temperature to which com- bustible materials may be exposed for prolonged periods of time is in the order of 160 to 190 F. CHAPTER 11 A-11-1111. Dormitory type occupancy, particularly where 2- or 3-tier bunks are used with close spacing, may produce an occupant load substantially greater than 1 person per 200 square feet gross floor area. However,even though sleeping areas are densely populated, the building as a whole may not neces- sarily exceed 1 person per 200 square feet gross area, owing to the space taken for toilet facilities, halls, closets, and living rooms not used for sleeping purposes. A-11-2214. Under this paragraph,if the second and third floor were each re- quired to have 3 stairways, the second floor may use the stairways serving the third floor so that the total number of stairways required is 3,not 6. A-11-2312. Where open stairways or escalators are permitted, they are con- sidered as ways of travel to exits,rather than as exits,and requirements for dis- tance to exits include the travel on stairs. (See 5-1193.) A-11-6212. Windows may serve as a means of emergency escape,particularly where ladders can be raised by firemen or others. Even where the location is such as to preclude the use of windows for escape purposes, they may provide air for breathing in a smoke-filled room while trapped occupants are awaiting rescue. Windows should have sills not too high above the floor;windows lower than 4 feet above the floor are preferable. Where awning-or hopper-type windows are used,they should be so hinged or subdivided as to provide a clear opening of at least 5 square feet. Where storm windows, screens, or burglar guards are used, these should be provided with quick-opening devices so that they may be readily opened from the inside for emergency egress. NOTES 101-203 CHAPTER 12 A-12-1123. Note that the omission of 1 balcony from the count of number of floor levels in this case does not waive any of the exit requirements applying to balconies. A-12-1131. These figures were established on the basis of counts of the popu- lation of typical store buildings during periods of maximum occupancy,such as before Christmas or during special sales. In some cases, the actual occupancy may be more dense than indicated by these figures, but it may reasonably be assumed that in any large mercantile building, all areas will not be similarly crowded at the same time,and the average occupant load should seldom exceed these figures. In some types of stores, the occupant load will normally be much less than indicated,for example,in furniture stores. However,the character of mercantile operations is subject to such rapid changes that it is not prudent in designing exit facilities to assume that any store will never be crowded,and for this reason the same load figures are used for all types of stores. A-12-1141. Examples of high hazard mercantile occupancy: display of un- wrapped articles fabricated from thin sheets of pyroxylin plastic such as artificial flowers or toys;dispensing of gunpowder or other explosives in bulk; dispensing of gasoline or flammable solvents by pouring into open containers. A-12-1211. This prohibits as required exits, fire escapes for new buildings, slide escapes for any mercantile occupancy, new or existing, and any other exit facility not in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Life Safety Code. A-12-1212. Under this paragraph,if the second and third floors of a store build- ing are each required to have 3 stairways,the second floor may use the stairways serving he third floor so that the total number of stairways required is 3,not 6. A-12-1241. The purpose of this paragraph is to avoid pockets or dead ends of such size as to involve undue danger of persons being trapped therein in case of fire. It permits small areas such as rooms or alcoves with only one way out where the distance is small enough so that there is little likelihood that a fire might develop to such proportions as to block escape before the occupants were aware of the fire and made their way out. It should be noted that 12-1241 refers to the distance from any part of any floor, and that where areas are divided into rooms, the distance of 50 feet to room door permitted by 12-1252 is not to be added to the 50-foot common path of travel permitted by 12-1241. A-12-1271. The basis for the above exception to the general rule on complete enclosure of exits up to their point of discharge to the outside of the building is that with the specified safeguards,reasonable safety is maintained. A stairway is not considered to discharge through the street floor area if it leads to the street through a fire-resistive enclosure separating it from the main area, even though there are doors between the first floor stairway landing and the main area. The provisions'of 12-1271 should not be confused with open stairways as permitted by 12-1312. 101-204 LIFE SAFETY CODE A-12-1282. This Section requires adjoining swinging doors, prohibits revolv- ing doors at foot of stairs, and rates each revolving door as one-half a unit of exit width irrespective of the actual total width of the revolving door. A-12-1311. See 12-1132 for provisions on determining occupant load for exit purposes where vertical openings are unprotected. CHAPTER 13 A-13-1213. Under this paragraph, if the second and third floor of an office building were each required to have 3 stairways, the second floor may use the stairways serving the third floor so that the total number of stairways required is 3, not 6. A-13-1262. Unless exits are suitably located, these requirements may inter- fere with the practice in multiple tenant office buildings of renting a wing or large section to a single tenant who closes the corridor with a door subject to locking and treats the corridor inside the door as part of his general office space. No required exit may be blocked by a door subject to locking against the exit travel. CHAPTER 14 A-14-1111c. High hazard occupancy may include occupancies where gasoline and other flammable liquids are handled, used, or are stored under such con- ditions as to involve possible release of flammable vapors; where grain dust, wood flour or plastic dusts, aluminum or magnesium dust, or other explosive dusts may be produced; where hazardous chemicals or explosives are manu- factured, stored, or handled; where cotton or other combustible fibers are processed or handled under conditions such as to produce flammable flyings, and other situations of similar hazard. Chapter 14, Industrial Occupancies, and Chapter 15, Storage, include de- tailed provision on high hazard occupancy. A-14-1121. In most cases the requirements for maximum travel distance to exits will be the determining factor rather than numbers of occupants, as exits provided to satisfy travel distance requirements will be sufficient to provide exit capacity for all occupants,except cases of