Chapter 6Additional Occupancy Wise Requirements

In addition to the general requirements on fire prevention given in 3, the life safety requirements given in 4, and the fire protection requirements given in 5, the following additional requirements shall also be complied with for each type of occupancy.

For additional requirements for high rise buildings, the provisions as given in Annex E shall apply.

Atriums in building occupancies shall comply with the provisions as given in Annex F.

For fire protection requirements of commercial kitchen, cooking facilities with or without restaurants, the provisions of Annex G shall be referred.

6.1 Residential Buildings (Group A)

6.2.1 Fire Prevention

a) Buildings intended for educational occupancy shall not be used for storage of any hazardous material.

b) Gymnasiums, indoor stadiums and similar occupancies are permitted to have floors/running tracks of wood, cinder, synthetic or the like.

6.2.2 Life Safety

a) Every room with a capacity of over 45 persons in area shall have at least two doorways. Exit doors shall be operated by panic bars except that doors leading from classrooms directly to the outside may be equipped with the same type of lock as is used on classroom doors leading to corridor, with no provision whatsoever for locking against egress from the classroom.

b) A building, which will have only the first floor and is accessible to not more than 20 pupils at any time, may be used for school purposes with the following exceptions:

1. Exterior walls or parts of walls which are less than 900 mm from adjacent property lines shall have no openings therein.

2. Classrooms may have only one exit not less than 900 mm wide.

) Rooms or areas for use by the preschool, kindergarten, Class/Grade 1 students shall be located on ground floor/level of exit discharge. Rooms or areas occupied by Class/Grade II students shall be located not above one floor higher than ground floor/level of exit discharge.

d) Of the minimum exits as specified in 4.4.2.4.3.1, the naturally ventilated exit staircases, may not require provision of fire door. However, fire door shall be provided for all other staircases and pressurized staircases.

6.2.3 Additional Precautions

a) Storage of volatile flammable liquids shall be prohibited and the handling of such liquids shall be restricted to science laboratories only.

b) All exterior openings in a boiler room or rooms containing central heating equipment,

PART 4 FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY

if located below an opening in another storey or if less than 3 m from other doors or windows of the same building, shall be protected by a fire assembly as in 3.4.5. Such assemblies shall be of fixed, automatic or self-closing type.

6.3.1 Fire Prevention

No combustible material of any kind shall be stored or used in any building or section thereof used for institutional occupancy, except as necessary to normal occupancy and use of the building.

6.3.2 Life Safety

a) The common path of travel shall be $30\mathrm{m}$. The maximum dead end of corridor distance shall not exceed $6\mathrm{m}$.

b) Principle of progressive horizontal evacuation is of paramount consideration for hospital patients particularly those lacking self-preservation. This calls for moving occupants from a fire affected area to an adjoining area at the same level through a fire resistant wall, to protect them from the immediate dangers of fire and smoke (see Fig. 14).

c) Progressive horizontal evacuation operates on the basis of evacuation from compartment to

compartment and on use of adjacent compartments as temporary means of refuge. All compartments shall be divided with self-closing (door closers) fire doors with electromagnetic hold open. A coordinator shall be provided to sequence the closing of double leaf in case of emergency.

d) Doors in fire resistant walls shall be so installed that these may normally be kept in open position, but will close automatically. Corridor door openings shall be not less than 2.0 m in width of double swing double leaf type door. A coordinator shall be provided as above, for closing of double leaf in case of emergency.

e) Exits and other features for penal and mental institutions, and custodial institutions shall be the same as specified for hospitals [see 6.3.2 (g)], in so far as applicable. Reliable means shall be provided to permit the prompt release of inmates from any locked section in case of fire or other emergency.

f) All buildings or sections of buildings in penal and mental institution used for manufacturing, storage or office purposes shall have exits in accordance with the provisions of the Code for those occupancies.

FIG. 14 PART PLAN INDICATING CONCEPT OF HORIZONTAL EXIT IN HOSPITAL

g) For hospitals (Subdivision C-1), the following shall also be complied with:

1. Compartmentation shall meet the requirement as per 4.5.2.

2. Each compartment (see 4.5.2) shall be able to accommodate, in addition to its own, the patients from adjoining compartment also considering 3.5 m² per person. If patients are not bed-ridden, a factor of 0.6 m² per person is recommended.

3. All critical patients and those incapable of self-preservation and having physical impairment shall be housed within 30 m height.

4. Other types of patients and occupancies incidental to the hospitals such as consultation rooms, nurses' stations, medical shops, canteens, etc may be housed at heights beyond 30 m but not more than 45 m.

5. Basement shall not be used to store flammables or for pathological or other laboratories particularly those involving usage of chemicals.

