Unless otherwise specifically stated, the provisions of this article shall apply to all structures hereafter erected, except as may be otherwise provided by state law; Article XVI I, Multiple Dwellings; § 86-16B(3), Required means of egress for converted institutional buildings; and Article XIII, Special Occupancies.
A.
Kinds of required exits. Every structure hereafter
erected shall have such means of egress consisting of interior or
exterior stairways, fire towers, horizontal exits, ramps or passageways,
including the necessary hallways and doorways as may be hereinafter
required.
B.
Required exits from rooms. Every room having an occupancy
of more than 75 persons shall have at least two doorways, remote from
each other, leading to an exit or exits.
C.
Required exits from the ground floor. Every floor
area having direct exit to a street and occupied by more than 40 persons
shall have at least two means of exit.
D.
Required exits from floor areas. Every floor area
above or below the ground floor shall have at least one interior stairway
or fire tower connected thereto. Every such floor area shall have
at least one additional exit when it exceeds 2,500 square feet in
area.
E.
Required exits from places of public assembly.
(1)
The means of egress from dance halls, cabarets, ballrooms,
banquet halls, restaurants, exhibition halls and other places of public
assembly shall comply with the following requirements:
(2)
Where there are two exits or stairways, they shall
be on opposite sides of the space. Where there are three exits or
stairways, the third shall be remote from the other two. But every
point within the space shall be within 100 feet of an exit or stairway.
All but one such exit or stairway shall be separately enclosed and
lead into a place readily accessible to the street.
F.
Number of occupants.
(1)
The dimensions and capacity of exits shall be proportioned
to the number of persons to be accommodated. When the number of persons
to be accommodated by the exits is not stated in the application for
a permit or is not otherwise fixed, it shall be assumed for every
floor area to be:
(a)
One person for every six square feet in dance
halls, lodge rooms and places of assembly.
(b)
One person for every 10 square feet in restaurants.
(c)
One person for every 15 square feet in courtrooms,
classrooms in schools and colleges and rooms in public buildings not
otherwise provided for.
(d)
One person for every 25 square feet in stores,
markets, lodging houses and reading rooms.
(e)
One person for every 50 square feet in offices
and showrooms.
(f)
One person for every 100 square feet in hospitals,
asylums, hotels, furnished room houses and other residence buildings.
(g)
One person for every 150 square feet in warehouses
and garages.
(h)
As required by the Labor Law in factories and
workrooms.
(2)
For occupancies not herein specified, the Superintendent
of Buildings shall, by rule, establish the ratio to be assumed.
(3)
It shall be unlawful to occupy a floor area by a greater
number of persons than that for which exits have been provided in
accordance with this article.
G.
Location of exits. Exits shall be so located that
no point in any floor area served by them shall be more than 100 feet
distant along the line of travel from the exit, except that when any
floor area is subdivided into small areas, such as rooms in hotels
and office buildings, the distance from the door to any such room
along an unobstructed hallway to an exit shall be not more than 125
feet. Where more than one exit is required to any floor area, the
exits shall be placed remote from each other. Where more than two
exits are required, they shall be located in such a manner as to contribute
to the rapid exit of the occupants.
H.
Stairway exits. Every required stairway exit shall
lead, either directly or through a passageway or hallway, to a street.
In structures more than two stories high above curb level with flat
roofs, all stairways shall lead to the roof. In structures more than
three stories high above the curb level when there are two or more
required stairways, at least two shall continue to the roof, provided
that in the case of roofs having a pitch exceeding a one-foot rise
in four feet, such stairways shall lead to a communicating hallway
in the top story.
I.
Boiler room ladders. Every structure, except private
dwellings, in which steam boilers or apparatus using or producing
steam, gas or vapor are placed below the curb level shall have stationary
iron ladders or stairs from such story leading directly to a manhole
through the sidewalk or other outside exit, unless the exit is provided
by an enclosed stairway or a horizontal exit. When the room containing
the boiler and mechanical equipment is more than 300 square feet in
area or when the boiler is a high-pressure boiler, two means of exit
shall be provided. Required exit doors from high-pressure boiler rooms
shall open outwardly.
