Quick Reference -Fire Fighting (Part-6)

January 22, 2024 3 Comments

 

Fire Fighting Clause (As per Gujarat Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Regulations, 2023)

Clause

 Head

Description
15.5.3

External Stairs:

 The external stairs shall be constructed of non- combustible materials and any doorway leading to it shall have the required fire resistance.
No external staircase, used as a fire escape, shall be inclined at an angle greater than 45° from the horizontal.
External stairs shall have straight flight not less than 1250 mm wide with 250 mm treads and risers not more than 190 mm. The number of risers shall be limited to 15 per flight.
Handrail s shall be of height not less than 700 mm and not exceeding 850 – 900 mm. There shall be provisions of balusters with maximum gap of 150 mm.
15.5.4

Horizontal Exit Door:

 A horizontal exit shall be equipped with at least one fire/smoke door of minimum 2 hour fire resistance of self-closing type. Further, it should have direct connectivity to the fire escape staircase for evacuation.
Doors in horizontal exits shall be open able at all times from both side
15.5.7

Exit Door ways

 Size: No exit doorway shall be less than 1000 mm in width except assembly buildings where door width shall be not less than 2000 mm.
Height: All doorways shall be not less than 2000 mm in heigh
Opening Direction: Exit doorways shall open outwards, that is, away from the room, but shall not obstruct the travel along any exit. No door, when opened, shall reduce the required width of stairway or landing to less than 900 mm. Overhead or sliding doors shall not be installed.
Exit door shall not open immediately upon a flight of stairs. A-landing equal to at least the width of the door (not less than 900mm) shall be provided in the stairway at each doorway,
The level of landing shall be the same as that of floor, which it serves. Manual door should incorporate kick plate 300 mm high to withstand impact of wheelchair footrest where doors are glazed. Door handle and locks should be positioned between 900-1000 mm from floor level.
Mirror: Mirrors shall not be placed in exit doors to avoid confusion regarding the direction of exit.
15.9 Corridors / Passageways & Stairs Case Flight: No flight shall contain more than 12 to 16 risers, but in residential buildings, in narrow plots and in high density Housing a single flight staircase may be permitted.
Risers: The maximum height of a riser shall be 190mm. in a residential building and 16 cm. in any other occupancy. However, on an internal stairway within a dwelling unit a riser may be 25 cm high.
Head room: The minimum head room in a passage under the landing of a staircase under the staircase shall be 2.2 meter.
Tread Width: The minimum width of tread without nosing shall be 250 mm for internal staircase of residential buildings, other than fire escapes. This shall be 300 mm for assembly, hotels, educational, institutional, business and other buildings. The treads be constructed and maintained in a manner to prevent slipping.
Hand Rail: Hand rail a minimum height of 0.9 meter from the center of the tread shall be provided.
Floor indicator: The number of each floor shall be conspicuously painted in figures at least 15 cm large on the wall facing the fight of a stairway or at such suitable place as is distinctly visible from the fights.
No Provision of Natural Ventilation : In case of any building having height more than 15 Meter and no provision of natural ventilation on either side of corridor, in such building, smoke exhaust system having make-up air and exhaust air system or alternatively, pressurization system with supply air system shall be required for the exit access corridors
15.8

Internal /Additional Staircases

 Around Lift Shaft: A staircase shall not be provided around a lift shaft unless provided with fire stop door of 1 hour rating at every floor level and no other openings in the inside walls
NO Services pass from Staircase: No gas piping, electrical panels& appliances or AC ducts shall be allowed in the stairway. However, service shafts/ ducts may be permitted. Electrical Shafts/ ducts shall have not less than2-hour fire resistance. For other service shafts/ ducts, the fire resistance shall be not less than 1 hour.
Electrical Meter: Electric meters shall not be located below the staircase or along the exit route. Electric meters room shall be adequately ventilated & easily accessible
Cooler Band : All steps, edges must have a contrasting color band of 50 mm width stretched entirely across the step width for uses other than residential use.
Hand Rail: Continuous handrails shall be provided on both sides including the wall (if any) at two levels: upper at 850 mm – 900 mm and lower at 700 mm to be measured from the base of the middle of the treads to the top of handrails. Balusters/ Railing shall be provided in such a way that the width of staircase does not reduce. The maximum gap between balusters shall be 150 mm.
Min Head Room: The minimum headroom in a passage under the landing of a staircase and the stair shall be 2.2 meter.
Lift Opening: Lifts shall not open in staircase.
Single Staircase: In case of single staircase, it shall terminate at the ground floor level and the access to the basement shall be by a separate staircase.
Exit Signages: The exit way with arrow indicating the way to the escape route shall be provided at a height of 1.8 meter from the floor level on the wall and shall be illuminated by electric light connected to corridor circuits. All exit way marking signs should be flush with the wall and so designed that no mechanical damage shall occur to them due to moving of furniture or other heavy – equipment. Further,
Landing Floor Signages: All landings of floor shall have floor indicating the number of floors as per byelaws. The floor indication board shall be placed on the wall immediately facing the flight of stairs and nearest to the landing. It shall be of size not less than 0.5 m x 0.5 m.
Width of Staircase: Residential building, Hotel building, educational building, Institutional buildings, (i.e., hospital), Mercantile, business, storage industrial, hazardous, buildings
Height up to 25 Meter: 1.2 Meter
Height > 25 Meter: 2 Meter
Assembly buildings :2 Meter
External Exit Door: External exit door of staircase enclosure at ground level shall open directly to the open spaces.
17 /18

