Section 27-357
§ 27-357 Exit requirements. The determination of exit requirements for
a building shall be based upon the occupancy group classification of the
building, the number of occupants, the floor area, the travel distance
to an exit, and the capacity of the exits, as provided in table 6-1 and
herein. Every floor of a building shall be provided with exit facilities
for its occupant load. The occupant loads of floors shall not be
cumulative for the purpose of designing vertical exits, except where one
floor is used by another as a means of egress. Vertical exits provided
from any floor above grade may serve simultaneously all floors above
grade, and vertical exits provided from any floor below grade may serve
simultaneously all floors below grade.
(a) Mixed occupancy. When a building is classified in more than one
occupancy group in accordance with the provisions of section 27-239 of
article two of subchapter three of this chapter, the exit requirements
for the entire building shall be determined on the basis of the
occupancy group having the strictest exit requirements, or the exit
requirements for each building section shall be determined separately.
(b) Incidental occupancies. When a building contains incidental
occupancies classified in occupancy groups other than that under which
the building is classified, the exit requirements for the floor on which
such occupancies occur shall be based upon those of the occupancy group
under which the building is classified; but the access and exit
requirements for the incidental occupancy shall be based upon the
occupancy group classification of the incidental occupancy.
(c) Multiple occupancy or use. Where a building, floor, or space is
used for multiple purposes involving different activities at different
times, that occupancy involving the greatest number of occupants shall
be used in determining the exit requirements.
(d) Building access. All buildings classified in other than occupancy
groups A, mechanical and electrical equipment rooms and boiler and
furnace rooms of D-2 or J-3 shall have at least one primary entrance
accessible to and usable by individuals who use wheelchairs. Such
entrance shall provide access to a level that makes elevators available
in buildings where elevators are provided. Where ramps are used to
comply with this requirement, they shall have a slope not greater than
one in twelve, and shall otherwise conform to the provisions of section
27-377 and reference standard RS 4-6.
The commissioner may waive the requirements of this section in the
alteration of buildings existing on the effective date of this code in
accordance with section 27-292.6 of this code.
(For Table 6-1 see chapter 839 of the laws of 1986)
FOOTNOTES TO TABLE 6-1
a. For method of measurement see subdivision (c) of section 27-360 of
this article.
b. Reduce listed capacity of ramps by twenty-five percent when slope
exceeds 1 in 10.
c. Except for public garages. (See article ten of subchapter seven of
this chapter.)
d. There shall not be more than one classroom on each side of a
corridor between an exit and the end of the corridor (dead end).
e. Applies to corridors serving classrooms. Other corridors shall have
a minimum width of forty-four inches.
f. Applies to corridors serving patients. Other corridors shall have a
minimum width of forty-four inches.
g. There shall be no patient bedrooms between an exit and the end of
the corridor (dead end).
h. See subdivision (d) of section 27-369 of article five of this
subchapter for permissible increase.
i. See section 27-369 of article five of this subchapter.
j. See section 27-370 of article five of this subchapter.
k. See section 27-378 of article five of this subchapter.
m. Where a door opening is divided by mullions into two or more door
openings, each such opening shall be measured separately in computing
the number of units of exit width.
Section 27-358
§ 27-358 Occupant load. The number of occupants for whom exit
facilities shall be provided shall be established either (1) by the
actual number of occupants for whom each occupied space, floor, or
building, as the case may be, is designed, or (2) by using the
appropriate occupant-area ratios from table 6-2, whichever is larger.
The occupant load of any space shall include the occupant load of all
spaces that discharge through it in order to gain access to an exit.