J.
Designation of required means of egress.
(1)
The location of each required means of egress on every
floor of every structure shall be clearly and legibly indicated by
exit signs, and, where required to serve their purpose adequately,
such signs shall be placed at an angle with the exit doorway. Exit
signs shall be of a type and size approved by the Superintendent of
Buildings.
(2)
In long corridors, in open floor areas and in all
other situations where the location of the means of egress may not
be readily discernible or understood by the occupants, directional
signs shall be provided and maintained to serve as guides from all
portions of the floor or corridor.
K.
Lighting of required means of egress. All stairways,
fire towers, hallways, passageways and other required means of egress,
together with all areas to which the public has access, shall be equipped
with adequate artificial lighting facilities. Such lighting facilities
shall be used when adequate natural light is unavailable.
L.
Effect of change in occupancy or use upon exits. Structures
changed from one class of use or occupancy to another shall comply
with the requirements for means of egress which apply to the use or
occupancy, but the Superintendent of Buildings may, in his discretion,
approve such other means of egress as, in his judgment, will accomplish
the same purpose when strict compliance with the provisions of this
article is impractical.
M.
Inadequate exits for existing structures. Every existing
structure which is unprovided with exit facilities, as prescribed
in this section, and in which exit facilities are, in the opinion
of the Superintendent of Buildings, inadequate for the safety of the
occupants shall be provided with such means of egress consisting of
fire escapes or such other means of egress or fire protection as he
shall direct. If the owner or agent of any structure affected by an
order issued under this section shall, after service has been made
upon him and within seven days, Sunday and holidays excluded, file
a written appeal with the Superintendent of Buildings, the Superintendent
shall request the Village Board to appoint a board of survey upon
whose findings a new order shall be based and issued.
N.
Alterations affecting exits. The alteration of any structure hereafter erected in such a manner as to reduce the means of egress to less than is required under the provisions of this section is forbidden. Additional means of egress installed in any structure shall conform to the requirements of this section unless such means of egress are installed in conformity with the requirements of Subsection M, Inadequate exits for existing structures.
A.
Width of exit doorways. The aggregate clear width
of doorways serving as an exit from any room or floor area to a hallway,
stairs or other means of exit shall be not less than 36 inches for
the first 50 persons to be accommodated thereby and six inches additional
for each additional 50 persons or fraction thereof. The aggregate
clear width of doorways serving as an exit from any stairway, hallway
or passageway shall be not less than the required width for such stairway,
hallway or passageway. No single exit doorway shall have a clear width
of less than 30 inches, provided that when the total number of persons
to be accommodated exceeds 50, the clear width shall be not less than
36 inches.
B.
Hanging of exit doorways.
(1)
Doors to stairs and fire tower enclosures and from
rooms and areas occupied by more than 50 persons shall open in the
direction of egress for the full width of the door.
(2)
Doors serving as required means of egress shall open
outwardly and be so hung and arranged that when opening or opened,
they shall not reduce the width of the hallways or passageways or
the required width of stairs or stair landings or other means of egress.
The maximum projection beyond the building line for doors opening
directly on the street shall be 18 inches.
(3)
in no case shall the swing of a door opening on a
stairway overlap the top step.
C.
Exit door fastenings. The fastenings on doors serving
as required means of egress shall be such that the doors may be readily
opened from the inside without the use of keys, except that the use
of draw bolts in places of assembly is forbidden. This requirement
shall not apply to the doors of rooms where persons are under legal
restraint.
D.
Operating devices.
(1)
Self-closing and automatic doors and windows on required
means of egress shall be equipped with such devices as may be required
under the conditions of operating to close and maintain in a closed
condition the doors and windows to which they are attached.
(2)
Self-closing and automatic doors and windows and their
operating devices shall at all times be maintained in working order,
and no such door or window shall be so obstructed, held or blocked
open as to interfere with or prevent its operating as a self-closing
or automatic fire or smoke cutoff.
