# California Building Code Egress from Classrooms



## knelson (Mar 21, 2013)

I'm working on a project that is changing an existing E-1 (1987 code) occupancy to a current E occupancy and making three of the classrooms for daycare for kids ages 3-5. It's single story with the building exits at the same level as the exit discharge. We are planning on only using the existing classrooms that already have two exits to a one hour rated corridor since two exits are required for daycare. Once in the rated corridor, they can still go in opposite directions to separate exits from the building so that there isn't a common path of travel issue. The building official believes that one of the exits from the classroom must go directly to the exterior. He was going to have to research further, but pointed me to 442.1 and the requirement for one required exit located on the exit discharge. As I understand that requirements, it's for the building, not each classroom. I also see that 1018.1 Exception 1 notes that corridors don't have to be rated if one exit from each classroom goes directly to the exterior which implies that you can have two exits into a rated corridor as long as you meet travel distance and common path of travel. Does anyone know of any code requirement where I'll have to have one exit directly to the exterior from each daycare classroom? Thank you.


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## cda (Mar 22, 2013)

welcome

how did you find us???

so is the entire building a day care???

is the building sprinkled??

SECTION 442 GROUP E [sFM]

442.1 Location on property. All buildings housing Group E occupancies shall front directly on a public street or an exit discharge not less than 20 feet (6096 mm) in width. The exit discharge to the public street shall be a minimum 20-foot-wide (6096 mm) right-of-way, unobstructed and maintained only as access to the public street. At least one required exit shall be located on the public street or on the exit discharge.

442.2 Separate means of egress systems required. Every room with an occupant load of 300 or more shall have one of its exits or exit-access doorways lead directly into a separate means of egress system that consists of not less than two paths of exit travel which are separated by a smoke barrier in accordance with Section 710 in such a manner to provide an atmospheric separation that precludes contamination of both paths of exit travel by the same fire. Not more than two required exits or exit-access doorways shall enter into the same means of egress system.

442.3 Fences and gates. School grounds may be fenced and gates therein may be equipped with locks, provided that safe dispersal areas based on 3 square feet (0.28 m2) per occupant are located between the school and the fence. Such required safe dispersal areas shall not be located less than 50 feet (15 240 mm) from school buildings.

Every public and private school shall conform with Section 32020 of the Education Code which states:

The governing board of every public school district, and the governing authority of every private school, which maintains any building used for the instruction or housing of school pupils on land entirely enclosed (except for building walls) by fences of walls, shall, through cooperation with the local law enforcement and fire-protection agencies having jurisdiction of the area, make provision for the erection of gates in such fences or walls. The gates shall be of sufficient size to permit the entrance of the ambulances, police equipment and fire-fighting apparatus used by the law enforcement and fire-protection agencies. There shall be no less than one such access gate and there shall be as many such gates as needed to assure access to all major buildings and ground areas. If such gates are to be equipped with locks, the locking devices shall be designed to permit ready entrance by the use of the chain or bolt-cutting devices with which the local law enforcement and fire-protection agencies may be equipped.

442.4 Special provisions. Rooms used by kindergarten, first-, or second-grade pupils, and Group E day care, shall not be located above or below the first story.

Exceptions:

1. Kindergarten, first-, or second-grade pupils, or day care may be located in basements or stories having floor levels located within 4 feet (1219 mm), measured vertically, from the adjacent ground level at the level of exit discharge, provided the basement or story has exterior exit doors at that level.2. In buildings equipped with an automatic sprinkler system throughout, rooms used for kindergarten, first- and second-grade children or for day-care purposes may be located on the second story, provided there are at least two exterior exit doors, or other egress systems complying with Section 1018 with two exits, for the exclusive use of such occupants. Egress systems for the exclusive use of such occupants shall be maintained until exit discharge at grade is attained.3. Group E day-care facilities may be located above the first story in buildings of Type I-A, Type I-B, Type II-A and Ill-A construction, subject to the limitation of Section 503 when:3.1. Facilities with children under the age of seven or containing more than 12 children per story shall not be located above the fourth floor; and3.2. The entire story in which the day-care facility is located is equipped with an approved manual fire alarm and smoke-detection system. Actuation of an initiating device shall sound an audible alarm throughout the entire story.

When a building fire alarm system is required by other provisions of this code, the alarm system shall be interconnected and sound the day-care fire alarm system; and3.3. The day-care facility, if more than 1,000 square feet (92.9 m2) in area, is divided into at least two compartments of approximately the same size by a smoke barrier in accordance with Section 710. In addition to the requirements of Section 508, occupancy separations between daycare and other occupancies shall be constructed as smoke barriers. Door openings in the smoke barrier shall be tight fitting, with gaskets installed as required by Section 715.4.3.1 and shall be automatic closing by actuation of the fire sprinklers, fire alarm or smoke detection system; and3.4. Each compartment formed by the smoke barrier has not less than two exits or exit-access doors, one of which is permitted to pass through the adjoining compartment, and3.5. At least one exit or exit-access door from the day-care facility shall be into a separate means of egress with not less than two paths of exit travel, which are separated in such a manner to provide an atmospheric separation.3.6. The building is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system throughout.442.5 Special hazards. School classrooms constructed after January 1, 1990, not equipped with automatic sprinkler systems, which have metal grilles or bars on all their windows and do not have at least two exit doors within 3 feet (914 mm) of each end of the classroom opening to the exterior of the building or to a common hallway used for evacuation purposes, shall have an inside release for the grilles or bars on at least one window farthest from the exit doors. The window or windows with the inside release shall be clearly marked as emergency exits.