unusual arrangement of buildings or high occupant load of a general manufacturing occupancy. A-14-2112. Under this paragraph, if the second and third floor of a building were each required to have 3 stairways,the second floor may use the stairways serving the third floor so that the total number of stairways required is 3,not 6. A-14-2131. Greater corridor widths are required wherever necessary to ac- commodate the travel through the number of units of exit width served thereby and under special conditions as elsewhere specified. A-14-2163. Unless exits are suitably located, this requirement may interfere with the practice in multiple tenant manufacturing buildings of renting a wing or large section to a single tenant who closes the corridor with a door subject NOTES 101-205 to locking and treats the corridor inside the door as part of his manufacturing space. No required exit may be blocked by a door subject to locking against the exit travel. A-14-2171. The basis for this exception to the general rule on complete en- closure of exits up to their point of discharge to the outside of the building is that with the specified safeguards,reasonable safety is maintained. A stairway is not considered to discharge through the street floor area if it leads to the street through a fire-resistive enclosure separating it from the main area, even though there are doors between the first floor stairway landing and the main area. CHAPTER 15 A-15-1121. Section 4-2 does not recognize low hazard storage occupancy except where the storage structure is noncombustible and the interior finish Class A. A-15-2111. The provisions of Chapter 14 do not accept an open ramp as a required exit except in sprinklered buildings from one floor only. For further information on Garages, see NFPA Standard No. 88. An enclosed stairway may be required for fire department accessibility. A-15-2214. Gasoline dispensing inside buildings presents inherent hazards that are avoided with outdoor dispensing as in ordinary gasoline filling stations. NFPA Standard on Garages (No. 88) restricts all indoor automobile fueling facilities. A-15-3111. For further information on Aircraft Hangars,see NFPA Standard No. 409. A-15-4111. For further information, see NFPA Standard No. 61B, Grain Elevators and Bulk Grain Handling Facilities. The exit requirements for ele- vators are based upon the possibility of grain dust explosions. CHAPTER 16 A-16-1111. The Washington Monument is an example of a tower where it would not be practicable to provide a second stairway and where, if provided, no appreciable increase in safety would be secured. NFPA Standard No. 220, Types of Building Construction, defines types of construction. A-16-2112. For further information on pier fire protection,see NFPA Standard No. 87, Piers and Wharves. A-16-3111. Exits and other fire safety standards for trailers will be found in NFPA Standard No. 501A,Trailer Courts,and in No. 501B,Mobile Homes. 101-206 LIFE SAFETY CODE A-16-4111. In an area from which there is no direct access to outside and no windows to permit outside fire department rescue operations and ventilation, any fire or smoke may tend to produce panic. Such conditions may occur in either underground structures or windowless buildings. CHAPTER 17 A-17-1111. The term"fire exit drill"is used to avoid confusion between drills held for the purpose of rapid evacuation of buildings and drills of fire fighting practice which from a technical viewpoint are correctly designated as"fire drills" although this term is by common usage applied to egress drills in schools, etc. The purpose of fire exit drills is to ensure the efficient and safe use of the exit facilities available. Proper drills ensure orderly exit under control and prevent the panic which has been responsible for the greater part of the loss of life in the major fire disasters of history. Order and control are the primary purposes of the drill. Speed in emptying buildings,while desirable,is not in itself an object, and should be made secondary to the maintenance of proper order and discipline. The usefulness of a fire exit drill and the extent to which it can be carried depends upon the character of the occupancy, it being most effective in occu- pancies where the occupant load of the building is under discipline and subject to habitual control. For example,schools offer possibilities of more highly developed and valuable fire exit drills than other types of occupancy. In buildings where the occupant load is of a changing character and not under discipline,for example,in hotels or in department stores,no regularly organized fire exit drill, such as that which may be conducted in schools, is possible. In such cases the fire exit drills must be limited to the regular employees who, however, can be thoroughly schooled in the proper procedure and can be trained to direct properly other occupants of the building in case of fire. In occupancies such as hospitals,regular employees can be rehearsed in the proper procedure in case of fire; such training always is advisable in all occupancies whether or not regular fire exit drills can be held. A-17-1113. Fire is always unexpected. If the drill is always held in the same way at the same time it loses much of its value, and when for some reason in actual fire it is not possible to follow the usual routine of the fire exit drill to which occupants have become accustomed, confusion and panic may ensue. Drills should be carefully planned to simulate actual fire conditions. Not only should they be held at varying times, but should use different means of exit, assumption being made,for example,that some given stairway is unavailable by reason of fire or smoke, all the occupants being led out by some other route. Fire exit drills should be designed to familiarize the occupants with all available means of exits,particularly emergency exits that are not habitually used during the normal occupancy of the building. A-17-1116. If a fire exit drill is considered merely as a routine exercise from which some persons may be excused, there is a grave danger that in an actual fire the drill will fail in its intended purpose. A-17-1118. Instructors and employees should be trained in the function and use of such equipment to meet an emergency. �� NOTES 101-207 A-17-1212. For details of flame retardant treatments and tests thereof, see NFPA Standard No. 701, Flame-Resistant Textiles and Films. Furnishings and decorations tested in accordance with this Standard should comply with both the small and large scale tests. A-17-1213. Christmas trees not effectively flame retardant treated, ordinary crepe paper decorations, and pyroxylin plastic decorations may be classed as highly flammable. A-17-1311. NFPA Standard No. 13A, Care and Maintenance of Sprinkler Systems,gives detailed information on maintenance procedures. A-17-2111. Attention is directed to the importance