Table 6-2 Occupant Load Requirements
Net Area Table
========================================================================
Net Floor
Area per
Occupant
Occupancy (sq. ft.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Billiard rooms.................................... 50
Bowling alleys.................................... 50
Classrooms........................................ 20
Dance floors...................................... 10
Dining spaces (nonresidential).................... 12
Exhibition spaces................................. 10
Garages and open parking structures............... 250
Gymnasiums........................................ 15
Habitable rooms................................... 140
Industrial shops.................................. 200
In schools................................ 30
Institutional sleeping rooms
Adults.................................... 75
Children (except as listed below)......... 50
Day Care
a. under 6 mos........................... 50
b. 6 mos. - 2 yrs........................ 40
c. 2 yrs. - 6 yrs........................ 30
Institutional staff, all.................. 30
Kindergartens..................................... 35
Kitchens (nonresidential)......................... 200
Laboratories...................................... 50
Preparation rooms......................... 100
Libraries......................................... 25
Locker rooms...................................... 12
Offices........................................... 100
Passenger terminals or platforms.................. 1.5xC
Sales areas (retail)
1st floor or basement..................... 25
All other floors.......................... 50
Seating areas (audience) in all places of assembly
Fixed seats............................... D
Moveable seats............................ 10
Skating rinks..................................... 15
Stages (See subchapter eight)
Standing room (audience) in all places of
assembly........................................ 4
Storage rooms..................................... 200
========================================================================
Notes:
C--capacity of all passenger vehicles that can be unloaded simulta-
neously.
D--designed number of seats or occupants.
(a) Unlisted occupancies. Where data regarding the sq. ft. per person
for an occupancy is not listed in table 6-2, the occupant load shall be
established by an architect or engineer, subject to the approval of the
commissioner.
(b) Modifications.
(1) When the actual occupant load of any space will be significantly
lower than that listed in table 6-2, the commissioner may establish a
lower basis for the determination of the occupant load.
(2) When a building existing on December sixth, nineteen hundred
sixty-eight is altered or changed in occupancy or use so as to require
enlarged exit facilities, the commissioner may authorize the alteration
or change in occupancy or use without an enlargement of exit facilities,
provided the occupant load is limited to that accommodated by the
existing exit facilities as determined by the provisions of this code,
and the building or space is posted accordingly with a sign. Such signs
shall be at least twelve inches in width and sixteen inches in height.
The lettering shall be red on a white background. The letters shall be
not less than one inch high and the numerals not less than one and
one-quarter inches high.
(c) Nonsimultaneous occupancy. The occupant load of toilets, locker
rooms, meeting rooms, storage rooms, employee cafeterias, and similar
rooms or spaces that are not occupied at the same time as other rooms or
spaces on the same floor of a building, may be omitted from the occupant
load calculation of the floor on which they are located to the extent
that such spaces serve occupied rooms on the same floor.
Section 27-359
§ 27-359 Capacity of exits. The capacity of exits and access
facilities shall be measured in units of width of twenty-two inches, and
the number of persons per unit of width shall be determined by the
occupancy group classification and type of exit as listed in table 6-1.
Fractions of a unit of width less than twelve inches shall not be
credited. Where twelve inches or more are added to one or more full
units of width, one-half unit of width may be credited. Where
computations of total required width give fractional results, the next
larger integral number of exit units or integral number plus one-half,
shall be used. A fraction less than one-half may be neglected in cases
where such fraction constitutes less than ten per cent of the total
required number of units. Notwithstanding any of the above computations,
no exit or access facility shall be narrower than the minimum width
requirements specified in table 6-1, or elsewhere in this code.
Section 27-360
§ 27-360 Travel distance. (a) General requirement. The maximum travel
distance from the most remote point in any room or space to the center
of a door opening directly on an open exterior space, a vertical exit,
an interior stair, an exit passageway or to a horizontal exit shall not
be greater than the limit specified in table 6-1 for the occupancy group
classification of the room or space.
(b) Travel distance within dwelling units. In buildings classified in
occupancy groups J-1 and J-2, the maximum travel distance from the
centerline of a door from any habitable room within a dwelling unit
either to the centerline of a door opening on a corridor or to the
center of a door opening on an exit shall not be greater than forty
feet, except that for buildings classified in occupancy group J-2 of
construction class I-A, the distance may be increased to fifty feet.
Such travel distances shall be included in the maximum travel distance
established in subdivision (a) of this section.
(c) Measurement. Travel distance shall be measured along a natural and
unobstructed path of travel. Where the path of travel is over an access
stair, it shall be measured along an inclined straight line through the
center of the outer edge of each tread.
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