6. Operation theatres, delivery rooms, Intensive care units, recovery rooms, etc, that containing patients lacking self-preservation in case of emergencies shall be fire/smoke separated (120 min minimum rating) from all the adjoining areas.

7. Aisles, corridors, ramps, etc, through which patients are moved, shall have a minimum width of 2.4 m throughout. Aisles, corridors, and ramps in other areas not intended for the housing, treatment, or use of inpatients shall be not less than 1.5 m in width.

8. All exits from hospital or infirmary sections shall be not less than 2.0 m in width.

9. Minimum width of door of single or double occupancy patient room shall be 1.25 m while for the wards for 3 to 5 patient beds shall be 1.50 m, to permit movement of patients. The minimum width of door for wards for more than 5 patient beds and for areas necessarily requiring patient evacuation on bed (such as ICU, recovery units, delivery rooms, etc), shall have door width of 2.0 m. The width of 2.0 m may be reduced to minimum of 1.5 m where two such doors are provided in such areas.

10. Any sleeping accommodation or suite exceeding $100 \, m^{2}$ in area shall have at least two doorways leading to the exit access corridors.

11. Floor surface of corridors shall not be inclined at a gradient steeper than 1 in 12 to the horizontal.

12. Exit access corridors from a compartment to another compartment shall be divided at the compartment intersection by a fire door of 120 min fire rating in the fire compartment wall.

13. Rooms designated for laboratory and the like shall not exceed $100 \, m^{2}$ in area and if additional space is required, fire separation of 120 min shall be provided.

14. Storage of flammable liquids in laboratories or in any other area shall be not more than 3 litre for every 10 m² area.

15. Disposal of any equipment and other (particularly hazardous) materials shall be accomplished in the premises by a disposal specialist or at a safe location away from the health care facility by competent personnel using procedures established in concurrence with the safe practices.

16. A stretcher lift in a lift bank shall also act as fireman's lift meeting the requirements of Part 8 ‘Building Services, Section 5 Installation of Lifts, Escalators and Moving Walks, Subsection 5A Lifts’ of the Code.

h) Progressive evacuation strategy — See Fig. 15, in which, as an example, the exit calculations at two locations shall be based on requirements of total occupancy for area (A, B and C) divided by 2 considering progressive evacuation strategy.

6.3.3 Exception and Deviation

It is recognized that in institutions or part of buildings housing various types of psychiatric patients, or used as mental institutions and penal institutions, it is necessary to maintain locked doors and barred windows; and to such extent the necessary provision in other sections of the code requiring the keeping of exits unlocked may be waived. It is also recognized that certain type of psychiatric patients are not capable of seeking safety without adequate guidance. In buildings where this situation prevails, reliable means for the rapid release of occupants shall be provided, such as remote control of locks, or by keying all locks to keys commonly used by attendants.

PART 4 FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY

FIG. 15 MINIMUM OF TWO EXITS ACCESSIBLE FROM ALL PARTS OF FLOOR

6.4.1 Fire Prevention

6.4.1.1 The following shall be applicable:

a) Decorations of places of assembly shall be of non-flammable materials. Fabrics and papers used for such purpose shall be treated with an effective flame-retardant material. Stage settings made of combustible materials shall likewise be treated with fire retardant materials of Class 1 flame spread.

b) Gymnasiums, indoor stadiums and similar occupancies are permitted to have floors/running tracks of wood, cinder, synthetic or the like.

6.4.2 Life Safety

6.4.2.1 The following shall be applicable:

a) Exit door width for assembly buildings shall not be less than 2.0 m.

b) Every place of assembly of sub-division D-1 shall have at least four separate exits as remote from each other as practicable.

c) Every place of assembly of sub-division D-2 shall have at least two separate exits as remote from each other as practicable and if of capacity over 600, at least three exits shall be provided with each exit not less than of 2.0 m width.

d) Clear aisles not less than 1.2 m in width shall be formed at right angles to the line of seating in such number and manner that no seat shall be more than seven seats away from an aisle. Rows of seats opening on to an aisle at one end only shall have not more than seven seats. Under the conditions, where all these aisles do not directly meet the exit doors, cross-aisles shall be provided parallel to the line of seating so as to provide direct access to the exit, provided that not less than one cross aisle for every 10 rows shall be required. The width of cross-aisles shall be minimum of 1 m. Steps shall not be placed in aisles to overcome differences in levels, unless the gradient exceeds 1 in 10.

e) The fascia of boxes, balconies and galleries shall have substantial railings not less than 1 000 mm high above the floor. The railings at the end of aisles extending to the fascia shall be not less than 1 100 mm high for the width of the aisle or 1.2 m high at the foot of steps.

f) Cross-aisles, except where the backs of seats on the front of the aisle project 600 mm or more above the floor of the aisle, shall be provided with railings not less than 900 mm high.