of having an adequate number of competent attendants at all times when the place of public assembly is occupied. A-17-2121. Securely supported altar candles in churches,well separated from any combustible material, may be permitted. On the other hand, lighted candles carried by children wearing cotton robes present a hazard too great to be permitted even for the most worthy cause. There are many other situ- ations of intermediate hazard where the authority having jurisdiction will have to exercise judgment. A-17-3111. The requirements are of necessity general in scope, as it is appre- ciated they must apply to all types of schools as well as conditions of occu- pancies, such as truant schools, schools for mentally defective, the blind, deaf, and dumb, colleges and public schools. It is fully recognized that no one code can meet all the conditions of the various buildings involved and it will be necessary for some school authorities to issue supplements to these require- ments,but all supplements should be consistent with these requirements. A-17-3112. "Practice drills" may be held during inclement weather. Such drills would be held at the regular dismissal time, when the pupils are fully clothed, by using the exit drill alarm signal. With such drills there would be no necessity of a return signal. A-17-3113. Cards of instruction should be conspicuously posted describing the procedure of the drills. A-17-3114. If, for any reason, a line becomes blocked, some of the pupils should be countermarched to another exit in order to prevent panic conditions arising as a result of inactivity. A-17-3118. Wherever possible,drill lines should not cross a street or highway, especially where the traffic is heavy. It is recommended that where drill lines must cross roadways, a police officer,school janitor,or a male teach&acting as a traffic officer be on duty to control traffic during drills. A-17-3131. Particular attention should be given to keeping all doors unlocked, 'paving doors closed which serve to protect the safety of paths of egress (such as -rs on stairway enclosures) and under no conditions blocked open, keeping 101-208 LIFE SAFETY CODE outside stairs and fire escape stairs free from all obstructions and clear of snow and ice, allowing no accumulation of snow or ice or materials of any kind out- side exit doors which might prevent the opening of the door or interfere with rapid escape from the building. Any condition likely to interfere with safe exit should be immediately corrected if possible, otherwise reported at once to the appropriate authorities. A-17-4. Institutional occupants have,in large part,varied degrees of physical disability, and their removal to the outside or even disturbance by moving is inexpedient or impractical in many cases, except as a last resort. Similarly recognizing that there may be an operating necessity for the restraint of the mentally ill and residential restrained occupant(often by use of barred windows and locked doors) exit drills are usually extremely disturbing,detrimental, and frequently impracticable. In most cases, fire and exit drills as ordinarily practiced in other occupancies cannot be conducted in institutional occupancies. Fundamentally, superior construction, early discovery and extinguishment of incipient fires, and prompt notification,must be relied upon to reduce the occasion for evacuation of build- ings of this class to a minimum. Penal and corrective institutions housing those able to walk do not come within the scope of the hospital fire drill. For them,discipline is such that ha- bitual control of the occupancy admits of excellent exit drills along the lines recommended in other sections for industrial establishments or schools. Re- formatories and asylums should employ a combination of the two drills, de- pending upon the age of the occupants and the proportions of manual and educational training. All infirmary sections, sick bays, maternity wards, etc., of such institutions should, however, conform to the drill code for institutional occupancies. A-17-4113. Many hospitals conduct fire exit drills without disturbing patients by advance planning in the choice of location of the simulated emergency and closing doors to patients'rooms or wards in the vicinity prior to the initiation of the drill. The purpose of a fire drill is to test the efficiency,knowledge, and re- sponse of institutional personnel. Its purpose is not to disturb or excite patients. Convalescent patients should be removed from involved zones lest their curiosity or anxiety hamper fire brigade activity, or cause themselves injury. All sections should be assured of a necessary complement of doctors, nurses, attendants, and other employees in reserve in readiness to assist in the transfer of bed patients to less exposed areas or sections. A-17-4141. The most rigid discipline with regard to prohibition of smoking may not be nearly so effective in reducing incipient fires from surreptitious smoking as the open recognition of smoking,with provision of suitable facilities for smoking. Proper education and training of the staff and attendants in the ordinary fire hazards and their abatement is unquestionably essential. The problem is a broad one,variable with different types and arrangement of build- ings; and the effectiveness of rules of procedure, necessarily flexible, depends in large part upon the management. A-17-4151. Draperies and curtains meeting the requirements of this para- graph should pass both the large and small scale tests of NFPA Standard No. 701,Flame Resistant Textiles and Films. A-17-4152. Cubicle curtains meeting the requirements of this paragraph should pass both the large and small scale tests of NFPA Standard No. 701, Flame Resistant Textiles and Films. NOTES 101-209 A-17-4162. Decorations meeting the requirements of this paragraph should pass both the large and small scale tests of NFPA Standard No. 701, Flame Resistant Textiles and Films. A-17-5111. The exact nature of this emergency organization must of neces- sity be governed by such factors as the number of available employees,the struc- tural conditions, the degree of compliance with this Code, and other elements pertinent to the individual situation. In order to be efficient, any such organization must depend upon: a. A definite working plan. b. Competent leadership. c. Rigid discipline. d. Maintenance of necessary apparatus. e. A schedule of sufficient training under discipline with such apparatus. It will be found advisable to secure the cooperation of local fire department officials in developing and training such organization of employees. A-17-5112. It is recommended that emergencies be assumed to have arisen at various locations in the occupancy, in order to train employees in logical procedure. 