Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0250, 0250-04, ch. 0250-04-05, 0250-4-5-.13, app A

Current through January 8, 2025
Appendix A - LIFE SAFETY CODE 101

Section 11-1. General Requirements

11-11 Occupant Load and Exit Capacity

11-111 Occupant Load

11-111.* The occupant load of residential occupancies in number of persons for whom exits are to be provided except in 1- and 2-family dwellings shall be determined on the basis of 1 person per 200 square feet gross floor area, or the maximum probably population of any room or section under consideration, whichever is greater. The occupant load of any open mezzanine or balcony shall be added to the occupant load of the floor below for the purpose of determining exit capacity.

11-112. Capacity of Exits

11-1121. Exits, arranged as specified elsewhere in this Section of the Code, shall be sufficient to provide for the load in numbers of persons as determined in accordance with 11-11 11, on the following basis:

(a) Doors, including those 3 risers or 24 inches above or below ground level. Class-A ramps and horizontal exits - 100 persons per unit of exit width.
(b) Stairs and other types of exits not included in (a) above - 75 persons per unit of exit width.

11-113. Maintenance of Exits.

11-1131. No door in any means of egress shall be locked against egress when the building is occupied.

SECTION 11-14. Dormitories

11-41. General

11-4111. Any dormitory complying with all the requirements for hotels may be accepted as such in which case the following provisions of Section 11-4 will not be applicable.

11-4112. Any dormitory divided into suites of rooms, with l or more bedrooms opening into a living room or study which has a door opening into a common corridor serving a number of suites, shall be classed as an apartment building. As such, the dormitory shall be subject to all requirements of Section 11-3, and the following provisions of Section 11-4 will not be applicable.

Exception: The requirements of 11-4331 shall apply.

11-42. Exit Details

11-421. Types and Capacity of Exits

II -4211. Exits of the same types and capacities as required for hotels (see 1-22) shall be provided.

Exception: Each street floor door shall be sufficient to provide 1 unit of exit width for each 50 persons capacity of the street floor, plus 1 unit for each unit of required stairway width discharging through the street floor.

11-4212. Travel distance, access to exits, lighting and signs in dormitories shall comply with the following:

11-4221. Exits shall be so arranged that it will not be necessary to travel more than 100 feet from any point or 150 feet in a building protected by automatic sprinklers in accordance with section 6-4, to reach the nearest outside door or stair, nor to traverse more than a 1-story flight of inside, unenclosed stairs.

11-425. Access to Exits

11-4251. Any dormitory not otherwise covered under 11-41-11 and 11-4112 shall have exits so arranged that from any sleeping room or open dormitory sleeping area there will be access to 2 separate and distinct exits in different directions with no common path of travel.

Exception: One means of exit may be accepted where the room or space is subject to occupancy by not more than 10 persons and has a door opening directly to the outside of the building at street or ground level or to an outside stairway.

11-424. Lighting and Signs

11-4241. Every dormitory shall have lighting in accordance with Section 5-10.

11-4242. Any dormitory, subject to occupancy by more than 100 persons, shall have emergency lighting in accordance with Section 5-10 and exit signs in accordance with Section 5.11.

11-43. Protection

11-431. Protection of Vertical Openings

11-4311. Every exit stair and other vertical opening shall be enclosed or protected in accordance with Section 6-1.

Exception No. 1: In existing buildings not more than two stories in height or any type of construction, unprotected openings may be permitted by the authority having jurisdiction if the building is protected by automatic sprinklers in accordance with Section 6-4.

Exception No. 2: If every sleeping room or area has direct access to an outside exit without the necessity of passing through any corridor or other space exposed to any unprotected openings may be permitted by the authority having jurisdiction.

11-432. Interior Finish

11-4321. All interior finish of dormitories shall be Class A or B in exits, in lobbies and in corridors, and Class A, B, or C elsewhere, in accordance with Section 6-2.

11-433. Alarm Systems

11-4331. Every dormitory shall have a manual fire alarm system in accordance with Section 6-3.

Exception No. 1: Buildings equipped with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 6-4.

Exception No. 2: Buildings equipped with an automatic fire detection system in accordance with Section 6-3.

11-44. Building Service Equipment

11-441. Air Conditioning and Ventilation

11-4411. Every air conditioning installation shall comply with Chapter 7.

11-4412. Transoms shall not be installed in partitions of sleeping rooms in new buildings. In existing buildings transoms shall be fixed in the closed position and shall be covered or otherwise protected to provide a fire-resistance rating at least equivalent to that of the wall in which they are installed.

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0250, 0250-04, ch. 0250-04-05, 0250-4-5-.13, app A