110 Educational Occupancies
110. EDUCATIONAL OCCUPANCIES. (7-1-97)
01. Scope: (7-1-97)
a. Educational occupancies shall conform to all other applicable requirements of this standard, as well as the following provisions. Nothing in this standard shall be construed to prohibit better or otherwise safer conditions than specified herein. (7-1-97)
02. Definitions. For definitions of other terms used in this section, see sub-section 010 of this standard.
a. Educational Occupancy is any building, structure, or portion thereof used for educational purposes kindergarten through grade twelve (12) for twelve (12) hours or more per week or four (4) hours or more in any one (1) day. After July 1, 2002 it is any building, structure, or portion thereof used for, by six (6) or more persons for educational purposes through grade twelve (12). (7-1-03)
b. Day care is the use of a building, structure, or portion thereof, for educational, supervision or personal care services for more than (5) children older than 2 ½ years of age and is classified an educational occupancy. (7-1-03)
03. General Requirements: (7-1-97)
a. The requirements for the physically challenged found else where in this standard are based on adult dimensions and anthropometrics. Building and facility appurtenances serving physically challenged children may have the required dimensions appropriately reduced. (7-1-97)
04. Special Provisions: (7-1-97)
a. Rooms used for kindergarten, first grade pupils, second grade pupils or day-care shall not be located above or below the first story. EXCEPTIONS: Basements or stories having floor levels located within four (4) feet, measured from adjacent ground level at the point of exit, provided the basement or story has exits directly to the exterior at that level. In buildings with an automatic sprinkler system throughout, rooms used for kindergarten, first and second grade or for day-care purposes may be located on the second story provided there are at least two (2) exits directly to the exterior for the exclusive use of such occupants. Not required for schools built after July 1, 2002. (7-1-03)
b. Rooms used for confinement, when occupied, shall be constantly monitored and the staff shall be able to gain access without the need of keys, special tools, or devices. (7-1-00)
05. Corridors: (7-1-97)
a. The width of a corridor in an Educational Occupancy shall be no less than six (6) feet wide. EXCEPTION: When the number of occupants served is less than one-hundred (100), the corridor may be forty-four (44) inches wide. (7-1-97)
b. Drinking fountains or other equipment, fixed or movable, shall not be so placed as to obstruct the required minimum six (6) foot corridor width. (7-1-97)
c. Doors which swing into an exit access corridor shall be recessed to prevent interference with corridor traffic; any doors not so recessed shall open one-hundred-eighty (180) degrees to stop against the wall. Fully open doors may not reduce corridor width by more than seven (7) inches. (7-1-97)
d. Construction. Corridor walls and ceilings shall be of not less than one (1) hour fire-resistive construction with openings protected as required in section 040 of this standard. EXCEPTION: When each room used for instruction has at least one (1) exit door directly to the exterior at ground level and when rooms used for assembly purposes have at least one-half (1/2) of the required exits directly to the exterior at ground level, one (1) hour fire-resistive construction of corridor walls and ceilings is not required. (7-1-97)
06. Protection From Hazards: (7-1-97)
a. Labs, vocational shops, or similar areas containing flammable liquids,
combustible dust, or similar hazardous materials shall be separated from each other and from other
portions of the building by not less than a one (1) hour fire-resistive occupancy separation. (7-1-97)
b. Laboratories shall have an easily
accessible master shutoff for laboratory gas and electric outlets. (7-1-00) c. Vocational shops shall have an easily
accessible master shutoff for shop equipment. (7-1-00) d. Laboratories and Vocational shops 1997
and later, with an area over two-hundred (200) square feet shall be provided
with two (2) exits or exit access doors from the room and all portions of the
room shall be within seventy-five (75) feet of an exit or exit access door.
(7-1-00)
e. All exterior openings in a boiler room or rooms containing central heating equipment, if located below openings in another story or if less than ten (10) feet from other doors or windows of the same building, shall be protected by a fire assembly having a three-fourths (3/4) hour fire-protection rating. Such fire assemblies shall be fixed, automatic, or self-closing. Every room containing a boiler or central heating plant shall be separated from the rest of the building by not less than a one (1) hour fire-resistive occupancy separation.
EXCEPTION: Boilers and central heating plants where the largest piece of fuel equipment does not exceed four-hundred-thousand (400,000) BTU per hour input. (7-1-97)
f. One (1) of the two(2) required exits from the boiler room shall be directly to the exterior of the building and the other exit shall not open directly into any instructional space normally occupied by pupils. (7-1-97)
g. Classes of instruction, counseling, detention, etc. are not permitted to be conducted in areas deemed to be hazardous and not designed for classes of instruction such as, but not limited to boiler or furnace rooms, mechanical rooms, electrical rooms, kitchens, janitor closets, etc. (7-1-97)
h.
Teacher/child prepared art work and teaching materials may be
permitted to be attached directly to the walls or ceiling and shall not exceed
twenty (20%) percent of the wall or ceiling area. (7-1-00)
i. Clothing and personal effects shall not
be stored in corridors unless the corridor area is protected by an automatic
fire sprinkler system, or a smoke detection system, or storage is in metal
lockers, provided that the required egress width is maintained.