101-210 LIFE SAFETY CODE APPENDIX B. The following Standards contain provisions which supplement the Life Safety Code. The Standards are available from the National Fire Protection Associ- ation, 60 Batterymarch Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. Std.No. Title 10 Installation of Portable Fire Extinguishers, 1970 IOA Maintenance and Use of Portable Fire Extinguishers, 1970 11 Foam Extinguishing Systems, 1970 11 A High Expansion Foam Systems, 1970 12 Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems, 1966 12A Halogenated Fire Extinguishing Agent Systems, 1970 13 Installation of Sprinkler Systems, 1969 13A Care and Maintenance of Sprinkler Systems, 1969 14 Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems, 1970 15 Water Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection, 1969 17 Dry Chemical Extinguishing Systems, 1969 20 Installation of Centrifugal Fire Pumps, 1970 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code, 1969 31 Installation of Oil Burning Equipment, 1968 32 Dry Cleaning Plants, 1970 35 Manufacture of Organic Coatings, 1970 36 Solvent Extraction Plants, 1967 40 Storage and Handling of Cellulose Nitrate Motion Picture Film, 1967 54 Installation of Gas Appliances and Gas Piping in Buildings, 1969 56A Inhalation Anesthetics Code, 1970 56C Hospital Laboratories, 1970 56D Hyperbaric Facilities, 1970 56F Nonflammable Medical Gas Systems, 1970 58 Storage and Handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gases, 1969 61A Prevention of Dust Explosions in Starch Factories, 1962 61B Prevention of Dust Explosions in Grain Elevators and Bulk Handling Facilities, 1970 61C Prevention of Dust Explosions in Flour and Feed Mills, Allied Grain Storage Elevators, 1962 62 Dust Hazards of Pulverized Sugar and Cocoa, 1967 651 Prevention of Dust Explosions in Aluminum Powder Manufacture, 1967 652 Explosion and Fire Protection in Plants Handling Magnesium Powder or Dust, 1968 654 Prevention of Dust Explosions in the Plastics Industry, 1970 656 Prevention of Dust Ignitions in Spice Grinding Plants, 1959 657 Prevention of Dust Explosions in Confectionery Manufacturing Plants, 1967 664 Prevention of Dust Explosions in Woodworking and Wood Flour Manu- facturing Plants, 1962 68 Explosion Venting Guide, 1954 70 National Electrical Code, 1968 71 Central Station Protective Signaling Systems, 1970 72A Local Protective Signaling Systems, 1967 72B Auxiliary Protective Signaling Systems, 1967 72C Remote Station Protective Signaling Systems, 1967 APPENDIX B 101-211 72D Proprietary Protective Signaling Systems, 1967 74 Household Fire Warning Systems, 1967 76A Essential Electrical Systems for Hospitals, 1970 80 Fire Doors and Windows, 1970 82 Incinerators and Rubbish Handling, 1970 85 Prevention of Furnace Explosions in Fuel Oil and Natural Gas-Fired Watertube Boiler-Furnaces with One Burner, 1967 87 Construction and Protection of Piers and Wharves, 1968 88 Garages, 1968 89M Clearances for Heat Producing Appliances, 1970 90A Air Conditioning and Ventilating Systems, 1969 90B Installation of Residence Warm Air Heating and Air Conditioning Systems, 1968 91 Installation of Blower and Exhaust Systems for Dust, Stock and Vapor Removal or Conveying, 1961 96 Vapor Removal from Commercial Cooking Equipment, 1964 102 Tents, Grandstands, and Air-Supported Structures Used for Places of Assembly, 1967 204 Smoke and Heat Venting Guide, 1968 211 Chimneys, Fireplaces and Venting Systems, 1970 220 Standard Types of Building Construction, 1961 231 Indoor General Storage, 1970 241 Standard for Safeguarding Building Construction Operations, 1968 251 Methods of Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials, 1969 252 Methods of Fire Tests of Door Assemblies, 1969 255 Tests of Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials, 1969 409 Aircraft Hangars, 1970 501A Fire Protection in Trailer Courts, 1964 501B Fire Protection in Mobile Homes, 1968 701 Fire Tests for Flame Resistant Textiles and Films, 1969 703 Fire Retardant Treatments for Building Materials, 1961 101-212 LIFE SAFETY CODE INDEX —A— Apartments Sec.11-3 Access to Exits See also Exits Air Conditioning,Ventilation 11-341 11-323 Building Service Equipment 11-34 Apartments Defined 11-0001 Dormitories 11-423 Exit Details Educational 9-125 Access to.. 11-323 Hospitals,Existing 10-223 Discharge from 11-324 Hospitals,New 10-123 General 11-321 Mercantile 12-126 Lighting,Signs. 11-325 I Administration Ch.1 Number of 11-322 Alterations,Conversions Sec.1-5 Protection 11-33 Application.. Sec.1-4 Alarm Systems. 11-333 Discretionary Powers of Authority Hazardous Areas 11-334 Having Jurisdiction Sec.1-6 Interior Finish 11-332 Purpose... Sec.1-2 Vertical Openings 11-331 Scope... Sec.1-3 Application Title Sec.1-1 Code Sec.1-4 Academies See Educational Existing Institutional Occupancies 10-211 Air Conditioning,Ventilating Sys- Penal Institutions 10-311 tems 7-1111 Approved,Defined Ch.3 Apartments 11-341 Area See Floor Area Assembly 8-182 Area Limitations,Open Plan Dormitories 11-441 Buildings 9-212 Educational 9-172 Assembly,Places of Ch.8 Hospitals,Existing 10-241 Hospitals,New 10-141 Building Service Equipment 8-18 Hotels 11-241 Air Conditioning 8-182 Mercantile 12-141 Elevators 8-181 Aircraft Hangars Sec.15 3 Food Service Establishments.... 8-183 Decorations 17-215 Exit Details 15-31 Drills 17-211 General 15-311 Exit Details Signs 15-312 Capacity of 8-121 Aisles 8-127 Common to Other Occupancies.. 8-141 Alarm Systems 6-3,17-14 Lighting,Signs. 8-128 Location of 8 123 Apartments 11-333 Number 8-122 Dormitories 11-433 Panic Hardware 8-126 Educational 9-164 Seating,Aisles,Railings........ 8-127 Educational,Existing . 9-615 Stage,Enclosed Platform 8-151 Hotels 11-234 Travel Distance 8-124 Lodgings 11-531 Types 8-125 Institutional... ... 10-1366,10-234 Waiting Spaces 8-131 Maintenance 17-14 Location 8-111 Alterations,Conversions......... Sec.1-5 Occupancy,Occupancy Load 8-113 INDEX 101-213 Assembly(Continued) Capacity,Exit Ch.5 Open Flame Devices. 17-212 Apartments 11-3211 Projection Rooms 8-161,8-6 Assembly 8-121 Protection 8-17 Dormitories 11-421 Hazardous Areas 8-173 Educational 9-122 Interior Finish 8-172 Fire Escape Stairs 5-9111 Seating 17-216 Horizontal Exits 5-5112 Smoking 17-214 Hospitals 10-122 Special Food Service Devices...... 17-213 Hotels 11-223 Special Provisions 8-112 Industrial 14-214 Attendants, Institutional Occu- Institutional 10-122,10-222 pancies. 