SECTION 1 - FIRE & PEOPLE

UNIT 4 - OCCUPANCY TYPES AND MEANS OF EGRESS

UNIT GOAL
To introduce the student to the different types of occupancy use groups, occupancy loads, and how
emergency exits are designed

UNIT OBJECTIVES
The Student by the End of the Semester Shall:
• Identify Nine [9] Types of Occupancy Use Groups as Mentioned in NFPA Std 101
• Identify the Three Classifications of Hazard Contents
• Define the Following Terms
• Exit Access
• Exit
• Exit Discharge
• Means of Egress
• Demonstrate How to Determine the Occupancy Load of a Given Type Occupancy

KEY TERMS
Life Safety Code Exit Access
Occupancy Use Group Exit
High-Rise Building Exit Discharge
Means of Egress Floor Area, Gross
Floor Area, Net

Introduction
People tend to gather in groups to perform social and work related functions. Any time a number of
persons are brought together their safety must be considered. In the fire protection field we have used
this concept to classify different types of occupancy uses in several broad categories to better design
adequate fire protection measures.

When a fire occurs it is important to have all persons safely exit the building. History has shown us that
when this does not occur great tragedies tend to happen. It is important to understand what the proper
ways are to exit a building.

In this unit we will discuss the different types of occupancies that are classified in fire protection
standards. Also discussed will be how fire exits are defined and what constitutes a proper emergency
exit.

Occupancy Use Groups

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Use groups are the most significant factor in design of a building . They should be first consideration
during inspection They help determine
• Building height and area
• Type of construction
• Built-in fire protection systems
• Means of egress features

Information is based on National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 101, The Life Safety
Code. This was developed as a direct result of the “Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911". After the
“Coconut Grove Fire of 1942" major changes to the code appeared. This code is enforced on a local
level by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) [ usually the construction or fire code official]. A
broad definition is a person or office enforcing the building and / or fire code.

Occupancy use groups are a method of combining similar types occupancies into use groups for the
purposes of enforcing the code. The Occupancy Use Groups mentioned in the Life Safety Code are the
following:
Assembly
all buildings or portions of buildings used for gathering together of 50 or more persons for such
purposes as deliberation, worship, entertainment, eating, drinking, amusement, or awaiting
transportation.

Types
• assembly halls
• courtrooms
• dance halls
• drinking establishments
• motion picture theaters
• college or university classrooms, 50 persons or over
• places of worship
• restaurants

House large groups of people who may be unfamiliar with layout

Educational
Use for educational purposes through the 12th grade by six or more persons for four or more hours per
day or more than 12 hours per week
• house large number of young people
• may also include day-care facilities of any occupant load

Institutional
For those with limited capacity for self-preservation, age, medical condition, or confinement. Some
code organizations classify as health care and detention/correctional
Health Care
Occupancies used for purposes such as medical or other treatment or care of persons suffering from
physical or mental illness, disease, or infirmity, and for the care of all infants, convalescents, or infirm
aged persons
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Types
• hospitals
• nursing homes

Occupants are immobile, debilitated, or handicapped

Detention/Correctional
used to house individuals under varied degrees of restraint or security and are occupied by persons who
are mostly incapable of self-preservation because of security measures not under the occupants control

Types
• adult and juvenile substance abuse centers
• adult correctional institutions
• juvenile detention facilities

Similar problems of health care facilities. Concerns are security, staff training, population served

Residential
Occupancies where sleeping accommodations are provided for normal residential purposes and include
all buildings designed to provide sleeping accommodations

Types
• hotels, motels
• apartment buildings
• rooming houses
• one- and two- family dwellings
• board and care facilities

Occupant may be asleep. Special concern for boarding and care facilities

Mercantile
Includes stores, markets, and other rooms, buildings, or structures for the display and sale of
merchandise

Types
• department stores
• drugstore
• shopping centers
• supermarkets

Similar to assembly, house large groups of people who may be unfamiliar with area

