CHAPTER 54. GROUP B EDUCATIONAL
OCCUPANCY GROUP Sec.
54.1. Group B occupancies.
54.2. Classification.
54.3. Nursery schools, day care centers and the like.
54.4. Separation and mixed occupancy.
54.5. Hazards.
54.6. Assembly areas.
CONSTRUCTION TYPE—MAXIMUM STORY HEIGHT
54.11. Story height.
MEANS OF EGRESS
54.21. Minimum exits.
54.22. Travel distance to exits.
54.23. Means of egress capacity.
54.24. Exit doors.
54.25. Stair towers.
54.26. Intercommunicating stairways.
54.27. Ramps.
54.28. Horizontal exits.
54.29. Escalators.
VERTICAL OPENINGS
54.31. Vertical openings.
INTERIOR FINISH
54.41. Interior finishes.
MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS
54.51. Required.
EMERGENCY LIGHTING SYSTEMS
54.61. General requirements.
EXTINGUISHERS AND SPRINKLER SYSTEMS
54.71. Fire extinguishers.
54.72. Automatic sprinkler systems.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
54.81. Hazardous areas.Authority The provisions of this Chapter 54 issued under act of April 27, 1927 (P. L. 465, No. 299) (35 P. S. § § 1221—1235), unless otherwise noted.
Source The provisions of this Chapter 54 adopted May 18, 1984, effective May 19, 1984, 14 Pa.B. 1765, unless otherwise noted.
Cross References This chapter cited in 7 Pa. Code § 82.17 (relating to safety—fire prevention and egress); 7 Pa. Code § 139.42 (relating to structures); 12 Pa. Code § 145.35 (relating to applicability of Fire and Panic Act); 22 Pa. Code § 31.43 (relating to buildings and equipment); 34 Pa. Code § 11.85 (relating to applicable provisions of other regulations); 34 Pa. Code § 47.125 (relating to stairs); 34 Pa. Code § 49.1 (relating to definitions); 34 Pa. Code § 49.2 (relating to jurisdiction and effective dates); 34 Pa. Code § 49.3 (relating to submission of plans); 34 Pa. Code § 49.5 (relating to certification of plans); 34 Pa. Code § 49.8 (relating to fees for building-plan examinations); 34 Pa. Code § 49.9 (relating to field inspection); 34 Pa. Code § 49.12 (relating to notice of violation and order to correct); 34 Pa. Code § 50.1 (relating to occupancy groups); 34 Pa. Code § 50.21 (relating to definitions); 34 Pa. Code § 50.24 (relating to exit doors and exit access doors); 34 Pa. Code § 50.92 (relating to historic building); 34 Pa. Code § 60.8 (relating to field inspection); 34 Pa. Code § 60.33 (relating to buildings); 55 Pa. Code § 5200.47 (relating to other applicable regulations); 55 Pa. Code § 5210.56 (relating to other applicable regulations); and 55 Pa. Code § 5320.54 (relating to seclusion and restraints).
OCCUPANCY GROUP
§ 54.1. Group B occupancies.
Buildings primarily used or designed for the purpose of education or instruction or day care shall be classified as Group B occupancies.
§ 54.2. Classification.
Schools for business or vocational training shall be classified in the same occupancies and conform to the same requirements as the trade, vocation or business being taught.
§ 54.3. Nursery schools, day care centers and the like.
Nursery schools, day care centers, group day care homes and the like shall be classified as B occupancies. However, they may be housed in a building which has an A, C-1 or C-2 occupancy permit without submission of plans or approval as a B occupancy. Group day care homes and family day care homes may use Chapter 56 (relating to Division C-3 small group habitation) for occupancies of eight or less children without a B occupancy approval.
§ 54.4. Separation and mixed occupancy.
When a B occupancy shares a structure with one or more occupancies, the structure shall be governed in one of the following manners:
(1) Separation. When each occupancy is separated from all other occupancies by fire walls, each portion thus separated shall be considered a separate building, and limitations for separate buildings shall govern.
(2) Mixed occupancy. Structures with multiple occupancies which are not separated shall be considered mixed occupancies and shall be governed by the most restrictive of the limitations of the occupancies.
§ 54.5. Hazards.
D-H, hazardous occupancies shall not be permitted in the same structure housing a Group B occupancy.
§ 54.6. Assembly areas.
Auditoriums, gymnasiums, cafeterias and similar areas which are part of an education building shall be classified as B occupancies.
CONSTRUCTION TYPE—MAXIMUM STORY HEIGHT
§ 54.11. Story height.
(a) B occupancies shall be governed by the story height limitations in the following table:
Construction Type Maximum Story Height Fireresistive No Limit Noncombustible 2 Story* Protected Heavy Timber 1 Story* Ordinary 1 Story* Wood Frame 1 Story* (b) *An additional story shall be permitted in noncombustible, protected heavy timber, ordinary or wood frame construction when the building is 1-hour rated construction totally protected by an automatic sprinkler system. The maximum story height may only be increased by one story.
