New fire escapes
Source version current through Sep 15, 2021
Later State Register activity may affect this section.
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- Executive Department
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- Sep 15, 2021
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- Sep 13, 2026
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Such fire escapes shall comply with the provisions of section 133 of chapter 61-B of the Consolidated Laws (Multiple Residence Law) of the State of New York, and shall be constructed, installed, arranged and maintained in accordance with the following rules and regulations:
(a)Access.
All doors and windows affording direct access to fire escapes shall open upon a balcony platform. The bottom of the openable window providing access to the balcony shall be not more than 18 inches, nor less than seven inches above the balcony platform. Sills of doors affording access to fire escapes shall be not more than eight inches nor less than four inches above the balcony platform.
(b)Enclosures and guard railings.
(1)The open sides of balconies, stairwells and stairways shall be provided with either enclosures or guard railings; except such open sides of stairways located not more than six inches from the wall at any point in their run shall not be required to have an enclosure or guard railing.
(2)The height of the enclosure or guard railing shall be not less than 33 inches nor more than 48 inches above the balcony platform; guard railings for stairways shall be not less than 31 inches high, measured vertically above the center of the tread.
(3)Openings, if any, in the enclosure or guard railing shall not exceed six inches in width and 48 inches in length.
(4)Enclosures and top railings shall be capable of withstanding a horizontal load of at least 50 pounds per linear foot.
(c)Stairways and balconies.
(1)Stairways shall contain no winders.
(2)Stairways shall have a minimum clear headroom of six feet and six inches.
(3)Stair treads and balcony platforms shall be solid or slatted, provided the width of openings does not exceed three quarters of an inch. Treads of double rungs will not be acceptable. All stair treads and balcony platforms shall be arranged so as to drain off and prevent the accumulation of water in pockets.
(4)All straight flights of stairs shall be braced to the wall at approximate midheight but the bottom of such bracing shall be not less than six feet and six inches above the balcony platform below.
(5)Rungs of the drop ladder shall be not further apart than 12 inches.
(6)There shall be no opening in the floor of the lowest balcony.
(d)Clearances.
(1)Balconies shall have a 14-inch minimum clear horizontal passageway past the stairwell opening and all minimum widths specified shall not be reduced by the swing of doors and windows which open onto the fire escape.
(2)Balconies shall have a 20-inch minimum clear platform width at each end of stair runs, except that at the end of a stair run of a balcony platform affording access to a drop ladder, this dimension shall be 36 inches minimum.
(3)The clear vertical distance between any fixed or movable part of the fire escape, and a publicly owned area, shall be not less than 10 feet.
(e)Construction and installation.
(1)Such fire escapes shall be designed, installed, and supported to withstand the dead load of the structure and a uniformly distributed live load of at least 80 pounds per square foot applied to the balcony platform and stairs. Treads shall be designed for a concentrated load of 250 pounds applied at the center of tread. Each rung of the drop ladder shall be designed to carry a concentrated load of at least 250 pounds at its center.
(2)Such fire escapes shall be constructed of new, ductile, incombustible material whose strength and durability is not affected by wetting or normal extremes of temperature. The thickness of metal shall be not less than one quarter of an inch.
(f)Maintenance.
(1)Deterioration of metal fire escapes subject to corrosion shall be prevented by treatment at erection and periodically thereafter.
(2)Such fire escapes shall be maintained safe and free of obstruction.