Business
Use for the transactions of business [other than that covered by mercantile], for keeping accounts and
records, and for similar purposes

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Types
• city halls
• college university instructional buildings, classrooms under 50 persons
• courthouses
• dentists’ office
• general offices
• town halls

Occupants more familiar with area, but they may have confusing layouts

Industrial
Includes factories making products of all kinds and properties devoted to operations such as processing,
assembling, mixing, packaging, finishing or decorating, and repairing

Types
• dry-cleaning plants
• factories of all kinds
• power plants
• refineries
• food processing plants
• telephone exchanges

Occupancies may have high fuel loads and perform industrial processes

Storage
This includes all buildings or structures utilized primarily for storage or sheltering of goods,
merchandise, products, vehicles, or animals

Types
• barns
• bulk oil storage
• freight terminals
• parking structures
• truck and marine terminals

Many occupancies can have a high fuel load, but typically with a low population

High hazard
Based on exceeding threshold of material

Types
• H-1 detonation
• H-2 deflagration
• H-3 physical hazard
• H-4 health hazard
• H-5 HPM/semiconductor manufacturing
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Once the occupancy type is determined the inspections of building becomes clearer. Occupancy types
determine the following fire safety requirements in a structure
• Fire Suppression and Detection Devices
• Fire Rated Assemblies
• Occupant Load
• Number of Exits
• Type of Interior Finish
• Type of Construction
• Height and Area of Structure

Determining Occupant Load

Once a structure or building has had its use group determined it is important to determine how many
people can safely occupy the building or structure. This information can be found in the Life Safety
Code or in any of the model building codes. Occupant loads can be determined by several ways.
• By determining the square footage of the structure and calculating by a factor
• By determining the number of exits and calculating how many people can safely exit the
building through that exit.
• Occupant Loads based on the number of exits are generally based on the following.
• Under 500 persons requires a minimum of 2 exits
• 500 persons to 1,000 persons requires a minimum of 3 exits
• more than 1,000 persons requires a minimum of 4 exits
• These exits should be as remote as possible from one another

Methods of Determining Occupant Load

First there are several definitions that need to be understood these are
1. Floor Area, Gross - The floor area within the inside perimeter of the outside walls of the
building under consideration with no deduction for hallways, stairs, closets, thickness of interior
walls, columns, or other features.
2. Floor Area, Net - Net floor area shall be the actual occupied area, not including accessory
unoccupied areas or thickness of walls.

The Life Safety Code allows two methods of determining occupant load
3. Floor area Method
4. Unit of Exit Width Method

The Life Safety Code requires that a maximum density of 5 square feet per person be provided. In
assembly areas [places where people are waiting to be seated the area for each person can be 3 square
feet as long as the areas of egress are not occupied for an extended period of time

Floor Area Method

This is based on the floor area in square feet of the particular occupancy [Assembly, Educational,
Business, etc.]. The floor area [net or gross] is divided by area per occupant that is allowed for based on
the type of occupancy [Assembly, Educational, etc.]

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Example # 1 of Floor area Method
How many persons can occupy 100 feet by 150 feet area in business use occupancy?
• Multiply 100 ft. By 150 ft. = 15,000 ft2
• NFPA 101 determines that the floor area per person for a business occupancy is 100 ft2
gross.[SEE TABLE 1]
• Use the formula listed above and divide 15,000 ft2 by 100 ft2
• The answer is 150 persons can occupy this area in a business use group

Example # 2 of Floor area Method

How many persons can occupy 100 feet by 150 feet area in an assembly use group less concentrated
without fixed seating?
• Multiply 100 ft. By 150 ft. = 15,000 ft2
• NFPA 101 determines that the floor area per person for a assembly use group less concentrated
without fixed seating is 15 ft2 net.[SEE TABLE 1]
• Use the formula listed above and divide 15,000 ft2 by 100 ft2
• The answer is 1,000 persons can occupy this area in an assembly use group