E.
Revolving doors.
(1)
Revolving doors, to be acceptable as exit doors, shall
have a width equal to that required for an acceptable swinging door,
the width, in the case of such a door with rigid braces, being the
width of a single wing, and the width, in the case of such a door
in which the wings may be readily released from one another by pressure
so they may swing independently, being the aggregate clear width of
the two openings on each side of the central shaft.
(2)
Revolving doors shall not be used as exit doors in
public buildings or institutional buildings nor shall they be used
as exit doors in buildings occupied as stores where more than 75 persons
are likely to be congregated, unless there are also exit doors of
the swinging type having an aggregate width of at least 50% of the
required width of exit doors and there is at least one swinging door
adjacent to each revolving door.
When serving as an exit from or in connection
with one or more stairways, the clear width of any hallway or passageway
shall be not less than the aggregate required clear width of all stairs
leading to it. The clear width of every hallway or passageway leading
to an exit shall be not less than 44 inches for the first 50 persons
to be accommodated thereby and six inches additional for each additional
50 persons or fraction thereof. When the number of persons to be accommodated
thereby is less than 50, the clear width of such hallway or passageway
may be reduced two inches for each 10 persons less than 50.
No horizontal exit shall be deemed satisfactory
under this article unless the floor area on either side of such horizontal
exit is sufficient to hold the joint occupancy of both floor areas,
allowing not less than 3 1/2 square feet of clear floor space
per person, and at least one interior stairway or fire tower conforming
to the requirements of this article is provided on each side of such
horizontal exit. When vestibules or open-air balconies are used, they
shall conform to the requirements for vestibules or open-air balconies
or fire towers. When bridges are used, they shall be constructed of
incombustible material. All doorways or windows opening on such vestibules,
balconies or bridges shall be equipped with self-closing fire doors
or automatic fire windows. Where there is a difference in level between
the connected floor areas, gradients shall be provided of not more
than one foot in 10 feet.
A.
Width of interior stairs. No stairs or stairway required
by this article as an exit shall have an unobstructed width of less
than 44 inches throughout its length, except that handrails may project
not more than 3 1/2 inches into such width. The aggregate width
of stairs in any story of the structure shall be such that the stairs
or stairway may accommodate at one time the total number of persons
ordinarily occupying or permitted to occupy the largest floor area
served by such stairs or stairways on the basis of one person for
each full 22 inches of stair width and 1 1/2 treads on the stairs
and one person for each 3 1/2 square feet of floor area on the
landings and halls within the stairway, provided that the number of
persons to be accommodated within the stairway may be assumed at 1/2
of such total number when a horizontal exit is provided, in accordance
with this article, and at 1/4 of such total number when the building
is equipped with a sprinkler system and a horizontal exit is provided.
B.
Dimensions of treads and risers. The treads and risers
of stairs shall be so proportioned that the product of the tread,
exclusive of nosing, and the riser, in inches, shall be not less than
70 nor more than 75, but risers shall not exceed 7% inches in height
and treads, exclusive of nosing, shall not be less than 9 1/2
inches wide. Treads and risers shall be of uniform width and height
in any one flight. The use of winders is prohibited, except for stairs
of an ornamental character having a width of not less than five feet.
The treads of winders, exclusive of the nosings, shall have a width
of not less than seven inches at any point nor more than 10 inches
average width.
C.
Stair landings. No flight of stairs shall have a vertical
rise of more than 12 feet between floors and landings, provided that
in stairs serving as an exit from places of assembly, such vertical
rise shall not exceed eight feet. The distance between risers on landings
in straight runs of stairs shall be not less than 44 inches.
D.
Handrails.
(1)
Required exit stairs shall have walls or well-secured
balustrades or guards on both sides with handrails on both sides.
Required handrails on the rake of stairs shall be between 30 and 34
inches high from the tread to the top of the rail measured in line
with the riser. Balustrades on the level shall be at least 34 inches
from the floor or landing level to the top of the rail.
