Section 27-383
§ 27-383 Requirements. (a) Exit signs. Except in occupancy groups J-2
and J-3, the location of every exit on every floor and every opening
from a room classified in occupancy group J-1 and containing cubicles
shall be clearly indicated by exit signs. Such signs shall be placed at
an angle with the exit opening if such placement is required for the
signs to serve their purpose. In long corridors, in open floor areas,
and in all other situations where the location of the exit may not be
readily visible or understood, directional signs shall be provided to
serve as guides from all portions of the corridor or floor.
(b) Exit path markings in high rise office buildings and in occupancy
group E high rise buildings. On and after July 1, 2006 all high rise
office buildings and all high rise buildings classified in occupancy
group E shall have exit path markings conforming to this subdivision.
This provision shall be retroactive and shall apply to buildings
constructed on and after such date and to buildings in existence on such
date. All exit path markings required herein shall be of an approved
photoluminescent material. The markings shall be washable, non-toxic,
non radioactive, and if subjected to fire must be self extinguishing
when the flame is removed.
(1) All doors opening to corridors, to an exit, or to an exit
passageway, shall be marked with the word "exit".
(2) Within exit stairs, horizontal extensions in exit stairs,
horizontal exits, supplemental vertical exits and exit passageways,
except within street level lobbies, there shall be directional markings.
(3) Required markings for exit paths shall comply with the technical
standards for installation and placement to be set forth in a reference
standard. Such reference standard shall be designated RS 6-1 and shall
be adopted on or before January 1, 2006.
Section 27-383.1
§ 27-383.1 Additional requirements for high rise office buildings and
occupancy group E high rise buildings. In high rise office buildings and
in occupancy group E high rise buildings:
(a) Illuminated exit signs complying with section 27-386 of this
subchapter shall be placed in stairwells with horizontal extensions to
indicate the transition from vertical to horizontal direction and at
turns along the horizontal path.
(b) A supplementary sign complying with sections 27-394 and 27-395 of
this subchapter, except that the lettering and numerals shall be at
least one inch high, indicating the location of a recessed re-entry
door, shall be securely attached on the wall of the landing that faces
the evacuee on the stairs.
(c) In stairs where there is no entry or exiting from such stair for
more than four floors, a sign complying with sections 27-394 and 27-395,
except that the lettering and numerals shall be at least one inch high,
shall be securely attached at the beginning of the descent into such
portion of the stair on the wall of the landing that faces the evacuee
on the stairs stating the location of the next re-entry or exiting
floor. On each floor within such portion of the stair a sign complying
with sections 27-392 and 27-395 shall be securely attached to the wall
of the landing that faces the evacuee on the stairs approximately five
feet above the floor indicating the floor number.
(d) Signs shall be readily visible from the egress direction.
(e) High rise office buildings and high rise buildings classified in
occupancy group E in existence on the effective date of this section
shall comply with this section on or before July 1, 2007. For the
purpose of this section, a high rise building shall be deemed to be in
existence on the effective date of this section if on such effective
date it is complete or under construction or where an application for
approval of plans was filed with the department prior to such effective
date and construction commenced within two years after such effective
date.
Section 27-384
§ 27-384 Power source. (a) Where a total of more than four exit and/or
directional signs is required, the signs shall be connected to an
emergency power source or to storage battery equipment meeting the
requirements of the commissioner, provided, however, that in existing
buildings, the signs may be on circuits that are separate from the
general lighting and power circuits, taken off ahead of the main switch.
(b) Existing high rise buildings classified in occupancy group C, D or
H and existing buildings classified in occupancy group E, G or J-1
(except for "residential hotels," as such term is defined by the
commissioner pursuant to rules and regulations) shall comply with the
requirements of this section on or before April first, nineteen hundred
eighty-seven.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the existing buildings required
to comply with subdivision (b) of this section, all such existing exit
and/or directional signs on circuits taken off ahead of the main switch
shall be connected to an emergency power source or to storage battery
equipment meeting the requirements of the commissioner on or before July
1, 2007.
Section 27-385
§ 27-385 Exit sign design. Exit signs shall read only "exit" and shall
be of the externally lighted, internally lighted, or electroluminescent
type, except that they may be nonilluminated in buildings not provided
with artificial lighting.
(a) The artificial light source on externally lighted signs shall
provide a red light, either by the use of an incandescent colored bulb
or other visible red light source, so as to provide at least twenty-five
foot candles on the exposed face of the sign. Visibility of the sign
shall not be obscured by the location of the light source.
(b) For internally lighted signs, the average initial brightness of
the letters shall be at least twenty-five ft. lamberts, and where an
illuminated background is used, its average initial brightness shall be
at least two hundred fifty ft. lamberts. The light source shall not be
modified or changed nor shall lamp life multipliers be used so as to
reduce these brightness levels.
(c) The letters of exit signs shall be red. The background of
externally lighted signs shall be white. The background of internally
lighted signs shall be either stenciled metal with a light gray or white
color, or translucent frosted, opal glass, slow-burning plastic, or the
plastic edge-glow type with white plastic separators. The letters for
internally lighted signs shall be translucent red.
(d) The letters shall be block lettering at least four and one-half
inches high with nine-sixteenths inch strokes, except in buildings and
spaces classified in occupancy group F and J-1, where they shall be at
least eight inches high with the strokes at least three-quarters of an
inch wide.
(e) In locations where breakage may occur, exit signs shall be of
shock resistant materials, or shall otherwise be protected against
breakage.
(f) Except for buildings not provided with artificial lighting and
buildings which maintain one or more auxiliary systems for emergency
exit lighting in the event of a public utility failure, there shall be
either (1) an illuminated exit sign with the background thereon made of
an approved phosphorescent material or (2) a supplemental exit sign made
of an approved phosphorescent material with an opaque text and placed
adjacent to or as close as possible to such illuminated sign. The
phosphorescent material after exposure to normal lighting conditions
shall be capable of remaining visible in total darkness for a period of
at least eight hours. The signs shall be washable, non-toxic,
non-radioactive and if subjected to fire must be self-extinguishing when
the flame is removed.
Section 27-386
§ 27-386 Directional sign design. Directional exit signs shall comply
with all of the requirements for exit signs in section 27-385 of this
article, and shall read "EXIT" with a horizontal arrow or arrows
indicating the direction to the exit or exits. However, when the arrow
is below the letters, the letters may be three and three-eighths inches
high and nine-sixteenths inch strokes, except in buildings and spaces
classified in occupancy group F where they shall be at least five inches
high with nine-sixteenths inch strokes. The arrow or arrows shall be
red.
Section 27-387
§ 27-387 False exits. Any door, passageway, stair, or other means of
communication that is not an exit or that is not a way to an exit, but
is so located as to be mistaken for an exit, shall be identified with a
sign reading "NOT AN EXIT", shall be identified by a sign indicating its
use or purpose or shall be provided with a directional exit sign.