4. Flameproofing. (a) Flameproofing of fabrics is a protection against flash fires but does not protect against continued intense heat. (b) Stage scenery and curtains should be treated to make them flame resistant. (c) The same or a similar treatment can be provided for drapes. (d) Some flameproofing materials are toxic, and others affect colors or fabrics. (e) Flameproofing of existing drapes and curtains can be done in the school. Most treatments lose their effectiveness with laundering and may need to be repeated. Planning new buildings 1. Responsibility. (a) The administrator must accept the responsibility for planning safe 2. Safety and financial considerations. In most cases fund limitations prevent the inclusion of desired features in a new school building. Where funds seem to be ample the desires appear to increase accordingly. (a) Changing programs and teaching techniques demand increased activity spaces. (b) Community interests demand beauty in a building. (c) In many cases community use calls for increased space. This is (d) The local school officials, while perhaps in sympathy with all of 3. New building safety and the public (a) The need for safety features may not be as readily appreciated by the public as are more easily seen features such as space or ornamentation. (b) The administrator may find it necessary to sell to the staff and the public the idea that pupil safety provisions should be of paramount importance. Inspection and rehabilitation 1. All buildings should be inspected periodically by competent authority for structural or other defects that might affect fire-safety. Inspection reports should be in writing to serve as a basis for corrections and as a basis of protection for the local school officials. 2. Where needed, rehabilitation programs should be planned to correct existing defects. (a) If an existing building can be made safe the necessary improvements should be made. (b) If a building cannot be made safe, or if because improvement costs would be too high, then the building or the part in question should be taken out of use for pupil occupancy. State responsibility for structural fire-safety 1. The State has a responsibility in the protection of all school students in the State against preventable fire hazards. (a) State laws require youth to attend school. (b) All public schools are State institutions and operate under State authority. (c) Students attending private schools are also citizens of the State and the State has an obligation to help protect its citizens. 2. State supervision of school fire-safety may be exercised through various State and/or local agencies. 3. State departments of education have a special obligation in this area. (a) Many State departments advise local officials on space requirements and arrangement. (b) Most of the State departments accept no or only a limited responsibility for fire-safety in planning new or remodeling old building structures. (c) Under modern administrative patterns it seems desirable for State departments of education to accept more of the responsibility for school fire safety. The department can: (1) Set up standard guides and regulations. (2) Provide a staff to carry these regulations into effect. (3) If it is impossible for the department officials to carry out all of these provisions, they can seek the advice and cooperation of State and/or National agencies with staff members able to provide the assistance needed. (d) If State departments do not provide service in the area of pupil protection, they may find the schools subject to nonflexible and sometimes ill-advised legislative regulations promoted by an aroused public after some particular fire loss. XIV. Traffic and Exit Facilities MANY SCHOOL BUILDINGS are constructed at least partly of combustible materials. Even buildings of fire-resistive or semi-fireresistive construction usually have some combustible materials in the trim and decorations, and in the contents. Because of these conditions no school buildings are completely fire safe. It is desirable to provide and maintain in all school buildings adequate safe traffic lanes and exits so that the occupants can be transferred quickly from points endangered by fire to safe areas. School buildings house many pupils. Some of these pupils are too immature to know how to protect themselves in case of danger. School or community gatherings may create special problems in group evacuation. Some principles of fire exit safety 1. Fire safety for persons involves the prevention of fires, warnings to and safe evacuation of the building occupants, and some provisions for delaying the spread of fire. 2. All occupants should be able to get out of the building without traffic or fire injuries. 3. Safe exits should be adequate under all conditions for all the people who might be in the building at one time. 4. The layout patterns for corridors, stairs, and exits, and the maintenance of these facilities are basic features in traffic and evacuation safety. (a) Building loading should be limited. Occupancy in excess of 25 people per 1,000 square feet of total floor area may increase exit difficulties. (b) There should be more than one way out. Large classrooms and other large areas should have at least two doors. Corridors 1. Construction. (a) In buildings of more than one story the corridors should be of fire resistive construction, walls, floors, and ceiling. (b) In one-story buildings ordinary construction may be used if ample exits are provided. 2. Corridor widths should be ample to carry the maximum anticipated crowds. 