(c) Noncombustible, protected heavy timber, ordinary and wood frame construction types shall be considered 1-hour rated construction when bearing walls, columns, beams, other supporting members, ceiling/roof assemblies, floor/ceiling assemblies, stairways, and other openings through floors are of 1-hour rated construction.
(d) Basement areas shall be 1-hour rated construction up to and including the floor/ceiling assembly between the basement and the first floor.
MEANS OF EGRESS
§ 54.21. Minimum exits.
(a) There shall be a minimum of two exits reasonably remote from each other. No more than 50% of the required exit capacity of auditoriums, gymnasiums, cafeterias and similar areas shall exit into the same unseparated corridor network.
(b) Basements used only for storage or mechanical equipment without any permanent occupancy shall have a minimum of two exit access paths except that the Department may permit a single exit access for basements of less than 1,000 square feet used only for storage or mechanical equipment without any permanent occupancy.
(c) Mezzanine levels shall have a minimum of two exit access paths except the Department may permit a single exit access from mezzanines less than 1,000 square feet or mezzanines used exclusively for storage or mechanical equipment without a permanent occupancy.
§ 54.22. Travel distance to exits.
(a) Exits shall be so arranged that the total length of travel from any point to reach an exit will not exceed 150 feet. Exits shall be so arranged that one exit is not more than 200 feet from another exit. Dead ends and occupancy areas with a single path of egress travel should be eliminated where possible but in no case shall any of these occupancy areas be more than 75 feet from an exit.
(b) Travel distance may be increased to the following in buildings totally protected by an automatic sprinkler system:
(1) Two hundred feet from any point to an exit.
(2) Three hundred feet between exits.
(3) One hundred feet for dead ends and areas with a single path of egress.
§ 54.23. Means of egress capacity.
Units of width shall comply with § 50.23 (relating to means of egress capacity).
§ 54.24. Exit doors.
Exit discharge doors leading to the outside shall comply with § 50.24 (relating to exit doors and exit access doors).
§ 54.25. Stair towers.
Stair towers shall comply with § 50.25 (relating to stair towers). Only Class A stairs may be used as a required means of egress.
§ 54.26. Intercommunicating stairways.
Intercommunicating stairways may be used to communicate from story to story; however, they shall not be counted as exits.
§ 54.27. Ramps.
Ramps shall comply with § 50.27 (relating to ramps).
§ 54.28. Horizontal exits.
Horizontal exits shall comply with § 50.28 (relating to horizontal exits).
§ 54.29. Escalators.
Escalators shall be permitted for communication from one story to another but shall not be counted as exits.
VERTICAL OPENINGS
§ 54.31. Vertical openings.
Vertical openings shall comply with § § 50.31—50.34 (relating to vertical openings).
INTERIOR FINISH
§ 54.41. Interior finishes.
(a) Interior finishes shall be Class A for exits and exit corridors except that carpet covering floors may be Class A or B. Interior finishes for classrooms, auditoriums, gymnasiums, cafeterias, libraries and similar areas shall be Class A or Class B.
(b) Interior finish requirements may be reduced by one class in buildings totally protected by an automatic sprinkler system.
MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS
§ 54.51. Required.
Manual fire alarm systems are required for B occupancy buildings with more than four classrooms.
Source The provisions of this § 54.51 amended June 1, 1984, effective May 19, 1984, 14 Pa.B. 1865. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (89106).
EMERGENCY LIGHTING SYSTEMS
§ 54.61. General requirements.
Emergency lighting shall be provided as follows:
(1) Exitways, corridors, stairways, passageways, halls, landings of stairs, exit doors, including angles and intersections, and other means of egress.
(2) Rooms used for assembly purposes in excess of 1,500 square feet.
(3) To illuminate exit or directional exit signs.
(4) Rooms in which emergency lighting equipment is located.
(5) Exterior light over required exit discharge.
(6) Locker rooms.
EXTINGUISHERS AND SPRINKLER SYSTEMS
§ 54.71. Fire extinguishers.
(a) A minimum of one fire extinguisher with a minimum 2-A rating shall be provided for each 5,000 square feet or fraction thereof, but there shall be no less than one fire extinguisher per floor including basement. Fire extinguishers shall be located so that it shall not be necessary to travel more than 100 feet in any direction to reach the nearest unit.
(b) A fire extinguisher with a minimum 10-B rating shall be provided in each kitchen.
§ 54.72. Automatic sprinkler systems.
Automatic sprinkler systems required by this chapter shall comply with § 50.72 (relating to automatic sprinkler systems).
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
§ 54.81. Hazardous areas.
(a) Boiler or furnace rooms, repair or maintenance rooms, trash rooms and rooms or spaces used for the storage of combustible materials in quantities deemed hazardous by the Department, shall be separated from other areas of the building by 1-hour partitions, floors, and ceilings. All openings shall be protected by C label door assemblies. Combustion and ventilation air for boiler, incinerator or heater rooms shall be taken directly from and discharged directly to the outside air.
(b) American Gas Association approved gas fired forced air furnaces and space heaters; U. L. approved electrical resistive coil heating furnaces; and U. L. approved oil fired forced air furnaces and space heaters need not be enclosed.
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