Division B
Acceptable Solutions

Part 2 — Building and Occupant Fire Safety

Section 2.7. Safety to Life

2.7.1. Means of Egress

2.7.1.1. Means of Egress

1) Means of egress shall be provided in buildings in conformance with the British Columbia Building Code.

2.7.1.2. Open Floor Areas

1) Aisles in conformance with Sentences (2) to (4) shall be provided in every floor area that

a)is not subdivided into rooms or suites served by corridors giving access to exits and

b)is required by the British Columbia Building Code to have more than one egress doorway.

2) Every required egress doorway shall be served by an aisle that

a)has a clear width not less than 1 100 mm,

b)has access to at least one additional egress doorway, and

c)at every point on the aisle, provides a choice of 2 opposite directions by which to reach an egress doorway.

3) A subsidiary aisle with only a single direction of travel to an aisle described in Sentence (2) is permitted provided it has a clear width not less than 900 mm and a length not greater than

a)7.5 m in business and personal services, mercantile and high-hazard industrial occupancies,

b)10 m in medium-hazard industrial occupancies, or

c)15 m in low-hazard industrial occupancies.

4) Every individual work area in business and personal services occupancies shall be located adjacent to an aisle or subsidiary aisle.

2.7.1.3. Occupant Load

1) The maximum permissible occupant load for any room shall be calculated on the basis of the lesser of

a)0.4 m² of net floor space per occupant, or

b)the occupant load for which means of egress are provided. (See Appendix A.)

2) The number of occupants permitted to enter a room shall not exceed the maximum occupant load calculated in conformance with Sentence (1).

2.7.1.4. Signs

1) In assembly occupancies with occupant loads exceeding 60 persons, the occupant load shall be posted in conspicuous locations near the principal entrances to the room or floor area.

2) Signs required by the British Columbia Building Code to indicate the occupant load for a floor area shall be posted in conspicuous locations near the principal entrances to the floor area. (See Appendix A.)

3 ) Signs required in Sentences (1) and (2) shall have lettering not less than 50 mm high with a 12 mm stroke.

2.7.1.5. Nonfixed Seating

1) When nonfixed seats are provided in assembly occupancies,

a)except as provided in Sentence (3), the seats shall be arranged in rows having an unobstructed passage of not less than 400 mm between rows measured horizontally between plumb lines from the backs of the seats in one row and the edges of the furthest forward projection of the seats in the next row behind in the unoccupied position,

b)except as provided in Sentence (2), aisles shall be located so that there are not more than 7 seats between every seat and the nearest aisle,

c)except as provided in Sentence (2), the clear width of an aisle in millimetres shall be not less than the greater of 1 100 or the product of the number of seats served by that aisle and 6.1,

d)the width of an aisle is permitted to be reduced to not less than 750 mm when serving 60 seats or fewer,

e)dead-end aisles shall not be longer than 6 m, and

f)except as provided in Sentence (3), when the occupant load exceeds 200 persons,

i)the seats in a row shall be fastened together in units of no fewer than 8 seats, or

ii)where there are 7 seats or fewer in a row, all the seats in the row shall be fastened together.

2) When nonfixed seats are provided in outdoor assembly occupancies,

a)aisles shall be located so that there are not more than 15 seats between every seat and the nearest aisle, and

b)the clear width of an aisle in millimetres shall be not less than the greater of 1 200 or the product of the number of seats served by that aisle and 1.8.

3) When nonfixed seats are provided at tables arranged in rows, the spacing between the nearest edges of tables in 2 successive rows shall be not less than

a)1 400 mm where seating is arranged on both sides of tables (back to back), or

b)1 000 mm where seating is on one side only.

2.7.1.6. Maintenance

1) Means of egress shall be maintained in good repair and free of obstructions.

2.7.1.7. Exterior Passageways and Exit Stairs

1) Exterior passageways and exterior exit stairs serving occupied buildings shall be maintained free of snow and ice accumulations.

2) Where equipment is provided to melt snow or ice on exterior passageways and exterior exit stairs serving an occupied building, such equipment shall be maintained in working order or alternative measures shall be taken to comply with Sentence (1).

2.7.2. Doors and Means of Egress

2.7.2.1. Exit Doors

1) Except as provided in Sentences (2), (3) and (4), all doors forming part of a means of egress shall be tested at intervals not greater than one month to ensure that they are operable.

2) The safety features of revolving doors shall be tested at intervals not greater than 12 months.

3) Sliding doors that are required to swing on their vertical axes in the direction of egress when pressure is applied shall be tested at intervals not greater than 12 months.

4) When doors are equipped with electromagnetic locks, these locks shall be tested at intervals not greater than 12 months.

2.7.2.2. Records

1) Records of tests required in Sentences 2.7.2.1.(2), (3) and (4) shall be retained in conformance with (4) shall be retained in conformance with Article 2.2.1.2. of Division C.

2.7.3. Exit Lighting, Exit Signs and Emergency Lighting

2.7.3.1. Installation and Maintenance

1) Exit lighting, exit signs and emergency lighting shall be provided in buildings in conformance with the British Columbia Building Code. (See Appendix A.)

2) Exit lighting and exit signs shall be illuminated during times when the building is occupied.

3) Emergency lighting shall be maintained in operating condition, in conformance with Section 6.5.