§ 272 — Additional requirements for all buildings

§ 272. Additional requirements for all buildings. No factory shall be\nconducted in any building unless such building shall be so constructed,\nequipped and maintained in all respects as to afford adequate protection\nagainst fire to all persons employed therein, nor unless in addition to\nthe provisions of sections two hundred and seventy and two hundred and\nseventy-one such buildings shall conform to the following requirements:\n 1. Access to exits. Every exit shall be maintained in an unobstructed\ncondition. Safe and continuous passageways with an unobstructed width of\nat least three feet throughout their length and leading directly to\nevery exit including fire escapes and passenger elevators shall be\nmaintained at all times on every floor of the building.\n 2. Stairways. Stairways shall be provided with proper hand rails.\nWhere the stairway is enclosed by fireproof partitions the bottom of the\nenclosure shall be of fireproof material at least four inches thick,\nunless such partitions extend to the cellar bottom. If safe egress may\nbe had from the roof to an adjacent structure all stairways serving as\nrequired exits and extending to the top story shall be continued to the\nroof.\n 3. Doors and windows. No door leading into or out of any factory or\nany floor thereof shall be locked, bolted or fastened during working\nhours. No door on any floor shall be obstructed by metal bars, grating\nor wire mesh. Metal bars, grating or wire mesh provided for any window\nor other opening shall be so constructed as to be readily movable or\nremovable from the inside so as to afford free and unobstructed use\nthereof as a means of egress and they shall be left unlocked during\nworking hours. Every door opening on a stairway or other exit shall open\nfrom both sides so as not to obstruct passage. Doors opening directly to\nthe street or to yard or open area, may be provided with panic bolts of\nan approved type.\n 4. Exit signs. An exit sign shall be placed over all openings leading\nto stairways and other exits. Such sign shall be legible and visible in\naccordance with rules, regulations or requirements established by the\nState of New York Board of Standards and Appeals.\n 5. Vertical openings. All vertical openings leading from one floor to\nanother, except one created by a mezzanine floor, shall be enclosed by\nfire-proof or fire-resistive materials and ventilated in a manner\nconforming to rules adopted by the board.\n 6. Floors. Floors in buildings more than one and less than five\nstories in height erected after October first, nineteen hundred thirteen\nand in all buildings erected prior thereto shall be so constructed or\nprovided with a protective ceiling as to have a fire-resistive rating of\nat least one hour. This subdivision shall not apply where factory\nbuildings are provided throughout with an automatic fire extinguishing\nsystem approved in the city of New York by the fire commissioner in such\ncity and elsewhere by the commissioner.\n 7. Regulations by board. The board may adopt rules and establish\nrequirements and standards for construction, equipment and maintenance\nof factory buildings or of particular classes thereof and the means and\nadequacy of exit therefrom in order to carry out the purposes of this\nchapter, alternative or in addition to the requirements of this article,\nand not inconsistent with the spirit thereof.\n