07. Exits: (7-1-97)
a. Exits shall meet the requirements of section 040. (7-1-97)
b. 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 not less than six (6) feet wide. EXCEPTION: When the number of occupants served is less than one-hundred (100), the path or corridor may be forty-four (44) inches wide. (7-1-97)
c. Exits through adjoining rooms. Interior rooms may exit through adjoining or intervening rooms, provided the total distance of travel does not exceed seventy-five (75) feet (nighty (90) feet with smoke detectors) in an unsprinklered building or one-hundred-ten (110) feet in a fully sprinklered building, and is a direct, obvious, and unobstructed means of travel. Such paths of exit travel shall not pass through kitchens, storerooms, rest rooms, closets, laboratories using hazardous materials, industrial shops, or other similar spaces. (7-1-97)
d. The maximum travel distance shall not exceed one-hundred-fifty (150) feet. (7-1-97)
EXCEPTION: In a building equipped with an automatic sprinkler system throughout, the maximum travel distance may be two-hundred (200) feet; The maximum travel distance of the above mentioned one-hundred-fifty (150) feet and two-hundred (200) feet may be increased up to and additional one-hundred (100) feet when this increase in travel distance occurs in the last portion of the travel distance and is entirely within a one (1) hour fire-resistive corridor. The distance from any point in a room shall not be more than seventy-five (75) feet from an exit corridor, an enclosed stairway, or the exterior of the building. (7-1-97)
EXCEPTION: In buildings not more than two stories in height and protected throughout with smoke detectors, the distance may be increased to ninety (90) feet; In buildings protected throughout by an automatic sprinkler system, the distance may be increased to one-hundred-ten (110) feet. All portions of unsprinklered buildings shall not be more than one-hundred-fifty (150) feet from either an exterior exit door, a horizontal exit, an exit passageway, or an enclosed stairway measured along the line of travel. In a building protected throughout with an automatic sprinkler system such distance may be increased to two-hundred-twenty-five (225) feet. In buildings not more than two (2) stories in height protected throughout with smoke detectors, the distance may be increased to one-hundred-seventy-five (175) feet. (7-1-97)
NOTE: After Julyy 1, 2002 the travel distance to an exit shall be two-hundred (200) feet in an unsprinklered building and two-hundred fifty (250) feet in a sprinklered building. (7-1-03)
e. Foyers and lobbies constructed as required for exit corridors shall not be construed as adjoining or intervening rooms. (7-1-97)
f. Where the only means of exit from a room is through an adjoining or intervening room, smoke detectors shall be installed in the area of the common atmosphere through which the exit must pass. The detectors shall actuate alarms audible in the interior room and shall be connected to the school fire alarm system. (7-1-97)
EXCEPTIONS: Where the aggregate occupant load of the interior room or rooms is less than ten (10) Where the enclosures forming interior rooms are less than two-thirds (2/3) of the floor-to-ceiling height and do not exceed eight (8) feet. Rooms used exclusively for mechanical and public utility service to the buildings. (7-1-97)
08. Exit Stairs: (7-1-97)
a. There shall be no enclosed usable space under stairs in an exit enclosure nor shall the open space within the enclosure either under or adjacent to the stairs be used for any purpose. EXCEPTION: Stairs not in a stairway enclosure who's underside is of one (1) hour fire resistive construction may be used for storage. (7-1-97)
09. Panic Hardware: (7-1-97)
a. Exit doors from rooms having an occupant load of fifty (50) or more and from corridors shall not be provided with a latch or lock unless it is panic hardware. After July 1, 2002 exit doors from rooms or corridors having an occupant load of one-hundred (100) or more shall not be provided with a latch or lock unless it is panic hardware. (7-1-03)
10. Fences and Gates: (7-1-97)
a. School grounds may be fenced in and gates equipped with locks, provided safe dispersal areas located not less than fifty (50) feet from the buildings are available for persons between buildings and fence. Dispersal areas shall be based upon an area of not less than three (3) square feet per occupant. Gates shall not be permitted across corridors or passageways leading to such dispersal areas unless they comply with exit requirements. (7-1-97)
11. Emergency Lighting: (7-1-97)
a. In every facility, building, or structure used for night occupancy and all portions of the building that are windowless; such as rooms, stairs, areas, or corridors, shall be provided with emergency lighting in accordance with section 042 of this standard. (7-1-97)
12. Fire Alarms: (7-1-97)
a. Approved manual fire alarms shall be provided for all Educational Occupancies with an occupant load of more than fifty (50) persons. In every Educational Occupancy provided with an automatic sprinkler or detection system, the operation of such system shall be manual and automatic, shall automatically activate the school fire alarm system, which shall include an alarm mounted on the exterior of the building. (7-1-97)
b. There shall be at least one (1) fire exit drill each month in schools through grade twelve (12). (7-1-97)
c. Drills shall be executed at different hours of the day or evening; during the changing of classes, when the schools are at assembly, during the recess or gymnastic periods, etc., so as to avoid distinction between drills and actual fires. (7-1-97)
13. Signals: (7-1-97)
a. All fire exit drill alarms shall be sounded on the fire alarm system and not on the signal system used to dismiss classes. (7-1-97)
b. In order that pupils will not be returned to a building which is burning, the recall signal shall be one (1) that is separate and distinct from and cannot be mistaken for any other signal. (7-1-97)