17-411 Mercantile 12-123 Auditorium See Assembly Offices 13-124 Automatic,Defined Ch.3 Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Automatic Fire Detection Systems 6-4211 5-2134,17-14 Check-out Stands, Self-Service Maintenance 17-14 Stores 12-2111 Automatic Sprinklers 6-4 Church,Chapel See Places of Assembly Door Releases,Activation of. 5-2134 Chutes,Rubbish,Linen 7-113 Educational 9-165 Classification of Occupancy Ch.4 High Hazard Industrial 14-432 Assembly 4-112 Institutional 10-136, 10-234 Educational 4-113 Maintenance 6-413,17-13 Industrial 4-I18 Mercantile 12-133 Institutional 4-114 Water Supplies for 6-412 Mercantile 4-116 Authority Having Jurisdiction Miscellaneous 4-120 Defined Ch.3 Mixed 4-121 Discretionary Powers of 1-6111 Office 4-117 B_ Residential 4-115 Storage 4-119 Balconies 5-513,5-1216 Colleges See Educational Access to Exits,Exterior 5-1216 Combustible,Defined Ch.3 Educational 9-126 Combined Occupancies Fire Escape Stairs See'5-9 Assembly,Educational 9-511 Boilers Dormitory,Classrooms 9-512 Assembly 8-1731 Mercantile Sec.12-4 Apartments 11-3341 Office Sec.13-2 Educational 9-1661 Combustion,Defined.. Ch.3 Hotels 11-2352 Conference Room See Places of As- Institutional 10-1371,10-2351 sembly Booth, Projection See Places of As- Construction,Repair Operations Sec.2-2 sembly Conversions, Existing Institutional Bridges. 5-513,5-1216 Occupancy 10-213 Building,Defined Ch.3 Contents,Classification of 4-212 Buildings,Windowless Sec.8-3 General Storage 15-112 Assembly Sec.8-3 Mercantile 12-114 Educational Sec 9-4Continental Seating 8-1271 Buggies,Self-Service Stores 12-2112 Corridor Walls, Construction of Institutional . 10-133 —C— Corridors,Exterior Educational 9-126 Candles,Places of Assembly 17-2121 Corridors,Interior Capacity See Occupant Load Educational 9-162 Capacity Limitations,Existing As- Court,Defined Ch.3 sembly.. 8-511 Curtains,Cubicle 17-4152 101-214 LIFE SAFETY CODE —D— Draperies, Institutional Occupancies 17-415 Dance Floor See Places of Assembly Drills,Fire Exit 17-11 Dead-end Corridors 5-118 Assembly 17-211 Garages... 15-2214 Dormitories 17-521 I Hospitals,Nursing Homes 10-1234 Educational 17-311 Hotels 11-2241 General Industrial 17-811 Industrial 14-2163 Hotels 11-234 Offices 13-1262 Institutional. 17-411 Mercantile 17-811 Dead-end Limits See Exit Distances Office 17-711 Decorations 17-12 Assembly 17-215 Dry Chemical Extinguishing Sys- Institutional 17-416 tems 6-4211 Definitions Ch.3 Dwellings See Residential Occupancies Department Stores See Mercantile _E— Occupancies Detection,Fire Systems 17-14 Educational Occupancies Ch.9 Dining Room See Places of Assembly Building Service Equipment 9-17 Discharge from Exits 5-122 Air Conditioning 9-172 Electrical Wiring... 9-173 Apartments 11-324 Elevators 9-171 Hotels 11-227 Capacity 9-112 Industrial 14-217 Defined 4-11.3,9-111 Mercantile 12-127 Drills 17-311 Office 13-127 Exit Details 9-12 Doors Sec.5-2 Access to 9-125 Application 5-211 Arrangement 9-127 Educational 9-132 Capacity 9-122 Existing Institutional 10-224 Doors. 9-13 Folding Partitions,in 5-222 Exterior Corridors 9-128 Institutional 10-224 Lighting,Signs 9-141 Locks on 17-413 Panic Hardware 9-133 Locks,Latches,Alarm Devices for. 5-213 Windows 9-151 Maintenance 5-217 Inspection 17-313 Mercantile 12-128 Protection 9-16 One-,Two-Family Dwellings 11-622 Alarm System 9-164 Panic Hardware 5-216,9-133 Automatic Sprinklers 9-165 Power-Operated.. 5-218 Interior Corridors 9-162 Revolving 5-220 Interior Finish 9-163 Screen,Storm 5-219 Vertical Openings 9-161 Stairway 5-2123 Signals,Fire Emergency 17-312 Swinging 5-212 Educational,Existing Sec.9-6 Turnstiles 5-221 Unit of Exit Width... 5-214 Additional Protection 9-612 Width,Floor Level 5-215 Fire Alarm Systems 9-615 Dormitories Sec.11-4 Exits 9-613 Air Conditioning,Ventilation 11-441 General Requirements for 9-611 Building Service Equipment 11-44 Interior Finish 9-614 Exit Details 11-42 Egress,Means of See Exits Access to.. 11-423 Electric Stairways See Escalators Lighting,Signs 11-424 Electrical Systems,Essential 10-128 Travel Distance to 11-422 Elevators,Automatic....7-114,8-181,9-171 Types,Capacity 11-421 Protection 11-43 Emergency Duties Alarms,Drills 11-433,17-521 Hotel Employees 17-512 Interior Finish 11-432 Emergency Lighting See Exit Illumina- Vertical Openings 11-431 lion INDEX 101-215 Emergency Organization Fire Detection Systems 17-14 Hotels 17-51 Fire Doors,Smokestop Doors Sec.6-6 Equipment,Building Service See also Specific Occupancy.... Ch.7 Fire Drills See Drills Air Conditioning 7-1111 Fire Escape Ladders Elevators 7-114 Construction of 5-923 Heating,Cooking 7-1111 Installation.. 5-922 Rubbish,Linen Chutes 7-113 Use of 5-921 Smoke Venting 7-112 Escalators Sec.5-8 Fire Escape Stairs 5-91 Openings,Protection of 6-12 Access 5-915 Evacuation Plan 17-411 Arrangement, Protection of Open- ings 5-914 Exhibition Halls.... Sec.8-4 Details 5-913 Existing,Defined Ch.3 Guards,Handrails 5-917 Exit,Defined. 5-1121 Materials,Strength 5-916 Exit,Access,Defined 5-1121 Swinging 5-918 Types of 5-912 Exit,Discharge,defined 5-1121 Exit Passageways Sec.5-7 Fire Exit Drills See Drills Application.. 5-711 Fire Resistance,Rating Defined Ch.3 Enclosure,Arrangement 5-712 Fire Retardant, Floor 5-714 Width 5-713 Paints 6-212,17-15 Exits Firestopping Access to 5-120 Concealed Spaces 6-13 Exterior Ways of 5-121 Hospitals,Nursing Homes 10-2323 Application 5-111 Arrangement of 5-117 Fire Shutter See Fire Door Capacity 5-115,5-116 Fire Window,Defined Ch.3 Components,Permissible 5-113 Flame Spread,Defined Ch.3 Defined 5-112 Discharge from 5-122 Floor Area Distance,Dead-End Limits 5-118 Gross,Defined. Ch.3 Elevation,Changes in 5-124 Headroom 5-123 Net,Defined Ch.3 Illumination 5-10 Subdivisions of Interior Finish 5-125 Institutional,Existing 10-231 Maintenance of 5-126 Institutional... 10-131 Measurement of Distance to 5-119 Of Width 5-115 Floor Openings See Vertical Openings Occupant Load 5-116 Protective Enclosure of 5-114 Foam Extinguishing Systems 6-4211 Existing Buildings.... Sec.1-4 Folding Doors 5-222 Assembly 8-5 Folding Partitions Educational 9-6 Hospitals 10-2 See also Exit Doors 5-222 Exit Doors See Doors Food Service Devices, Assembly 8-183,17-213 -F Forest Fire Towers Sec.16-1 Finish, Interior See Interior Finish Fire Alarms See Alarm Systems Fundamental Code Requirements Sec.2-1 Fire Department, Municipal, No- Furnishings,Decorations 17-12 tification 6-38 Institutional 17-416 I 101-216 LIFE SAFETY CODE —G— Hazards, Segregation, Protection Galleries 5-1216 of Sec'8-5 Garages Sec.15-2 Headroom,Exit 5-123 Exit Details 15-22 Heating Equipment 7-1111 General 15-221 Hospitals,Nursing Homes...10-141,10-241 Signs 15-223 1-,2-Family Dwellings 11-641 Travel Distance.. 15-222 Mercantile 12-141 General Industrial Occupancies Sec.14-2 Height Limitations, Exit Details Existing Assembly 8-512 Capacity 14-214 High Hazard Contents,Special Pro- Discharge from 14-217 visions for 4-213 General 14-211 Measurement,Exit Widths 14-213 High Hazard Industrial Occupancy Number. 14-215 Sec.14-4 Signs,Lighting,Alarms 14-218 Exits Travel Distance to 14-216 Number of 14-422 Types 14-212 Travel Distance to 14-423 Protection 14-22 Types of 14-421 Interior Finish 14-222 Explosion Venting 14-432 Vertical Openings 14-221 Protection 14-43 General Storage Occupancies Sec.15-1 Automatic Sprinklers, Explosion Classification of Contents 15-112 Venting 14-432 Exit Details 15-12 Vertical Openings 14-431 Number of 15-121 Horizontal Exits Travel Distance to 15-122 Application.. 