(2)
A minimum unobstructed finger clearance of one inch
shall be maintained at all points. When the width of a flight of stairs
serving as a means of egress is 88 inches or more, an intermediate
handrail shall be provided. This handrail shall be continuous between
landings, shall be substantially supported and shall terminate at
the upper end in a newel or standard at least six feet high. The ends
of handrails shall be turned back against walls or newels and finished
without projections which would act as obstructions.
E.
Space under stairs. The space under any stairs, except
in one- or two-family dwellings, built in whole or in part of combustible
materials shall be left entirely open and kept clear and free from
encumbrance.
F.
Materials for required stairs. Stairs and stairways
serving an exit shall be constructed of incombustible material or
assemblies throughout, except in frame and non-fireproof structures
40 feet or less in height and occupied by at most 50 persons above
the first story. The treads and landings shall be constructed and
maintained in such manner as to prevent persons from slipping thereon.
G.
Strength of required stairs. Stairs, platforms, landings
and stair halls shall be of sufficient strength to safely sustain
a live load of at least 100 pounds per square foot.
H.
Support for treads and landings. When treads, landings
or platforms in required stairways are of slate, marble, stone or
composition, they shall be supported for their entire length and width
by a solid steel plate of suitable thickness and securely fastened.
A.
Fire-resistive ratings for enclosures.
(1)
Required stairways in all Class 1 Fireproof Structures
shall be enclosed with partitions or walls having a fire-resistive
rating of at least three hours.
(2)
All Class 2 Fire-Protected Structures, all Class 3
Nonfireproof Structures and all Class 6 Heavy Timber Structures, except
residence buildings of three stories and a basement or less in height
and in other structures not over four stories or 40 feet in height,
shall be enclosed with walls or partitions having a fire-resistive
rating of at least two hours, except as otherwise prescribed in this
section.
(3)
Interior required stairways, which are not required
to be enclosed in walls having a minimum fire-resistive dating of
at least two hours, shall be enclosed with fire-resistive partitions
having a rating of at least one hour.
(4)
All doors opening on required stairways shall have
fire-resistive rating of at least 3/4 hour and shall be self-closing
and normally closed. The fastening open of any such door is prohibited.
B.
Openings and stair enclosures.
(1)
The opening of pipe, elevator or other shafts, chases,
panel boards, toilet rooms, slop sinks, closets or openings, other
than exit doorways with fireproof self-closing doors, into the enclosures
of required stairways or crossovers in connection with them is forbidden,
except that where approved, automatic fire windows may be installed
in the exterior walls of such enclosures and, except elevator shafts,
on the ground floor.
(2)
In structures not more than five stories or 65 feet
in height, window openings or door openings in required stairways
may be provided with nonfireproof windows or doors, provided that
such stairways are distant not less than 30 feet from the nearest
lot line, unless otherwise prescribed elsewhere in this code.
C.
Ornamental stairways. Unenclosed service or ornamental
stairways may be constructed under the following conditions:
A.
Where permitted as required means of egress under § 86-36M, exterior stairways shall be constructed of incombustible materials and conform in other respects, except as to enclosures, to the requirements for interior stairs.
B.
Such exterior stairs shall be connected to each story
which they serve by means of self-closing fire doors or by automatic
fire windows with a clear exit opening not less than three feet in
height and 30 inches in width, and the window and door openings on
the course of, below or within 10 feet horizontally of such exterior
stairways shall be equipped with self-closing fire doors or automatic
fire windows. Such stairways shall be protected throughout to a height
of five feet with netting made of wire at least 0.135 inches in diameter
(No. 10 United States steel wire gauge) and having a maximum mesh
of 1 1/4 inches or with other rigid guards.
A.
Fire towers required. At least one required means
of egress in every public and business building 75 feet or more in
height shall be a fire tower.
B.
Construction and arrangement.
(1)
interior stairways constructed and arranged as follows
shall be known as "fire towers."
(2)
The enclosing walls shall be of incombustible materials
or assemblies having a fire-resistive rating of at least four hours
and be without openings, except for doors serving as means of egress.
