§ 273 — Fire-escapes erected after October first, nineteen hundred and thirteen, on buildings theretofore erected

§ 273. Fire-escapes erected after October first, nineteen hundred and\nthirteen, on buildings theretofore erected. All outside fire-escapes\nerected after October first, nineteen hundred and thirteen, on buildings\ntheretofore erected and serving as required exits shall conform to the\nfollowing requirements:\n 1. They shall be built of wrought iron or steel and shall be so\ndesigned, constructed and erected as to safely sustain on all platforms,\nbalconies and stairways a live load of not less than ninety pounds per\nsquare foot with a factor of safety of four.\n 2. Whenever practicable a continuous run or straight run stairway\nshall be built.\n 3. All openings leading thereto shall have an unobstructed width of at\nleast two feet and an unobstructed height of at least six feet. Such\nopenings shall extend to the floor level or within six inches thereof,\nshall be not more than seven inches above the floor of the fire-escape\nbalcony and shall be provided with fire doors, except in buildings five\nstories or under in height complying with the provisions of subdivisions\nfive and six of section two hundred and seventy-four.\n 4. All windows opening upon the course of the fire-escape shall be\nfireproof windows.\n 5. On every floor above the first there shall be a balcony firmly\nfastened to the building and embracing one or more easily accessible and\nunobstructed openings. The balconies shall have a width of at least four\nfeet throughout their length and shall have a landing not less than\ntwenty-four inches square at the head of every stairway. There shall be\na passageway between the stairway opening and the side of the building\nat least eighteen inches wide throughout except where the stairways\nreach and leave the balconies at the ends or where double run stairways\nare used. The stairway openings of the balconies shall be of a size\nsufficient to provide clear headway and shall be guarded on the long\nside by an iron railing not less than three feet in height. Each balcony\nshall be surrounded by an iron railing not less than three feet in\nheight properly braced.\n 6. The balconies shall be connected by stairways not less than\ntwenty-two inches wide placed at an incline of not more than forty-five\ndegrees, with steps of not less than eight-inch tread and not over\neight-inch rise and provided with a handrail not less than three feet\nabove the treads. The treads of such stairways shall be so constructed\nas to sustain a live load of four hundred pounds per step with a factor\nof safety of four.\n 7. There shall be a similar stairway from the top floor balcony to the\nroof, except where the fire-escape is erected on the front of the\nbuilding.\n 8. A similar stairway shall also be provided from the lowest balcony\nto a safe landing place beneath, which stairway shall remain down\npermanently or be arranged to swing up and down automatically by\ncounter-balancing weights.\n 9. When not erected on the front of the building, safe and\nunobstructed egress shall be provided from the foot of the fire-escape\nby means of an open court or courts or a fireproof passageway having an\nunobstructed width of at least three feet throughout, leading to the\nstreet, or by means of an open area having communication with the\nstreet. Such fireproof passageway shall be adequately lighted at all\ntimes and the lights shall be so arranged as to insure their reliable\noperation when through accident or other cause the regular factory\nlighting is extinguished.\n