5-511 Occupancy 15-111 Bridges,Balconies 5-513 Grain Elevators Sec.15-4 Defined Ch.3 Guard,Defined Ch.3 Egress from Area of Refuge 5-512 Hospitals,Nursing Homes...10-126,10-226 Guest Rooms,Protection of....... 11-232 Openings Through Walls ... 5-514 Street Floor Fire Partition Omitted 5-515 Hospital,Defined Ch.3 —H Hospitals,Existing Sec.10-2 Hangars.. Sec.15-3 Application.. 10-211 Exit Details 15-31 Attendants 17-411 General 15-311 Building Service Equipment . 10-24 Signs 15-312 Air Conditioning, Ventilating, Handrail,Defined Ch.3 Heating,Cooking 10-241 Assembly 8-127 Conversions 10-213 Details for Stairs... 5-3164 Decorations,Draperies.. 17-415 Hazard of Contents Sec.4-2 Drills 17-411 Classification 4-212 Evacuation Plan 17-411 Special Provisions 4-213 Exit Details • 10-22 Access to.. 10-223 Hazardous Areas Sec.6-5 Capacity of 10-222 Apartments 11-334 Doors. 10-224 Assembly 8-173 Horizontal 10-226 Defined Ch.3 Lighting,Signs. , 10-227 Educational 9-166 Locks 10-1242, 17-413 Existing Institutional... 10-235 Number of 10-221 Hotels 11-235 Stairs,Smokeproof Towers...... 10-225 Institutional 10-137 Furnishings 17-416 Penal Institutions 10-315 Procedure,Fire 17-412 INDEX 101-217 Hospitals(Continued) Guest Rooms 11-232 Protection 10-23 Interior Finish 11-233 Hazardous Areas 10-235 Vertical Openings 11-231 Interior Finish 10-233 Sprinklers,Alarms 10-234 _I_ Subdivision,Building Spaces 10-231 Vertical Openings 10-232 Illumination See Lighting Retroactive Provisions, Modifi- Illumination,Exit Sec.5-10 cation of 10-212 Emergency 5-1021 Smoking 17-414 General 5-1021 Hospitals,New Sec.10-1 Sources of 5-1012 Application 10-211 Incinerators,Flue-fed 7-1111 Attendants 17-411 Industrial Occupancies Ch.14 Building Service Equipment 10-14 General Requirements Sec.14-1 Air Conditioning, Ventilating, Capacity.... 14-112 Heating,Cooking 10-141 Occupancy 14-111 Defined 10-112 Institutional Occupancies Ch.10 Decorations,Draperies.. 17-415 Drills 17-411 Defined 10-112 Evacuation Plan 17-411 Existing. Sec.10-2 Exit Details 10-12 Inspection, Educational Occupan- Access to.. 10-123 cies 17-313 Capacity of 10-122 Interior Finish Sec.6-2 Doors. 10-124 Apartments 11-332 Horizontal 10-126 Assembly 8-172,8-513 Lighting,Signs. 10-128 Classes of 6-2114 Number. 10-121 Dormitories 11-432 Stairs,Smokeproof Towers...... 10-125 Educational 9-163 Ramps 10-127 Educational,Existing . 9-614 Furnishings 17-416 Institutional . 10-135 Procedure,Fire 17-412 Institutional,Existing ... 10-233 Protection 10-13 General Industrial.. 14-222 Construction Standards ... 10-132 Mercantile 12-132 Corridor Walls . 10-133 Office 13-132 Hazardous Areas. 10-137 Open Plan Buildings.. 9-215 Interior Finish 10-135 Use of 6-215 Sprinklers,Alarms 10-136 Subdivision;Building Spaces 10-131 Vertical Openings 10-134 —J— Hotels Sec.11-2 Jails See Penal Institutions Emergency Organization ... 17-51 Drills 17-5112 —K— Emergency Duties 17-512 Keys See Locking Doors Exit Details 11-22 Access to.. 11-226 Kindergartens Sec.9-3 Capacity.... 11-223 Discharge from 11-227 —L— General 11-221 Ladders Sec.5-9 Lighting,Signs. 11-228 Number. 11-224 Lighting,Signs Travel Distance to 11-225 Apartments 11-325 Types of 11-222 Assembly 8-128 Occupant Load 11-111 Educational 9-141 Protection 11-23 Hospitals,Nursing Homes 10-128 Alarms,Drills 11-234 Hotels 11-228 101-218 LIFE SAFETY CODE Industrial 14-218 —N— Mercantile 12-129 Office 13-128 New Construction,Institutional... 10-113 Linen Chutes. 7-113 Noncombustible Material,Defined Ch.3 Locking of Doors,Penal 10-3143 Notes Appendix A Lodge Room See Places of Assembly Number of Exits Lodging,Rooming Houses Sec.11-5 Apartments 11-322 Exit Details 11-52 Assembly 8-122 Number,Type... 11-521 Educational 9-123 Protection 11-53 Hospitals,Existing 10-221 Alarm System 11-531 Hospitals,New 10-121 Hotels 11-224 M— Industrial,General 14-215 Industrial,High Hazard 14-422 Maintenance,Exits,Equipment.. Sec.2-3 Industrial,Special Purpose 14-321 Markets See Mercantile Occupancies Lodging,Rooming Houses 11-521 Marking,Exit Sec.5-11 Mercantile 12-124 Signs 5-1111 Office 13-125 Illumination 5-1112 One-,Two-Family Dwellings 11-621 Size 5-1113 Nursing Homes,See Hospitals Means of Egress,Defined Ch.3 Defined Ch.3 Mercantile Occupancies Ch.12 Building Service Equipment 12-14 Air-Conditioning 12-141 —0— Elevators 12-142 Capacity 12-113 Occupancy Classification Sec.4-1 Classification 12-112,12-114 Occupancies,Combined,Other 9-513 Doors. 12-128 Occupancy Drills 17-711 Assembly 8-113 Exits Defined Ch.3 Access to.. 12-126 Educational 9-112 Capacity of 12-123 General Storage 15-111 Discharge from 12-127 Hospitals,Existing 10-214 General 12-121 Hospitals,New 10-114 Location of 12-125 Industrial 14-112 Number of 12-124 Mercantile 12-113 Signs,Lighting. 12-129 Office 13-113 Types of 12-122 Residential 11-111 Occupancy,Occupant Load 12-11 Occupant Load Protection Defined Ch.3 Alarms 12-135 General Storage 15-111 Automatic Sprinklers 12-133 Industrial 14-111 Hazardous Areas 12-134 Mercantile 12-111 Interior Finish 12-132 Office 13-111 Vertical Openings,of 12-131 Office Occupancies Ch.13 Shopping Malls 12-5 Building Service Equipment 13-14 Definition I2-5111 Air Conditioning 13-141 General Requirements 12-512 Elevators 13-142 Miscellaneous Occupancies, De- Capacity 13-113 fined 4-120 Classification 13-112 Miscellaneous Structures Ch.16 Exit Details 13-12 Mixed Occupancies,Defined 4-121 Capacity of 13-124 Monumental Stairs - 5-318 Discharge from 13-127 Motion Picture Theater See Assembly General 13-121 Moving Walks 5-813 Number of 13-125 INDEX 101-219 Office Occupancies(Continued) Proscenium Curtains 8-1514 Signs,Lighting. 13-128 Protection,Vertical Openings Sec.6-1 Travel Distance to 13-126 Width,Measurement of 13-123 Apartments 11-331 Occupancy 13-111 Assembly 8-171 Protection 13-13 Dormitories 11-431 Alarms 13-133 Educational 9-161 Interior Finish 13-132 Hospitals,Existing 10-232 Vertical Openings 13-131 Hospitals,New 10-134 1-,2-Family Dwellings.. Sec.11-6 Hotels 11-231 Building Service Equipment 11-64 Industrial Heating 11-641 General 14 221 Exit Details 11-62 High Hazard 14 431 Doors. 11-622 Special Purpose 14-331 Number,Type 11-621 Mercantile 12-131 Stairs . 11-623 Office 13-131 Protection 11-63 Public Way,Defined. Ch.3 Open-Air Markets Sec.12-3 Public Assembly Occupancies in Open Flame Devices 17-212 Hotels 11-212 Open Industrial Structures Sec.14-5 Open Plan Buildings,Educational —R— Area Limitations 9-212 Railings See Handrails Automatic Extinguishing Systems 9-217 Ramps,Inside Defined 9-211 Application.. 5-611 Doors in 9-214 Classification 5-612 Interior Finish 9-215 Defined Ch.3 Travel Distance to Exits 9-213 Details 5-614 Variable Plans 9-216 Hospitals,Nursing Homes 10-127 Operating Features... Ch.17 Existing. 