Staircase

 Buildings of Height more than 15 meters up to 25 meters: If the lifts and staircase from higher floors go directly to the basement then this area shall be protected by 1 hour fire resistance construction including fire doors subject to opinion and requirement of local fire authority in specially designed building have to be considered and observed.
Buildings of Height more than 25 meters up to 45 meters: For Buildings up to 45 meters (excluding parapet wall, lift and stair cabin, OH tank) & each floor area more than 3000 sq. meters– ventilated from two sides/cross ventilated/external staircases connected through a lobby-travel distance not to exceed 25 meters.
Buildings of Height more than 25 meters up to 45 meters: If the lift and staircase from higher floors go directly to the basements then this area shall be protected by 2 hours fire resistant construction including fire doors.
Buildings of Height more than 45 meters up to 70 meters: For more than 45 meters (excluding parapet wall, lift and stair cabin, OH tank) & each floor area more than 3000 sq. meters– ventilated from two sides/cross ventilated/external staircases connected through a lobby-travel distance not to exceed 25 meters.
Buildings of Height more than 45 meters up to 70 meters: Width of staircase shall be 2 meters width for all buildings.
Buildings of Height more than 45 meters up to 70 meters: The staircase shall be of RCC construction & ventilated and shall be kept open except the parapet wall, all the space above the parapet wall shall be kept open.

15.18

Ventilation:

