WAC 51-19-410   Exit systems.  (1) Exit system capacity and the arrangement of exits shall comply with the requirements of the Building Code. Exit systems shall comply with the provisions of subsections (1) through (5) of this section, or the provisions of the prevailing code under which the building was constructed, whichever is more stringent. If any provision of the HBC or the prevailing code under which a building was constructed is more stringent than the currently adopted Building Code, the exit system shall comply with the provision of the currently adopted Building Code.

     (2) All elements of the exit system shall be of sufficient size, width, and arrangement to provide safe and adequate means of egress. Every required exit shall have access to a public way, directly or through yards, courts or similar spaces, and such access shall be permanently maintained clear of any obstruction which would impede exiting.

     (3) Occupants of every floor above the first story and in basements shall have access to at least two separate exits. A fire escape shall not be substituted for a stairway which was required by the prevailing codes under which the building was constructed.

EXCEPTIONS:

(a)	In all occupancies, second stories with an occupant load of less than ten may have one exit.
(b)	Only one exit need be provided from the second story within an individual dwelling unit which has an occupant load of less than ten.
(c)	Two or more dwelling units on the second story may have access to only one common exit when the total occupant load does not exceed ten.
(d)	Floors and basements used exclusively for service of the building may have one exit. For the purposes of this exception, storage rooms, laundry rooms, maintenance offices, and similar uses shall not be considered as providing service to the building.
(e)	Basements within an individual dwelling unit having an occupant load of less than ten may have one exit.
(f)	Occupied roofs of Group R, Division 3 Occupancies may have one exit if such occupied areas are less than five hundred square feet and located no higher than immediately above the second story.

     (4) Corridors serving as a part of the exit system which have an occupant load of thirty or more in a Group A, B, E, or H Occupancy or an occupant load of ten or more in a Group R, Division 1 or Group I Occupancy shall have walls and ceilings of not less than one hour fire resistive construction. Existing walls and ceilings surfaced with wood lath and plaster or one-half inch thick gypsum wallboard may be permitted in lieu of one hour fire resistive construction, provided the surfaces are in good condition.

     Door openings into such corridors shall be protected by a tight fitting smoke and draft control assembly having a fire protection rating of not less than twenty minutes when such opening protection was required by the prevailing codes under which the building was constructed. Door closing devices, door gaskets, and other requirements imposed by the prevailing codes under which the building was constructed shall be maintained. When the building was constructed under a code which did not require twenty minute smoke and draft control assemblies, doorway openings shall be protected by doors having a fire protection rating of not less than twenty minutes or by a minimum one and three-eighths inch thick, solid bonded, wood core door or an equivalent insulated steel door. In such case, the frames need not have a fire resistive time period. Doors shall be maintained self-closing or shall be automatic closing, self-latching by activation of a smoke detector.

     Transoms and openings other than doors from corridors to rooms shall be protected as required by the Building Code. Existing transoms may be maintained if fixed in the closed position. When the code under which the building was constructed permitted unprotected transoms or other unprotected openings, other than doors, such transoms or openings shall be covered with a minimum of three-fourths-inch-thick plywood, one-half-inch-thick gypsum wallboard, fixed glazing listed and labeled for a fire protection rating of at least three-fourths hour or equivalent material on the room side. Openings with fixed wired glass set in steel frames are permitted in corridor walls and ceilings.

EXCEPTION:

Existing corridor walls, ceilings, and opening protection not in compliance with the above may be continued when the building is protected with an approved automatic sprinkler system throughout: Provided, That a draft gasket assembly on sound, solid, self-closing, self-latching doors at door openings is installed and that sealing, caulking, and duct penetrations shall have dampers in all one-hour rated exit corridors. Such sprinkler system may be supplied from the domestic water supply system, provided the system is of adequate pressure, capacity, and sizing for the combined domestic and sprinkler requirements.

     (5) Every dwelling unit, guest room, or sleeping rooms shall have access directly to the outside or to a public corridor or exit balcony.

     (6) Existing fire escapes complying with this section may be accepted by the building official as one of the required exits. The fire escape shall not be the primary or the only exit. Fire escapes shall not take the place of stairways required by the codes under which the building was constructed.

     Fire escapes shall comply with the following:

     (a) Access from a corridor shall not be through an intervening room.

EXCEPTION:

Access through an intervening room may be permitted if the intervening door is not lockable and an exit sign is installed above the door which will direct occupants to the fire escape.

     (b) All openings in an exterior wall below or within ten feet, measured horizontally, of an existing fire escape serving a building over two stories in height shall be protected by fire assembly having a minimum three-fourths hour fire protection rating, and where operable be self-closing. When openings are located within a recess or vestibule, adjacent enclosure walls shall be of not less than one hour fire resistive construction.

     (c) Egress from the building shall be by an opening having a minimum clear width and height of not less than twenty-nine inches. Such openings shall be openable from the inside without the use of a key or special knowledge or effort. The sill of an opening giving access to the fire escape shall be not more than thirty inches above the floor of the building or balcony.

     (d) Fire escape stairways and their balconies shall support their dead load plus a live load of not less than one hundred pounds per square foot or concentrated load of three hundred pounds placed anywhere on the balcony or stairway so as to produce the maximum stress conditions. The stairway shall have a pitch not to exceed sixty degrees from the horizontal and shall have a minimum width of eighteen inches. The stairway shall be provided with a top and intermediate railing on each side. Treads shall be not less than four inches in width and the rise between treads shall not exceed ten inches. All stairway and balcony railings shall support a horizontally applied force of not less than fifty pounds per lineal foot of railing or a concentrated load of two hundred pounds placed anywhere on the railing so as to produce the maximum stress conditions.

     (e) Fire escape balconies shall be not less than forty-four inches in width with no floor opening greater than five-eighths inch in width except the stairway opening. Stairway openings in such balconies shall be not less than twenty-two inches by forty-four inches. The guardrail of each balcony shall be not less than thirty-six inches high with not more than nine inches between intermediate rails.

     (f) Fire escapes shall extend to the roof or provide an approved gooseneck ladder between the top floor landing and the roof when serving buildings four or more stories in height having roofs with a slope not exceeding four in twelve. Such ladders shall be designed and connected to the building to withstand a horizontal force of one hundred pounds per lineal foot; each rung shall support a concentrated load of five hundred pounds placed anywhere on the rung so as to produce the maximum stress conditions. All ladders shall be at least fifteen inches in clear width, be located within twelve inches of the building, and shall be placed flatwise relative to the face of the building. Ladder rungs shall be three-quarters inch in diameter and shall be located ten inches to twelve inches on center. Openings for roof access ladders through cornices and similar projections shall have minimum dimensions of thirty inches by thirty-three inches.

     (g) The lowest balcony shall be not more than eighteen feet from the ground. Fire escapes shall extend to the ground or be provided with counterbalanced stairs reaching to the ground.

     (h) Fire escapes shall be kept clear and unobstructed at all times and maintained in good working order.

     (i) The fire escape shall have a clearance from electrical service conductors as required by the Electrical Code.

     (7) Existing winding or spiral stairways may serve as one exit from a building, provided that a complying handrail is located at the stair's outside perimeter. (See WAC 51-19-440.) A winding or spiral stairway may not be the principal exit when used in conjunction with a fire escape as a second exit. The width of a spiral or winding stair may be used in the calculation of provided exit width when in compliance with this section. Circular stairways complying with the Building Code shall be acceptable as an exit.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.120 and 19.27.074. 91-01-103, § 51-19-410, filed 12/18/90, effective 7/1/91.]