§ 18.40.500. Exits.

Every building or structure designed for human occupancy shall be provided with exits of kinds, numbers, location and capacity appropriate to the individual building or structure, with due regard to the character of the occupancy, the number of persons exposed, the fire protection available, and the height and type of construction of the building or structure, to afford all occupants convenient facilities for escape in case of fire or other emergency.

Existing nonconforming buildings in which an additional exit or other means of egress is required may be altered in a manner as hereinafter described, or as provided in Chapter 1 in the Appendix of the code, or as may be approved by the building official without meeting requirements in the code for new buildings.

Doors, windows, corridors, stairways, fire escapes, ramps, and passageways, serving as ordinary or emergency exit routes shall be free of stored, discarded or extraneous material, and in no case shall such routes be obstructed or locked to persons within the building.

Every building or usable portion thereof shall have at least one exit.

Two or more separate routes of exit shall be available at all times to occupants on the first floor of a building with an occupancy of fifty or more and for each occupied second floor of a building, with an occupancy of ten or more, provided that one of said routes may be for emergency use only. Occupants on floors above the second floor and in basements shall have access to not less than two separate exits. Basements used exclusively for service of the building and storage, laundry and maintenance rooms riot exceeding three hundred square feet in floor area may be provided with only one exit.

Both of said routes shall be equipped in such a manner as to eliminate the necessity of jumping or dropping to the ground in the event of fire, and shall lead to safe and open space at ground level which is accessible to a public street or alley. If two or more exits are required, not more than one-half of the exits may be of the fire escape stairs type.

Every story or usable portion thereof, having an occupant load of five hundred to nine hundred ninety-nine shall have not less than three exits.

Every story or usable portion thereof, having an occupant load of one thousand or more shall have not less than four exits.

The total width of exits in feet shall not be less than the total occupant load served divided by fifty, such width of exits shall be divided approximately equally among the separate exits.

Every required exit doorway shall be of a size as to permit the installation of a door not less than twenty-eight inches in width.

Exit doors shall be capable of opening at least ninety degrees.

No leaf of an exit door shall exceed four feet in width.

Exit doors shall swing in the direction of exit travel when serving any hazardous area or when serving an occupant load of fifty or more.

Exit doors shall not be located so as to require passage through kitchens, store rooms, closets or space used for similar purposes.

If two or more exits are required, they shall be arranged a reasonable distance apart so that if one becomes blocked others will be available.

An interior stairway connecting three floors or more shall be enclosed with walls of not less than one-hour fire-resistive construction.

Where existing partitions form part of a stairwell enclosure, wood lath and plaster in good condition will be acceptable in lieu of one-hour fire-resistive construction. Doors to such enclosures shall be protected by a self-closing door equivalent to a solid wood door not less than one and three-fourths inches thick.

Enclosures shall include landings between flights and any corridors, passageways, or public rooms necessary for continuous exit to the exterior of the building.

Enclosures shall not be required if an automatic fire-extinguishing system is provided for all portions of the building.

Existing fire escapes may be used as one means of egress, if the pitch does not exceed sixty degrees, the width is not less than eighteen inches, the treads are not less than four inches wide, and they extend to the ground or are provided with counter-balanced stairs reaching to the ground. Access shall be by an opening having a minimum dimension of twenty-nine inches when open. The sill shall not be more than thirty inches above the floor and landing.

(Ord. No. 41-502 § 42)