In Compliance column in the May/June issue of NFPA Journal, Ron Coté, Principal Life Safety Engineer at the National Fire Protection Agency, debunks two myths regarding NFPA 101, Life Safety Code.
The first myth is that all assembly occupancy rooms with an occupancy load more than 50 must have a second egress door. This is not true, although many do have second exit access doors “in order not to violate the common path of travel limitation,” Coté writes.
For most room locations and arrangements, a second exit access door from the room can be positioned to provide occupants with a second travel path. The presence of the second exit access door can reduce what would otherwise be an excessive common path of travel to one that is within the permitted distance.
Coté also debunks the myth that exit signs are required at exits only. The signs are actually required in three locations: at exits, in the exit access, and in exit access corridors of new construction. They are required in the exit access when the exit or way to reach the exit is not readily apparent, as might be the case where additional turns in the egress path are needed to reach an exit.
They may also be needed when in exit access corridors of new construction no point is in excess of the particular sign’s rated viewing distance or the 100-foot (30-meter) default value, whichever is less, from the nearest sign.
Related Stories
| Feb 17, 2014
Channeling weather forecasts to building systems can yield significant energy savings
Using weather forecasts to predict outdoor temperature changes can lead to significant energy savings, exceeding 10%, researchers say.
| Feb 17, 2014
Lawmakers may take away control of Florida hospital project from the VA
The project is $100 million over budget and has missed its scheduled completion date.
| Feb 17, 2014
Business, labor at odds over toughening of OSHA silica dust rule
OSHA says the rules will protect workers and prevent 700 fatalities annually. Others say the rules would hurt businesses and jobs.
| Feb 17, 2014
Tulsa, Okla., mulls code change to require storm shelters in new schools
State and city officials are pushing for increased bonding capacity to pay for the storm shelters.
| Feb 13, 2014
Appraisal Institute issues guidelines on evaluating green property
The Appraisal Institute and the Institute for Market Transformation have issued guidelines for training property appraisers to evaluate green buildings.
| Feb 7, 2014
New LEED Dynamic Plaque system will measure building performance
The U.S. Green Building Council recently unveiled the LEED Dynamic Plaque, which is a new system designed for benchmarking and comparing post-occupancy building performance on a global scale.
| Feb 7, 2014
Los Angeles officials struggle to deal with needed seismic retrofits
Sixteen years ago, the Los Angeles City Council decided against requiring retrofits of existing buildings because of the projected cost and the threat of losing 20,000 apartment buildings.
| Feb 7, 2014
Los Angeles officials struggle to deal with needed seismic retrofits
Sixteen years ago, the Los Angeles City Council decided against requiring retrofits of existing buildings because of the projected cost and the threat of losing 20,000 apartment buildings.
| Feb 7, 2014
EPA, Freddie Mac collaborate on energy- and water-efficient apartments
Freddie Mac will gather data on energy and water use from property owners, and encourage lenders to spend on energy-efficient investments for multifamily housing.
| Feb 7, 2014
ASHRAE releases new refrigerant standards
The 2013 editions of ASHRAE’s major refrigerants-related standards, incorporating 41 new addenda, have been published.
