Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) Automatic
Sprinkler System: An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed throughout
the work area.
1. Exception: Automatic
sprinklers shall not be required in buildings of Type I or Type IIA
construction of any height or of Type IIB construction not over one story in
height. This exception shall not apply to nursing homes.
2. Exception: For other than buildings of
construction Type IIIB or VB, an automatic sprinkler system shall not be
required in day care centers with an occupant load of 100 or less where all the
children under 2 1/2 years of age are cared for on the first floor and in which
each child care room has an exit door directly to the exterior.
(Fire)
(b) Exits: Two
exits shall be required for stories with less than 500 occupants. Three exits
shall be required for stories with 501 to 1,000 occupants. Four exits shall be
required for stories with more than 1,000 occupants. Two means of egress are
also required from all mezzanines with an occupant load greater than 50 and
with exit travel distance greater than 75 feet.
1. A single exit shall not be
permitted.
2. Existing fire escapes
shall be accepted as providing one of the required means of egress unless
judged to be dangerous for use under emergency exiting conditions. For use of
fire escapes, access shall be through a door except when serving an occupant
load of 10 or fewer. All occupants shall have unobstructed access to fire
escapes without having to pass through a room subject to locking.
i. When more than one exit is required and
there is not sufficient space for an exterior stair within the lot line, a new
fire escape shall be accepted as providing one of the required means of egress.
Newly-installed fire escapes shall comply with FTO-3.
ii. Ladders shall be prohibited on fire
escapes used as a required means of egress. (Plan review--Building, Fire.
Inspection--Building)
(c) Egress Doorways: A minimum of two egress
doorways shall be required for all rooms and spaces with an occupant load
greater than 50 or in which the travel distance exceeds 75 feet. All egress
doors serving an occupant load greater than 50 shall swing in the direction of
exit travel.
1. Exception: Storage rooms with
a maximum occupant load of 10 shall not be required to have two egress
doorways.
2. A minimum of two
egress doorways shall be required for any patient sleeping room or suite of
rooms greater than 1,000 square feet. (Plan review--Building, Fire.
Inspection--Building)
(d) Capacity of Means of Egress: The capacity
of the means of egress in each work area shall be determined in accordance with
5:23-6.11(b).
(Plan review--Building, Fire. Inspection--Building)
(e) Dead End Corridors: Existing dead end
corridors shall not exceed 35 feet in length. Exceptions are allowed as
follows:
1. Dead end corridors may be up to
50 feet in length in a building with an automatic alarm system installed in
conformance with the building code in effect at the time of its
installation.
2. Dead end corridors
may be up to 70 feet in length in a building with an automatic sprinkler system
installed in conformance with the building code in effect at the time of its
installation. (Plan review--Building, Fire. Inspection--Building)
(f) Means of Egress Lighting:
Artificial lighting with an intensity of not less than one foot candle at floor
level shall be required during all times that the conditions of occupancy of
the building require that the exits be available. Lighting shall also be
required to illuminate the exit discharge. In all buildings, rooms or spaces
required to have more than one exit or exit access, means of egress lighting
shall be connected to an emergency electrical system conforming to NFPA 70
(NEC) except that continued illumination shall be required to be provided for
not less than one hour in the case of primary power loss. (Plan
Review--Building, Fire, Electric. Inspection--Building)
(g) Illuminated Exit Signs: Illuminated exit
signs shall be provided for all required means of egress in all buildings,
rooms or spaces required to have more than one exit or exit access. Exit signs
shall be visible from the exit access and supplemented by directional signs
when necessary. (Exception: Approved main exterior doors that are clearly
identified as exits are not required to have exit signs.) Exit signs shall meet
the criteria contained in (g)1 and 2 below:
1. Red or green letters at least six inches
high; minimum width of each stroke 3/4 inch on a white background or in other
approved distinguishable colors. Arrows, if provided, shall be such that the
direction cannot readily be changed. The word "Exit" shall be clearly
discernible when the sign is not energized.
2. Exit signs shall be illuminated at all
times when the building is occupied by a source providing at least five foot
candles at the illuminated surface or shall be approved self-luminous signs
which provide evenly illuminated letters with a minimum luminance of 0.06 foot
lamberts. Exit signs shall be connected to an emergency electrical system
conforming to NFPA 70 (NEC) except that continued illumination shall be
required to be provided for not less than one hour in the case of primary power
loss. No emergency power shall be required for approved self-luminous
signs.
3. Exception: When the
second means of egress is a fire escape that is accessed directly from the
individual sleeping room, illuminated exit signs shall not be required above
the means of egress serving the fire escape. (Plan review--Building, Fire.
Inspection--Building)
(h) Handrails: Every required exit stairway
having three or more risers and not provided with handrails or in which the
existing handrails are in danger of collapsing when used under emergency
exiting conditions, shall be provided with handrails for the full length of the
run of steps on at least one side. All exit stairways more than 66 inches wide
shall have handrails on both sides unless the full width of the stairway is not
needed to accommodate the design occupancy. (Plan review--Building, Fire.