10-225 Outdoor Assembly Sec.8-2 Protective Enclosure for 5-613 Outside Stairs,defined Ch.3 Ramps,Outside Details 5-623 Enclosures 5-622 General 5-621 P— Residential-Custodial Care Fa- Paint,Fire Retardant 6-212,17-15 cility See Hospitals Panic Hardware 5-216 Defined Ch.3 See also Exit Doors Residential Occupancies Ch.11 Assembly 8-126 General Requirements Sec.11-1 Educational 9-133 Capacity,Exits 11-112 Penal Institutions Sec.10-3 Occupant Load 11-111 Application 10-311 Revolving Doors 5-220 See also Exit Doors Defined 10-312 Hazardous Areas 10-315 Rooming Houses Sec.11-5 Means of Egress 10-314 Defined Ch.3 Occupancy Classification 10-313 Rubbish Chutes 7-113 Operating Features. 10-316 Piers, Water-Surrounded Structures _ Sec.16-2 —S Platform,Enclosed,Defined.. Ch.3,8-1511a Screen,Storm Doors.. 5-219 Porches 5-1216 Signs,Exit Sec.5-11 See also Marking Prisons See Penal Institutions Aircraft Hangars 15-312 Projection Rooms 8-6 Apartments 11-325 101-220 LIFE SAFETY CODE Signs(Continued) Standards,NFPA Appendix B Assembly 8-128 Standards,Minimum Construction. 10-132 1 Educational 9-141 Storage Occupancies Ch.15 Garages 15-223 Classification of Contents 15-112 Hospitals,Existing 10-227 Defined 4-119 Hospitals,New 10-128 Exit Details,Number of 15-121 Hotels 11-228 Travel Distance to 15-122 Industrial,General 14-218 Stores See Mercantile Occupancies Mercantile 12-129 Office 13-128 Story,Defined Ch.3 Smokeproof Towers See Stairs, In- Street,Defined Ch.3 terior Street Floor,Defined Ch.3 Schools See Educational Occupancy Structure,Defined Ch.3 Scope,Administration,Code Sec.1-3 Supermarket See Mercantile Occu- I Seating pancies Aisles,Railings 8-1272,17-216 Swinging Stairs 5-918 Continental 8-1271 Segregation,Protection of Hazards Sec.6-5 —T— Self Closing,Defined Ch.3 Tents See Outdoor Assembly Self Service Stores Sec.12-2 Texas Tower. 16-2113 Signal Indicating Devices 6-314 Theaters See Assembly Occupancies Slide Escapes,Types of 5-932 Towers, Miscellaneous Structures..Sec.16-1 Use,Capacity Rating 5-931 Transoms , Smokeproof Towers 5-317 Hotels 11-2412 Smoke Venting 7-112 Dormitories 11-4412 Smoking,Regulations for Travel Distance to Exits 5-119 Assembly 17-214 Assembly 8-124 Institutional 17-414 Dormitories 11-422 Special Purpose Industrial Occu- Educational 9-124 pancy Sec.14-3 Garages 15-222 Exit Details 14-32 Hotels 11-225 Number 14-321 Industrial Protection 14-33 General 14-216 Vertical Openings 14-331 High Hazard 14-423 Sprinklers See Automatic Sprinklers Institutional 10-1232,10-2232 Office... 13-126 Stage S-1511 Open Plan 9-213 Defined 8-1511b Treads,risers 5-313 Enclosed Platform 8-151 Turnstiles 5-221 Stairs,Interior Sec.5-.i See also Exit Doors Classes of 5-312 Types of Exits 5-113 Details 5-315 Assembly 8-125 Enclosures 5-314 Dormitories 11-421 General 5-311 Educational 9-1221 Guards,Railings 5-316 Hotels 11-222 Treads,Risers 5-313 Industrial Stairs,Outside Sec.5-4 General 14-212 Details 5-413 High Hazard 14-421 Enclosures 5-412 Institutional 10-1211,10-2211 General 5-4.11 Mercantile 12-122 Stairways,Enclosures of 5-314 Office 13-122 INDEX 101-221 -U- Special Industrial 14-331 Universities See Educational Vessels Sec.16-3 Underground Structures Sec.8-3 General 16-41,16-42 —W— Educational Occupancies.... Sec.9-4 Unit of Exit Width,Defined Ch.3 Waiting Spaces 8-131 Water Spray Extinguishing Sys- -V— tem 6-4211 Vehicles.... Sec.16-3 Water-surrounded Structures... See.16-2 Vertical Opening,Defined Ch.3 Vertical Openings, Protection of Sec.6-1 Windowless Buildings 16-43 Apartments 11-331 Assembly Sec.8-3 Assembly 8-171 Educational Sec.9-4 Dormitories 11-431 General Requirements 16-41 Educational 9-161 Windows Existing Institutional 10-232 Educational 9-151 General Industrial.. 14-221 Dwellings 11-6212 High Hazard Industrial 14-431 Hotels 11-231 Institutional . 10-134 —y_. Mercantile 12-131 Office 13-131 Yard,Defined . Ch.3 101-222 LIFE SAFETY CODE Tentative Interim Amendment to NFPA No. 101 In accordance with Section 100 of the Regulations Governing Technical Com- mittees, the Committee on Safety to Life has released the following Tentative Interim Amendment to the 1970 Edition of the Code for Safety to Life from Fire in Buildings and Structures,NFPA No. 101. Add the following new appendix note to 6-2112: "A-6-2112. This paragraph recognizes that traditional finish floors and floor coverings such as wood flooring and resilient floor coverings have not proved to present an unusual hazard. The use in recent years of many new finishes and soft floor coverings of unknown fire characteristics and the fire record of some of these indicate that the authority having jurisdiction should request test information on any finish floor or floor covering which has fire character- istics with which he is not familiar. In some cases he may wish to identify the finish floor or floor covering as interior finish and to set limitations on its fire characteristics. It is suggested that such limitations permit finish floors and floor coverings to be in one class higher than the class required in the occupancy chapters of this Code for specific locations; e. g., where Class A is specified, Class B may be used." In accordance with NFPA procedures, this Interim Amendment is tentative and will be finalized in the planned 1973 Edition of NFPA No. 101. National Fire Protection Association International 60 Batterymarch Street, Boston, Mass. 02110 The National Fire Protection Association was organized in 1896 to promote the science and improve the methods of fire protection. Anyone interested may become an Associate Member;the annual dues are$30.00. National and regional societies and associations are eligible to be Organiza- tion Members; annual dues are $225. Full membership information is available on request. This is one of a large number of publications on fire safety issued by the Association. All NFPA codes, standards, and recommended practices are prepared by NFPA Technical Committees and adopted at an Annual Meeting of the Association. They are intended to prescribe reasonable measures for minimizing losses of life and property by fire. This and other NFPA codes, standards, and recommended practices are published in the National Fire Codes, a ten-volume compilation of NFPA's official technical material. Following are the titles of the ten- volume set: Vol. 1 Flammable Liquids, Ovens, Boiler-Furnaces Vol. 2 Gases Vol. 3 Combustible Solids, Dusts and Explosives Vol. 4 Building Construction and Facilities Vol. 5 Electrical Vol. 6 Sprinklers, Fire Pumps and Water Tanks Vol. 7 Alarm and Special Extinguishing Systems Vol. 8 Portable and Manual Fire Control Equipment Vol. 9 Occupancy Standards and Process Hazards ' Vol. 10 Transportation Write the Association for full information. Discount Prices on this Pamphlet The following schedule of discount prices for multiple copies of this pamphlet have been established: 1 to 4 copies:Unit price 25 copies and over:25% 5 copies and over: 15% 50 copies and over:30% ., 10 copies and over:20% 75 copies and over:35% 100 and over:Special quote TYPICAL POCKET EDITIONS OF NFPA STANDARDS`., List revised as of June, 1970. Titles are abbreviated. For complete list of publications write NFPA. ss- 2M Model Legislation '67 . .50 490 Ammonium Nitrate'70. .75 90B Residence Warm Air Heat T 4A Fire Dept. Organization '69 .75 ! 