 All enclosures should have openable windows and vents to be opened in case of fire or smoke accumulation.
Centrally Air Condition: If the floor or the building is centrally air-conditioned then a provision to stop the air handling unit should be provided and it shall be blocked by a damper and the same air duct should act as smoke extractors with the extraction fan switching on automatically, if a fire or smoke is detected
Ventilation from the Top and Skylight etc.: – Where an open well for light and ventilation, within the space enclosed by a stairway and its landings, is proposed to be provided, the least horizontal dimensions of which are equal to two times the width of the staircase. A ventilating skylight with provided fixed or movable louvers to the satisfaction of the competent Authority. The glazed roof of the skylight shall not be less than 3.7 sq. meters  in area. No lift or any other fixture shah be erected in such staircase well.
17 /1 8 /19 Ventilation: Buildings of Height more than 15 meters up to 70 meters:  If a centrally located staircase is provided with pressurization and fire-resistant doors, the central staircase shall be in addition to the ventilated staircases require for the floor area, maintaining the travel distance.
Buildings of Height more than 45 meters up to 70 meters: The staircase shall be designed/ located at the exterior part of the building. If the staircase is in the center of the building and is not ventilated then a fire escape staircase (fire tower) has to be installed on either side of the building with travel distance not more than 30 meters.
Ventilation of stair-cases: Every stair case provided under the foregoing clauses shall be lighted and ventilated to the satisfaction of the Authority from an open-air space not less than 1 sq.mt.
Windows in stair-case Bay: There shall be provided a window or windows of an aggregate area of at least 1.2 sq. meters on each storey in such of the wall of the stair-case room which abuts on such 1 sq.mt. open air space to right and ventilate such staircase.
15.21 Air Conditioning Return Air: Escape routes like staircases, common corridors, lift lobbies, etc., shall not be used as return air passage.
Ducting Gauge: The ducting shall be constructed of substantial gauge metal as per IS: 655- Specification for Metal Air Ducts.
Duct Passing through Floor: Wherever the ducts pass through firewalls or floors, the opening around the ducts shall be sealed with materials having fire resistance rating of the compartment.
Duct Insulation Material :The materials used for insulating the duct system (inside or outside) shall be of non-combustible material. Glass wool shall not be wrapped or secured by any material of combustible nature.
Fire Damper / Smoke Detector: Proper arrangements by way of automatic fire dampers, working on fusible link/or smoke detector principle for isolating all ducting at every floor from the main riser, shall be made.
AHU :The air-handling units shall be separate for each floor and air ducts for every floor shall be
separate and in no way interconnected with the ducting of any other floor.
If the air-handling unit serves more than one floor, the conditions given below shall be complied in addition to the recommendations above.
AHU in case of Fire: When the automatic fire alarm operates, the respective air-handling units of the air-conditioning system shall automatically be switched off.
Plenum for Return Air: Where plenum is used for return air passage, ceiling and its fixtures shall be of non-combustible material.
15.25 Fire Control Room Building height having more than 45 Meter and Floor area 3000 sq. meter and more on each floor:  There shall be a control room on the entrance floor of the building with communication system (suitable public address system) to all floors and facilities for receiving the message from different floors. Details of all floor plans along with the details of firefighting equipment and installations shall be displayed in the fire control room.
The fire control room shall also have facilities to detect the fire on any floor through indicator board’s connection; fire detection and alarm system on all floors.
The fire staff in charge of the fire control room shall be responsible for maintenance of the various services and the firefighting equipment and installations in coordination with security, electrical and civil staff of the building.
15.28 Basement The staircase of basements shall be of enclosed type having fire resistance of not less than 2 hours and shall be situated at the periphery of the basement to be entered at ground level only from the open air and in such position that smoke from any fire in the basement shall not obstruct any exit serving the ground and upper storey of the building. It shall communicate with basement through a lobby provided with fire resisting self-closing doors of one hour resistance. If the travel distance exceeds the desired level, additional staircases shall be provided at proper places. The basement shall not open in to the staircase or lift well directly. If so then it has to be protected by 2 hours fire resistant self-closing doors,
Ventilation: The basement shall be provided with natural ventilations and more than one basement shall have mechanical extractors for smoke venting shall be designed to permit 6 changes per hour in case of fire or distress call. For normal operations, air changes schedule shall be as per National Building Code of India.
Discharge apparatus of all natural draft smoke vents shall be so arranged as to be readily accessible for opening by fire service person.
Use of basement for kitchen shall not be permitted. Building services such as, boiler rooms in basement shall comply with the provisions of the IE Act/ Rules.
The basement of 200 sq. meters or more shall be protected with provisions of Part 4 National Building Code of India
Each basement shall be separately ventilated. First basement to be naturally ventilated @ 2.5% of the ceiling area. Other basements shall be mechanically ventilated
15.14 Uses Permitted in Basement For all buildings: For Parking, safe deposit vault, A.C. Plant, Grey water treatment plant,
Sewage Treatment Plant, water tank, storage other than inflammable material, non-habitable use.
For Hospitals exceeding 2000 Sq. meter of built-up area: For Radiation-production device, Radiation Therapy room, MRI or X-Ray room, laundry and housekeeping.
For Malls and/or exceeding 2000 Sq. meter of built-up area:   For Security Cabin, Electric Cabin, General room, boiler room, laundry, housekeeping, store, lockers, rest room and communication room separated by brick masonry walls of at least 230 cm.
Total cumulative built-up area for above listed usage shall not exceed 25% of the basement area. However, no kind of any transformer shall be permitted in cellar / basement or within the building.
15.27 Refuge Area Building Height up to 25 Meter : Minimum area of 15 m2 on external wall with minimum width of 0.75 m at every 18 meter height for floor area up to 1000 m2. If floor areal 1000 m2, another Refuge Area on another end of the floor.
Building Height 25 to 39 Meter : One refuge area on the floor immediately above 25 meter.
Building Height above 39 Meter : One refuge area on the floor immediately above 39 meter and so on after every 15 meter
Note:- Residential flats in multistorey buildings with balcony need not be provided with refuge area, however flats without balcony shall be provided with refuge area as given above.
15.32 Fire Check Floor/ Fire Cut OFF Floor High-rise building height more than 70 meter : shall be provided with fire check floor (entire floor) above 70 meter at immediate habitable floor level. Periphery of the Fire Check floor shall not be enclosed The fire check floor shall not be used for any purpose   and it shall be maintain the same clean and free of  encumbrances and encroachments at all times.
Drinking water facility and toilet facility shall be provided.
15.33 Glass facades No glass facades shall be permitted in School and Hospital buildings
The distance between building structure and glass facade must not be more than 300 mm
To restrict spread of fire, there must be an automatic water curtain system on each floor.
No glass façade shall be permitted at the external face of the staircase.
Every floor must have a two-way opening measuring 1.5 meter×1.5 meter in the wall, as access points for rescue workers. They must properly label as “Emergency Exit.
Glass facade for high rise building shall be of 1 hour fire resistance.

 

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