Inspection--Building)
(i) Guards:
Every open portion of a stair, landing or balcony which is more than 30 inches
above the floor or grade below and is not provided with guards or those in
which the existing guards are in danger of collapsing when used under emergency
exiting conditions, shall be provided with guards. (Plan review--Building,
Fire. Inspection--Building)
(j)
Vertical Opening Protection: Vertical opening protection for interior stairways
and other vertical openings shall be provided as follows:
1. For vertical openings connecting more than
six floor levels, approved assemblies having a fire resistance rating of not
less than two hours with approved opening protectives shall be
required.
2. For vertical openings
connecting four to six floor levels, approved assemblies having a fire
resistance rating of not less than one hour with approved opening protectives
shall be required.
3. For vertical
openings not exceeding three stories, a minimum one-hour UFC fire barrier shall
be required, with the following exception:
i.
Exception: Vertical opening protection shall not be required for vertical
openings connecting not more than two floor levels which are separated by a
one-hour UFC fire barrier equipped with a self-closing or automatically closing
20-minute door at the top or bottom of the stairway when such stairway does not
serve as a required means of egress. (Plan review--Building, Fire.
Inspection--Building)
(k) Boiler/Furnace Equipment Rooms:
Boiler/furnace equipment rooms shall be enclosed by one hour fire-rated wall
and ceiling assemblies for day nurseries, children's shelter facilities,
residential child care facilities and similar facilities with children below
the age of 2 1/2 years.
1. Exception:
Enclosure shall not be required for boiler/furnace equipment of low pressure
type (operating at pressures of 15 psig or less for steam equipment or 160 psig
or less for hot water equipment) when installed in accordance with
manufacturer's recommendations or for boiler/furnace equipment of residential,
single-family type (200,000 BTU per hour input rating or less.)
2. Exception: Enclosure shall not be required
for boiler/furnace equipment rooms equipped with a limited area sprinkler
system in accordance with Section 903.3.8 of the building subcode.
3. Where oil-burning equipment is used, an
emergency shutoff switch shall be required at the top of the stairs leading to
the basement for equipment in the basement or outside of the room for equipment
located in other enclosed rooms. (Plan review--Building, Fire.
Inspection--Building)
(l) Smoke Barriers: On every
story used for sleeping purposes for more than 30 occupants and on stories
which are usable, but unoccupied, when the work area exceeds 22,500 square feet
on a floor, the work area shall be divided into not less than two compartments
by smoke barrier walls complying with the technical requirements of
5:23-6.30(e) such
that each compartment does not exceed 22,500 square feet and is no more than
150 feet in length and width. (Plan review--Building, Fire.
Inspection--Building)
(m)
Structural Elements: Structural elements which are uncovered during the course
of the rehabilitation and which are found to be unsound or otherwise
structurally deficient, shall be reinforced, supported or replaced in
accordance with the applicable structural design criteria of the building
subcode. Where structural elements are sound, there is no excessive deflection
(defined as deflection in excess of the standards set forth in
5:23-6.7(c)1 ) ,
and fixed loads are not changing in a way that will increase the stresses on
existing structures beyond that which is permitted by
5:23-6.7(c),
existing structural elements shall be permitted to remain. (Building)
(n) Plumbing Fixtures: Plumbing fixtures
shall be provided as required by Table 7.21.1 of the plumbing subcode. Where
the plumbing subcode allows for the substitution or omission of fixtures, such
substitutions or omissions shall also be permitted under this section.
(Plumbing)
(o)
Mechanical Requirements: All spaces intended for occupancy shall be provided
with either natural or mechanical ventilation.
1. Spaces intended to be naturally ventilated
shall be provided with openable doors, windows, louvers, or other openings to
the outdoors. The minimum openable area to the outdoors shall be four percent
of the floor area being ventilated. Where rooms without openings to the
outdoors are ventilated through an adjoining room, the unobstructed opening to
the adjoining room shall be at least eight percent of the floor area of the
interior room or space, but not less than 25 square feet. The ventilation
openings to the outdoors shall be based on the total floor area being
ventilated.
2.
Mechanically-ventilated spaces shall comply with the following:
i. Newly-installed HVAC systems shall comply
with the requirements of the mechanical subcode.
ii. Existing systems that are altered or
extended shall not reduce the amount of outside air below the existing rate per
person or the rate included in the mechanical subcode, whichever is lower. As a
minimum, mechanically-ventilated spaces shall be provided with five CFM per
person of outdoor air and 15 CFM of ventilation air per person.
3. All newly-introduced devices,
equipment or operations that produce airborne particulates, odors, fumes,
sprays, vapors, smoke or gases in such quantities to be irritating or injurious
to health shall be provided with local exhaust. (Building)
(p) Interior finishes shall comply with
5:23-6.11(c).
(Plan review--Building, Fire. Inspection--Building)
(q) Specific Occupancy Areas: Specific
occupancy areas within the work area, as listed in
5:23-6.30(h),
shall comply with the requirements established in that section for separation
and/or protection. (Building)