442.5.1 Class I, II or III-A flammable liquids shall not be placed, stored or used in Group E occupancies, except in approved quantities as necessary in laboratories and classrooms and for operation and maintenance as set forth in the California Fire Code.

STATE INFORMATION


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## cda (Mar 22, 2013)

http://dpw.lacounty.gov/BSD/lib/fp/Building/Building%20Code%20Manuals/2011/BCM%20305.2%20A1%20-%20Day-Care%20Facilities%2010-19-11.pdf

someone from calif should reply soon

442.1 does say building and not classroom


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## knelson (Mar 22, 2013)

I may have found the forum through Google but don't remember for sure since I joined over a year ago.

Only three rooms are going to be used for daycare. The remaining are going to remain unused until they do a renovation in 8 years to turn the entire campus into an elementary school. The building is sprinklered.

The occupant load for each room ranges from 20 to 35, so two exits are required but no special high occupancy requirements.


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## knelson (Mar 22, 2013)

I like the chart. Much easier than bouncing back in forth between the code sections to see which applies. In this case, its the straightforward E occupancy since the kids are 3-5, less than 24 hour care, ambulatory, and more than 6 kids.


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## cda (Mar 22, 2013)

Not sure what the BO is seeing or thinking about

Are you able to post a floor plan


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## north star (Mar 22, 2013)

*~ ^ ~*

knelson,

Are there any Accessibility issues in the occupancy group upgrade,

or have the ADA/Accessibility requirements already been addressed ?



*~ ^ ~*


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## mark handler (Mar 22, 2013)

* There are sections requiring the items you identified, but not for the scenario you identified, you need to go over this with your BO*

30S.5.2 Child day-care facility.,,,more than six children under 2 years of age shall be classified as Group 1-4.

Exception: A child day care facility that provides care for more than six but no more than 100 children under 2 years of age, where the rooms in which the children are cared for are located on a level of exit discharge serving such rooms and each of these child care rooms has an exit door directly to the exterior, shall be classified as Group E.

1015.7.......Where basements are used for day-care purposes, one of the two required exits shall provide access directly to the exterior

without entering the first story.

1018.1 Construction.

Exceptions:

1. Afire-resistance rating is not required for corridors in an occupancy in Group E where each room that is used for instruction has at least one door opening directly to the exterior and rooms for assembly purposes have at least one-half of the required means of egress doors opening directly to the exterior. Exterior doors specified in this exception are required to be at ground level.


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## knelson (Mar 22, 2013)

We are addressing the accessibility issues as part of the work.


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## knelson (Mar 22, 2013)

Mark,

That's what I was finding. Just checking to see if there was something that I'd overlooked.


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## knelson (Mar 22, 2013)

We're using the existing drawings as the background and it doesn't seem to want to print correctly, so a portion of the building isn't showing up. All of the daycare classrooms are showing however.

View attachment 682


View attachment 682


/monthly_2013_03/BldgD.jpg.927ad1ade3cd01b8d8f954d3edf56c4e.jpg


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## cda (Mar 22, 2013)

You are so over compliant it is ridiculous

Let the man do his research and get back to you, take the weekend off


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## steveray (Mar 22, 2013)

30S.5.2 Child day-care facility.,,,more than six children under 2 years of age shall be classified as Group 1-4.

Exception: A child day care facility that provides care for more than six but no more than 100 children under 2 years of age, where the rooms in which the children are cared for are located on a level of exit discharge serving such rooms and each of these child care rooms has an exit door directly to the exterior, shall be classified as Group E.

Depending on # of kids and ages....you might be I4 unless you have those direct exits from the classrooms....Then you can keep it E....

FYI.......CT has amended this to 3yrs or less more than 6 but less than 100....


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## cda (Mar 22, 2013)

steveray said:
			
		

> 30S.5.2 Child day-care facility.,,,more than six children under 2 years of age shall be classified as Group 1-4.Exception: A child day care facility that provides care for more than six but no more than 100 children under 2 years of age, where the rooms in which the children are cared for are located on a level of exit discharge serving such rooms and each of these child care rooms has an exit door directly to the exterior, shall be classified as Group E.
> 
> Depending on # of kids and ages....you might be I4 unless you have those direct exits from the classrooms....Then you can keep it E....
> 
> FYI.......CT has amended this to 3yrs or less more than 6 but less than 100....


The sections quoted above should be the calif flavor


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