3.4.7.

(1) Except as permitted by Sentence (2), fire escapes shall not be erected on a building.

(2) If it is impracticable to provide one or more of the exit facilities listed in Article 3.4.1.4., fire escapes conforming to Articles 3.4.7.2. to 3.4.7.7. are permitted to serve floor areas in an existing building provided the floor areas served are,

(a) not in an elementary or secondary school,

(b) not more than 2 storeys above ground level in care or detention occupancies, and

(c) not more than 5 storeys above ground level in other occupancies.

(1) Fire escapes shall be of metal or concrete, of the stair type extending to ground level, constructed throughout in a strong substantial manner and securely fixed to the building, except that wooden fire escapes are permitted to be used on buildings of combustible construction if all posts and brackets are not less than 89 mm in their least dimension and all other woodwork is not less than 38 mm in its least dimension.

(1) Access to fire escapes shall be from corridors through doors at floor level, except that access from a dwelling unit is permitted to be through a casement window having an unobstructed opening not less than 1 100 mm high by 550 mm wide with a sill height of not more than 900 mm above the inside floor.

(2) The clear area of a fire escape balcony onto which a door opens, shall be not less than 1 m².

(1) If a fire escape serves any storey above the second, openings located in a zone described in Sentence (2), including access doorways in the exterior walls of the building to which the fire escape is attached, shall be protected by closures conforming to Subsection 3.1.8.

(2) The zone referred to in Sentence (1) extends from any balcony, platform or stairway of a fire escape to a distance,

(a) 3 m horizontally,

(b) 10 m below, and

(c) 1 800 mm above.

(1) Stairs shall be inclined at an angle of not more than 45° with the horizontal, and their steps shall have risers not more than 210 mm high and treads not less than 220 mm wide exclusive of nosing.

(2) Stairway headroom shall be not less than 1 950 mm plus the height of one riser measured vertically above the nosing of any tread or platform.

(3) The width of a fire escape shall conform to Articles 3.4.3.1., 3.4.3.2.v1, and 3.4.3.4., except that the width is permitted to be reduced to 550 mm provided the fire escape serves,

(a) not more than 3 storeys, and

(b) not more than 15 persons.

(4) If a flight of stairs leading to the ground at the foot of a fire escape is not fixed in position, it shall,

(a) be held in the raised position without a latch or locking device,

(b) be fitted with a counterbalancing device,

(c) be easily and quickly brought into position for use, and

(d) reach the ground in the lowered position.

(1) The open sides of every platform, balcony and stairway forming part of a fire escape shall be protected by guards not less than 920 mm high measured vertically above the nosing of any tread or platform.

(2) The top rail of a guard is permitted to serve as a handrail if it is free from obstructions that could break a handhold.

(3) A wall handrail shall be installed if the fire escape is more than 550 mm wide.

(4) Openings through any guard that is required by Sentence (1) shall be of a size that will prevent the passage of a sphere having a diameter more than 100 mm unless it can be shown that the location and size of openings that exceed this limit do not represent a hazard.

(5) Unless it can be shown that the location and size of openings do not present a hazard, a guard for a fire escape shall be designed so that no member, attachment or opening located between 140 mm and 900 mm above a platform or the nosing of any tread will facilitate climbing.

(1) Platforms for a fire escape shall be provided in conformance with the requirements for stair landings in Article 3.4.6.3.