491 M Chem. Reactions'68 . . . 2.50 91 Blower and Exhaust Syst. '61 4B Fire Dept.Management'68 . 2.50 492 Ammon.Nitrate,Sep.Dist.'68 .50 96-Vapor Removal Cooking Equip- 6 Industrial Loss Prevent. '67 . .50 493 Process Control Equip. '69 . .75 ment '70 7 Controlling Fire Emerg.'67. .50 494L State Fireworks Law'64 .40 97M Glossary, Heating Terms'68 8 Management Responsibility'67 . .50 495 Explosives, Stge., Use '7D . 1.25 9 Training Reports, Records '70 . .50 496 Purged Enclosures '67 . .50 I 101 Life Safety Code'70 498 Explosives,Motor Term. '70 . .50 102 Tents,Grandstands,Air 10 Extinguishers, Instal. '70 . . 1.00 Supported Structures '67,,•l-k 10A Extinguishers, Maint. '70 1.00 50A Gaseous Hydrogen Syst. '69 . 50 10L Model Enabling Act '69 - 50 51 Welding and Cutting '69 .75 203M Roof Coverings '70 . 11 Foam Ext. Systems'70. . 2 00i' 508 LH-Syst., Consumer Sites '68 .50 204 Smoke, Heat Venting '68 11A High Expansion Foam Syst.'70 .75 I 51B Welding Processes '62 .40 . 206M Building Areas '70 12 Carton Dioxide Systems '68 . 1.50 , 54 Gas Appliances,Piping'69. . 1.25 I 211 Chimneys,Venting Syst '70 12A Haman 1301 Systems '70. . 1.25 54A Indust. Gas Piping '69 . . 1.00 214 Water Cooling Towers '68 13 Sprinkler Systems'69 . . 2.00 56A Inhalation Anesthetics '70 . 1.50 220 Std. Types Bldg. Const. '61 . 13A Sorinkler Maintenance '69 75 56B Inhalation Therapy '68 . .75 224 Homes Forest Areas '69 . 13E Sprinklered Prop.,F.D. 56C Hospital Laboratories'70. . .75 231 Indoor General Storage'70 . 3 Operations at '66 60 56D Hyperbaric Facilities '70 . 1.00 231A Outdoor Gen'l. Storage'70 . 14 Standpipe, Hose Systems'70 . 75 56F Nonflam. Med. Gases '70 . . .75 231 B Cellular Rubber, Storage'68, .7 15 Water Spray Fixed Syst. '69 . 1 25 566 Bulk Oxygen Systems '65 . . .50 232 Protection of Records '70 ..1r� 16 Foam-Water Systems '68 . 1.00 57 Fumigation '68 75 241 Bldg.Constr. Operation '68 17 Dry Chem. Ext. Systems'69 . .75 58 LP-Gas Storage, Use '69 . 1 25 251 Fire Tests Bldg. Matl. '69 18 Wetting Agents'66 50 59 LP-Gas, Utility Plants '68. . 1.25 252 Fire Tests Door Assem. '69 . 182M Vaporizing Liquid '65 40 59A LN-Gas, Utility Plants'67 . .60 255 Flamespread Tests '69 . 19 Fire Apparatus Specs. '70 . . 1 50 256 Tests Roof Coverings '70 . 191 Portable Pump. Units'59 . 35 60 Pulverized Fuel Systs. '61 . . .60 257 Window Assemblies '70 . 193 Ladders, Ground-Aerial '59 . 50 61A Starch Factories '62 . . . .50 t94 Hose Coupling Threads '68 . 75 61 B Grain Elevators '70 . .75 302 Motor Craft'68 196 Fire Hose'69 50 61C Flour and Feed Mills'62. .60 303 Marinas and Boatyards '69 .-1q 197 Initial Fire Attack '66 50 62 Sugar and Cocoa'67 50 306 Gas Hazards on Vessels'69 198 Fire Hose,Care of'69. . . 1.00 63 Explosions Indus. Plants '64 . 50 307 Marine Terminals '67 . 65 Aluminum Processing '70 . . 50 312 Vessels, Constr.-Repair'70 20 Centrifugal Fire Pumps '70 . 2.00 651 Aluminum Powder '67 . . . 50 21 Steam Fire Pump Maint. '63 . .60 652 Magnesium Powder '68 . 50 402 Aircraft Rescue Proced '69 . 22 Water Tanks '70 2 OD 653 Coal Preparation Plants '59 . 50 403 Aircraft Rescue Services '70-.'_. 24 Outside Protection '70 . . . 1.25 654 Plastics, Expl. Prevent. '70 . 1 25 406M Handling Crash Fires '68 25 Rural Water Systems '69 . .75 655 Sulfur Fires '68 75 407 Aircraft Fuel Servicing '70 . 26 Supervision Valves '58 . . .40 656 Spice Grinding Plants'59 . 40 408 Aircraft Extinguishers '70 27 Private Fire Brigades '67 .50 657 Confectionery Plants '67 . . 50 409 Aircraft Hangars'70 292M Water Charges,Private'61 . .40 66 Pneumatic Conveying '70 75 410A Elec. Syst. Mains. '68`=-'- 295 Forest Fire Control '65 . . .75 664 Woodworking,Wood Flour'62 60 410E Oxygen Spot. Maint 66. 68 Explosion Venting '54 75 410C Fuel Syst.Maint.'68 30 Flam- Liquids Code '69 • . 1.00 69 Explosion Prey. Syst. '70 . . 1 25 410D Aircraft Painting '66 31 Oil Burning Equipment '68 . 1.25 410E Aircraft Welding '70. 32 Drycleaning Plants '70 . . .75 70 Nat'l Electrical Code'68 . . 2.00 410F Aircraft Cabin Clean. '70 321 Class. Flam. Liquids '69 . . .50 70A Dwelling Electrical Code'69 1.75 411 Aircraft Ramp Hazard '70 325A Flashpoint Index of Trade 71 Central Station Sig. '70 . 1.00 412 Testing, Foam Vehicles '69 Name Liquids'68 . . . 2.50 72A Local Protective Syst. '67 . .60 414 Rescue Vehicles'70 '- - 325M Prop. Flam. Liquids'69 . 3.00 726 Auxiliary Sig. Syst. '67 . . .60 415 Fueling Ramp Drainage 66 326 Warning Labels '51 .25 72C Remote Station System '67 .60 416 Airport Terminals '67 327 Cleaning Small Tanks '70 . .50 72D Proprietary Sig. Syst. '67 .60 417 Loading Walkways '68 328 Manholes,Sewers,Flam. 73 Municipal Alarm Syst. '67. .60 418 Roof-Top Heliports '68 Liquids and Gases in '70 . . .75 74 Household Warning Syst. '67 - .50 419 Airport Water Systems 69 329 Leakage,Underground ' 75 Electronic Computer Syst. '68 .75 Flam. Liquid Tanks '65 .50 501A Trailer Courts '64 76A Hospital Elec. Systems '70 .75 33 Spray Finishing '69 1 25 77 Static Electricity '66 1.00 501B Mobile Homes '68 34 Dip Tanks '66 . .50 76 Lightning Prot. Code '68 1.25 S01C Recreational Vehicles '70 35 Mfg. Organic Coatings'70. . 1.00 79 Electrical Metalworking 505 Power Industrial Trucks'69 36 Solvent Extraction '67 . . . .60 Machine Tools '70 1 00 512 Truck Fire Protection'70. 37 Combustion Engines'70. . . .75 513 Motor Freight Terminals'59. 385 Tank Vehicles'66 . . .60 80 Fire Doors,Windows '70 2.00 386 Portable Shipping Tanks'70 . .50 601 Guard Service '68 - 393 Gasoline Blow Torches '69 .50 BOA Exposure Fires, Prot. '70 . .75 601A Guard Operations '68 395 Farm Storage Flam. Lig. '65. .40 81 Fur Storage, Cleaning '69 . . .75 602 Community Dumps'64 82 Incinerators, Rubbish '70 .75 604 Salvaging Operations '64 40 Motion Picture Film '67 . .60 85 Watertube Boiler-Furnaces'67- .75 41 L Model Rocketry Code'68 . .50 858 Gas-Fired Multiple Burner 701 Fire Tests,Textiles,Films'69 42 Pyroxylin Plastic Factories '67 .60 Boiler-Furnaces'70 1 25 702 Wearing Apparel '68 . . 43 Pyroxylin Warehouses '67 .40 85D Fuel Oil-Fired Multiple 703 Fire Retardants Bldg. Matl. . •41 46 Timber, Outdoor Storage '61 . .50 Burner Boiler-Furnaces'70 . 1.50 704M Identification of Materials .7. 46A Wood Chips, Storage'65 . . .40 86A Ovens and Furnaces '69 . .2.00 801 Radioactive Matt. Facil. '70 -- 47 Lumber Storage Yards '61 . . .50 87 Piers and Wharves '68 . . . .75 802 Nuclear Reactors '60 48 Magnesium '67 60 88 Garages '68 75 . 481 Titanium '61 60 89M Heat Equip. Clearances '70 . .50 901 Fire Reporting System'69 - 482M Zirconium '61 50 910 Library Collections '70 49 Hazardous Chem. Data'69 . . 2 50 90A Air Conditioning Syst. '69 . .75 911 Museum Collections '69