g) No turnstiles or other devices to restrict the movement of persons shall be installed in any place of assembly in such a manner as to interfere in any way with the required exit facilities.

h) In theatres and similar places of public assembly where persons are admitted to the building at a time when seats are not available for them and are allowed to wait in a lobby or similar space until seats are available, such use of lobby or similar space shall not encroach upon the required clear width of exits. Such waiting shall be restricted to areas separated from the required exit ways by substantial permanent partitions or fixed rigid railing not less than 1 050 mm high. Exits shall be provided for such waiting spaces on the basis of one person for each 0.3 m² of waiting space area. Such exits shall be in addition to the exits specified for the main auditorium area and shall conform in construction and arrangement to the general rules of exits given above.

j) No display or exhibit shall be so installed or operated as to interfere in any way with access to any required exit, or with any required exit sign.

k) All displays or exhibits of combustible material or construction and all booths and temporary construction in connection therewith shall be so limited in combustibility or protected as to avoid any undue hazard of fire which might endanger occupants before they have opportunity to use the available exits, as determined by the authority.

m) Places of assembly in buildings of other occupancy may use exits common to the place of assembly and the other occupancy, provided the assembly area and the other occupancy are considered separately, and each has exits sufficient to meet the requirements of the Code.

n) Exits shall be sufficient for simultaneous occupancy of both the places of assembly and other parts of the building.

PART 4 FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY

s)

p) For detailed information regarding cinema buildings, reference may be made to good practice [4(27)].

q) Seats in places of public assembly, accommodating more than 300 persons, shall be securely fastened to the floor, except as permitted in (r) below. All seats in balconies and galleries shall be securely fastened to the floor, except that in nailed-in enclosures, boxes with level floors and having not more than 14 seats, the seats need not be fastened.

r) Chairs not secured to the floor may be permitted in restaurants, night clubs and other occupancies where the fastening of seats to the floor may not be practicable, provided that in the area used for seating, excluding dance floor, stage, etc, there shall be not more than one seat for each 1.4 m² of floor area and adequate aisles to reach exits shall be maintained at all times. The arrangements shall be as follows in general:

1. Rows of seats between aisles shall have not more than 14 seats.

2. Rows of seats opening on to an aisle at one end only shall have not more than 7 seats.

3. Seats without dividing arms shall have their capacity determined by allowing 450 mm per person.

The spacing of rows of seats from back to back shall be neither less than 850 mm nor less than 700 mm plus the sum of the thickness of the back and inclination of the back. There shall be a space of not less than 350 mm between the back of one seat and the front of the seat immediately behind it as measured between plumb lines.

t) Lighting — No open flame lighting devices shall be used in any place of assembly, except in the following cases:

1. Where necessary for ceremonial purposes, the enforcing Authority may permit open flame lighting under such restrictions as are necessary to avoid danger of ignition of combustible materials or injury to occupants.

2. Candles may be used on restaurant tables if securely supported on non-combustible bases and so located as to avoid danger of ignition of combustible materials.

3. Open flame devices may be used on stages where they are a necessary part of

theatrical performance, provided adequate precautions, satisfactory to the Authority are taken to prevent ignition of combustible materials.

6.4.3 Fire Protection

a) Every stage equipped with fly galleries, grid irons and rigging for movable theatre type scenery, shall have a system of automatic

sprinklers over and under such stage areas or spaces and auxiliary spaces, such as dressing rooms, store rooms and workshops, and the proscenium opening shall be provided with a fire resisting curtain, capable of withstanding a lateral pressure of $4 \, kN/m^{2}$ over the entire area. The curtain shall have an emergency closing device capable of causing the curtain to close without the use of power and when so closed, it shall be reasonably tight against the passage of smoke.

The stage roof of every theatre using movable scenery or having a motion picture screen of highly combustible construction shall have a ventilator or ventilators in or above it, openable from the stage floor by hand and also opening by fusible links or some other approved automatic heat/smoke actuated device, to give a free opening equal to at least one-eighth the area of the floor of the stage.

c) The proscenium wall of every theatre using movable scenery of decorations shall have, exclusive of the proscenium opening, not more than two openings entering the stage, each not to exceed $2 \, m^{2}$ and fitted with self-closing fire resistant doors.

d) Every place of assembly in which projection of motion pictures by light is made shall have the projection apparatus enclosed in a fire resisting fixed booth in accordance with good practice [4(27)], except that such booth shall not be required where no nitrocellulose motion picture film is used.

6.4.4 Fire Protection and Firefighting System for Metro Stations (D-7 Occupancy)

Fire and life safety requirements for metro stations and metro trainways shall be in accordance with Annex J and Annex K, respectively.