(3)
Access to the stairway shall be provided at each story
served by a fire tower through outside balconies or fireproof vestibules
at least three feet eight inches in width and having unpierced floors
of incombustible materials and provided with substantial guardrailings
at least four feet high with no openings greater than eight inches
in width.
(4)
The balconies or vestibules shall be level with the
floors of the structure and platforms of the stairs connected by them
and shall be separated from the structure and the stairs by self-closing
fire doors capable of being opened from both sides without the use
of a key.
(5)
Balconies or vestibules shall open on a street or
yard or on a court open vertically to the sky for its full height
having a minimum net area of 105 square feet and a minimum dimension
of seven feet. The opening from the vestibule to the street, yard
or court shall have a minimum area of 18 square feet and a minimum
dimension of two feet six inches. Openings in the court walls surrounding
an interior fire tower, other than the openings from the vestibules,
are forbidden within 15 feet of the balcony, except that self-closing
fire windows may be used if at least 10 feet from the balcony, provided
that the area of the court is at least 12 feet by 24 feet.
(6)
Fire towers shall terminate at the grade level and
shall exit directly to the street independently of corridors serving
other stairways, except when terminating in the ground floor corridor
outside of the inner vestibule and within 10 feet of the building
line.
(7)
Doors opening into fire towers may be constructed
with observation panels made of polished plate or wire glass one-fourth-inch
thick, set with a 3/4 inch rabbet and having a maximum area of 16
square inches. Doors shall be operable from both sides without the
use of a key.
When fire escapes are used as a means of egress under the provisions of § 86-36M, they shall be constructed of incombustible materials of sufficient strength to safely sustain a superimposed load of 100 pounds per square foot. Fire escapes used as a means of egress shall have balconies at each story at least 36 inches wide in the clear and at least 54 inches long and shall be provided with staircases extending to the ground level with a maximum riser of eight inches and minimum width of treads of eight inches, exclusive of nosings. Fire escape staircases shall be at least 22 inches in width. If fire escapes are located on a street front of a structure, the Superintendent of Buildings may permit the use of a drop ladder or a counterbalanced stair from the lowest balcony, provided that the height of such balcony above the sidewalk immediately below does not exceed 16 feet.
The placing of any obstruction in front of,
in or on any required means of egress is forbidden.
A.
Special egress provision for public safety. Where unusual conditions occur in structures of a public character such as hotels, restaurants, railroad depots, public halls, clubhouses with more than eight sleeping rooms, churches, ball parks, stadiums and other structures of a like nature, used or intended to be used for public assembly, amusement or instruction, and business structures, including department stores, where large numbers of people congregate and where such conditions are not covered by the provisions of either Article VII, Means of Egress, or Article XIII, Special Occupancies, the Superintendent of Buildings shall have power to require the provision of such halls, doors, stairways, seats, passageways, lighting and heating as he shall deem necessary to facilitate egress in case of accident or fire and to furnish adequate protection for the public in such cases.
B.
Obstruction of aisles and passageways. Aisles, halls,
foyers, promenades, vestibules and passageways and other parts of
such structures of a public character used as means of egress shall
be kept free from camp stools, chairs, sofas and miscellaneous furniture
or other obstructions, and no person shall be allowed to stand in
or occupy any portion of such spaces during any performance, service,
exhibition, lecture, concert, banquet, dance or other public assembly,
except when the number of such standees has been included in the number
of persons for whom means of egress has been provided from such tiers
and when the space occupied by such standees is enclosed with tape
or cord or erected and of such material that it can be easily broken
by persons passing in a direct line of egress.
C.
Enforcement of special egress requirements. The Superintendent of Buildings may, at any time, serve a written or printed notice upon the owner, lessee or manager of any such structure of a public character directing any act or thing to be done or provided in or about such structures and their appliances and facilities, such as halls, doors, stairs, passageways, windows, seats, aisles, fire walls, fire apparatus and fire escapes, as he may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of Subsection B above when unusual conditions exist.