3. Each corridor should terminate at or near an exit. Extensions of corridors beyond exits (or stairs) should not exceed 35 feet. 4. Corridor blocks, projections that might slow traffic, or sharp corners that might cause injury should be prohibited. 5. Corridor vestibule side pockets into which pupils might be pushed under panic conditions should be eliminated. Stairs 1. Number. (a) There should be at least two stairways, remote from each other, from basement or upper story levels to the ground floor level. (b) The total number of stairways should be computed on the basis of standards set up in the Building Exits Code. However, a rough estimate will be one stair exit lane of 22 inches for each 60 people or major fraction thereof. (c) There should be s stairway exit within 100 feet of the corridor door of each classroom on other than the ground level floors. 2. Location. (a) Stairs should not be located in the corridors where they may reduce the corridor clear passage width but at right angles to the corridors. 1 Building Exits Code. National Fire Protection Association, Boston, Mass., 1950. p. 66-68. (b) Stairs should be so located that the ground floor end empties at or near an exit. 3. Construction and design. (a) Stairs should be of fire-resistive construction. (b) School stairs from one floor to another should be in two runs with an intermediate landing having a clear width at least equal to the stair width. (c) A stair run from a landing to either floor should not have more than 16 risers. (d) Risers should not exceed 61⁄2 inches. Treads, exclusive of nosing (e) Each riser should be full width. There should be no winders in (f) Stair widths of 44 to 60 inches are desired. These provide two traffic lanes (minimum width 22 inches each) on each stair. (g) There should be solid handrails 26 to 30 inches high on each side of the stair. (h) Short stairs of 3 to 4 risers in corridors may be hazardous. (i) Doors should not open directly on stairs or landings. (j) Storage closets under stairways or adjacent to landings are undesirable. (k) Stairs should be enclosed in fire-resistive stair wells. The doors (1) Corridor entrances to stairs should be protected by smoke-retaining (m) Treads should have non-slip surfaces. Nosings, if any, should be 4. Installing fire-resistive stairs in existing combustible interior buildings is not always feasible. In most cases it is possible to erect outside fireproof stair wells and stairs at or near the ends of corridors or stairs and to extend the corridors to them. In these cases it is important to protect the openings to delay the spread of fire that the stairs may be used safely. D. Exits 1. Number. (a) Door exit capacities are also computed at 22 inches per unit or lane. The Building Exits Code exit 2 standards call for door exit lanes about as follows: 2 Op. cit. One unit of door width for each 2,400, or major fraction thereof, square feet of upper and basement floors emptying through the first or ground floor exits; One additional unit of door width for each 4,000, or major fraction thereof, square feet of first or ground floor area other than auditorium or gymnasium area; One additional unit of door width for each 600 square feet or major fraction thereof, of auditoriums and gymnasium areas on the first floor. (b) Another rough measure of exit lane needs is: Compute loading capacity of classroom wings at 40 square feet per person, auditorium and gymnasium areas at 6 square feet per person. Allow exit lanes: one for each 60 persons coming from floors above or below the ground floor level, add one exit lane for each 100 persons coming from ground floor classroom wings, add another for each 100 persons coming from auditorium and gymnasium areas. All of the preceding measurements are computed on the basis of capacity loadings. 2. Location. (a) Exits from auditoriums and gymnasium assembly areas should be, as nearly as possible, directly to the outside. (b) At least one exit from areas where fire hazards may be more pronounced as in furnace rooms, certain shops, and large kitchens should lead directly to the outside. (c) A stage exit should permit stage evacuation either into a fireresistive corridor or to the outside without the occupants having to pass through the auditorium. 3. Door types. (a) Exit doors should be at least 36 inches wide. However, existing 40-inch doors may be counted as two exit units. (b) Revolving doors are not recommended for schools. If installed, they should be flanked with properly installed standard leaf doors. 4. Door action. (a) Exit doors should open out. (b) Each exit door, including each leaf of double exit doors, should be equipped with panic exit hardware that operates with a pressure of not over 15 pounds on the activating bar. Note, dead bolts of any type, top, bottom, or side, should not be used on exit doors. (c) Classroom doors swing with the line of travel and should be equipped with a type of hardware that cannot be locked against egress. If locks are installed, they should be of a type that is activated by the usual knob or latch used for egress. 5. Exit lanes should be well lighted and marked. Lighted exit signs should be provided for auditoriums. 6. Exit vestibules. (a) Vestibule or storm doors at any particular exit should have the same swing and a capacity at least equal to the regular exit door at that place. Such doors should be free acting, outward, or be equipped with panic exit hardware. (b) Vestibules should not reduce traffic capacity and should have no pockets into which pupils might be pushed in case of a hurried evacuation. |