Rooms used for pre-schoolers, first grade and second grade pupils shall not be located above or below the floor of exit discharge.
SECTION 10.2.9.9 UNDERGROUND AND WINDOWLESS EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS The provisions of Section 10.2.17.4 of this IRR shall apply to Underground and
Windowless Educational Buildings and such buildings shall be provided completely with automatic fire suppression system.
144
SECTION 10.2.9.10 SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR COMBINED OCCUPANCIES A. Assembly and Educational
Any auditorium, assembly room, cafeteria, gymnasium used for assembly purposes such as athletic events with provisions for seating of spectators, or other spaces subject to assembly occupancy shall comply with Division 8 which provided that where auditorium and gymnasium exits lead through corridors stairways also serving as exits for other parts of the building, the exit capacity shall be sufficient to permit simultaneous exit from auditorium and classroom sections.
B. Dormitory and Classroom
Any building used for both classroom and dormitory purposes shall comply with the applicable provisions of Division 12 in addition to
complying with Division 9 of this Chapter. Where Classroom and dormitory sections are not subject to simultaneous occupancy, the same exit
capacity may serve both sections.
C. Other Combined Occupancies
Any other combinations of occupancy not covered in this Section shall comply with all applicable Divisions of this Chapter, with exits adequate to serve all occupancies simultaneously.
SECTION 10.2.9.11 EXISTING EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS A. General
An existing building being used for educational occupancies established prior to the effective date of this Fire Code may have its use continued if it conforms or is made to conform to the provisions of this Rule to the extent that, in the opinion of the City/Municipal Fire Marshal having jurisdiction, reasonable life safety against the hazards of fire, explosion, and panic is provided and maintained subject to the provisions of para
“B” through “E” below.
B. Additional Protection
The provision of additional means of egress, automatic fire suppression system, area separations, emergency lighting, and other alternate means of protection may be used to provide reasonable life safety from fire and panic.
145 C. Exits
1. 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.
2. In lieu of direct exit to the outside from classrooms, additional life safety may be afforded by the provisions of communicating doors between classroom or student-occupied areas to provide access to at least one (1) exit stair without passing through interior corridors.
D. Interior Finish
In existing educational buildings which have interior finish that do not comply with the requirements for new buildings, the provisions of Section 10.2.6.3 of this IRR shall be acceptable as alternate requirements.
E. Fire Alarm Systems
Requirements for Fire Alarm System for existing educational buildings shall conform to those for new educational buildings.
SECTION 10.2.9.12 CHILD DAY CARE CENTERS A. General
1. Application
a. This Section establishes life safety requirements for child day care centers, in children receive care, maintenance and supervision for twenty-four (24) hours or less per day.
b. For the purposes of this section, children are classified in age groups, as follow: Children under three (3) years of age, children from three (3) through five (5) years of age, and children six (6) years of age and older.
c. The text principally applies to centers for children under three (3) years of age. Variation for centers housing children three (3) years
of age and older are indicated.
d. Centers housing children six (6) years of age and older shall conform to the requirements for educational occupancies.
e. Where a facility houses more than one age group, the
requirements for the younger children shall apply, unless the area housing the younger children is maintained as a separate fire area.
f. Where centers are located in a building containing mixed 146
occupancies the separation requirements of the Building Code shall be satisfied.
2. Occupant Load
The occupant load for which means of egress shall be provided to any floor shall be the maximum number of persons intended to occupy that floor but not less than one person for each three and three tenths square meters (3.3 m2) of net floor area used by the children.
B. Exit Details 1. Number
a. The storey below the floor of exit discharge may be used in buildings of fire-resistive construction, protected non-combustible construction, protected wood frame construction and protected ordinary construction, if the following conditions are met:
i. For up to thirty (30) children there shall be two (2) remote exits.
One exit shall discharge directly outside and the vertical travel to ground level shall not exceed two hundred forty four
centimeters (244 cm). There shall be no unprotected opening into the enclosure of the second exit.
ii. For over thirty (30) children a minimum of two (2) exits shall be provided directly outside with one of the two (2) exiting at
ground level.
2. Access to Exits
a. Travel distance between any room or intended as exit access and an exit shall not exceed thirty and a half meters (30.50 m);
b. Travel distance between any point in a room and an exit shall not exceed forty five and eight-tenths meters (45.80m);
c. Travel distance between any point in a sleeping room or suite shall not exceed fifteen and one fourth meters (15.25 m).
d. The travel distance in (a) and (b) above may be increased by fifteen and one fourth meters (15.25 m) in building completely equipped with an approved, supervised sprinkler system.
e. Travel distance shall be measured in accordance with Section 10.2.5.2 of this IRR.
147 3. Doors
a. Doors in means of egress shall swing in the direction of exit travel and shall meet the requirements of Section 10.2.9.2 of this IRR.
b. Every closet door latch shall be such that children can open the door from inside the closet.
c. Every bathroom door lock shall be designed to permit opening of the locked door from the outside in an emergency, and the
opening device shall be readily accessible to the staff.
4. Stairs
a. Exit stairs shall be enclosed in accordance with Section 10.2.6.2of this IRR
b. 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. Areas of Refuge
In building over five (5) storeys above ground level, areas of refuge shall be provided for occupants of child day care centers, either by smokeproof enclosures or horizontal exits.
6. Emergency Lighting
Means of egress in each day care center shall be provided with emergency lighting, in accordance with Section 10.2.5.11 of this IRR.
C. Protection
1. Centers Housing Children
a. Sleeping areas in centers housing children under three (3) years of age shall be compartmentalized with partitions having a one (1) hour fire resistance rating so there are not more than six (6) children in each compartment.
b. Compartment doors shall be not less than ninety one centimeters (91 cm) in new construction and not less than eighty one and onefourth centimeters (81.25 cm) wide in existing building. Door
assemblies shall have a twenty-minute (20) fire protection rating and shall be equipped with a self-closing device, a latch and an automatic hold-open device as specified in Section 10.2.5.3of this IRR.148
2. Centers in Apartment Buildings
a. If the two (2) exit access from the center the same corridor as in an apartment building, the exit access shall be separated in the
corridor by a smoke partition having not less than one-hour fire resistance rating. The smoke partition shall be so located that there is an exit on each side of it.
b. The door in the smoke partition shall be not less than ninety one centimeters (91 cm) wide.
c. The door assembly shall have a fire protection rating of at least twenty (20) minutes and shall be equipped with self-closing device, a latch and an automatic hold-open device as specified in
Section 10.2.5.3of this IRR.
3. Minimum Construction Standards
Centers shall not be located above the heights indicated for the types of construction given in Table 12:
Table 12: NUMBER OF STAIRS PER TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION BY AGE GROUP Type of
Construction Agegroup
Number of Stairs
(Storeys are counted starting at floor of exit discharge) 1 2 3 4 and over Fire Resistive and Protected Noncombustible 0 to 3 X X X X 3 to 5 X X X X 6 & older X X X X Protected
Wood Frame and Protected Ordinary
0 to 3 X See Note 1 1 Not permitted 3 to 5 X See Note 1 X See Note 1 6 & older X See Note 1 X See Note 1 Heavy Timber
0 to 3 X See Note 1 3 to 5 X See Note 1 6 & older X See Note 1 Unprotected
Non -combustible
0 to 3 X See Note 1 3 to 5 X See Note 1 6 & older X See Note 1 0 to 3 Not permitted 3 to 5 See Note 1 6 & older See Note 2
149Note 1. Permitted if entire building is equipped with an automatic fire suppression system.
Note 2. May be permitted for children three (3) years of age and