TABLE 1 - OCCUPANT LOAD FACTORS

Use Sq Ft [Floor Area]
Assembly
Less concentrated use
without fixed seating 15 net
Concentrated use without
fixed seating 7 net
Waiting space 3 net
Library - stack areas 100 gross
Library - reading areas 50 net
Mercantile
Street floor and sales basement 30 gross
Multiple street floors - each 40 gross
Other floors 60 gross
Storage, shipping 300 gross

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Educational
Classroom area 20 net
Shops and other vocational areas 50 net
Day-care centers 35 net
Business (offices), industrial 100 gross
Hotel and apartment 200 gross
Health care
Sleeping departments 120 gross
Inpatient treatment departments 240 gross
Detention and correctional 120 gross
These figures, based on counts of typical buildings, represent the average maximum density of
occupancy.

Unit of Exit Width Method

This is based on the maximum number persons the existing building exits are designed to
accommodate. A single unit of exit width is 22 inches [based on the average shoulder width of a World
War I soldier]. The Life Safety Code designate 12 inches as ½ unit of exit width. Since most typical
door [exitways] are 34 inches or 1 ½ units of exit width. The Life Safety Code states that in new
buildings each door opening must be at least 32 inches wide, and in existing buildings the width must be
at least 28 inches wide.

Example of the Unit of Exit Width Method

What is the occupant load for a business use occupancy with 2 exits
• A business use occupancy unit of exit [22 inches] with allows 100 people to exit [This
information is found in the NFPA Life Safety Code]
• Each door is 1 ½ units wide [34 inches], so 150 people can exit through a single
exit [100 people x 1 ½ units = 150 persons]
• Since there are 2 exits in the occupancy a total of 300 persons can exit from the
building using the exits [2 exits x 150 persons]
• Based on this the occupant load can be 300 persons

A third method is to just count the existing exits in the building. If the building has three exits the
maximum number of persons allowed in the building is 1,000. This method is a “quick and dirty
“method for determining occupant load

Occupancies shall be classified by the AHJ. Some may have multiple occupancies in a single structure,
such as:
• High-rise Occupancies
• Defined - More than 75 feet in height, measured from the lowest level of fire department
vehicle access
• Covered Malls

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Classification of Hazard Contents
Classification of occupancies can be also based on the hazard of the contents, in other words how
dangerous is it when it burns. Some occupancies may have a very low life hazard, but the fire hazard
may be extreme. Some examples are:
• Flammable liquid storage warehouse
• Ammunition Dump

Classification of Hazard Contents

• Low hazard - low combustibility that no self-propagating fire therein can occur
• Examples are - Classrooms, churches
• Ordinary hazard - those likely to burn with moderate rapidity or give off a considerable volume
of smoke
• High Hazard - those likely to burn with extreme rapidity or from which explosions are likely
• Flammable liquid storage warehouse
• Ammunition Dump

Means of Egress
Means of egress basics
The means of egress is separated into three parts
• Exit access
• Exit
• Exit discharge

This is necessary because the code provisions for each part are very different

Designing the means of egress

Basic steps are used to first is to determine the design occupant load. That determines the number and
capacity of exits. Next the maximum travel distance is determined. Next is the exit remoteness, this
balances travel distance; we don’t want all the exits too close to each other. Next is the providing of
minimum ratings for enclosures such as stairways. Door size and direction of swing are next and
locking and latching, which must not be complicated follow. Other considerations are adequate lighting
of the walking surface and adequate identification with exit signs

Definitions
Exit access
“That portion of a means of egress system that leads from any occupied portion of a building or
structure to an exit.”. The exit access extends from any point in the building to exterior door or
dedicated, rated enclosure that leads to an exterior door or to a horizontal exit

Exit
“That portion of a means of egress system which is separated from other interior spaces of a building or
structure by fire-resistance-rated construction and opening protectives as required to provide a protected
path of egress travel between the exit access and the exit discharge.”.

The exit may only be the thickness of the exterior door or may be an unlimited distance, such as, stair

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towers or exit passages in malls. Don’t confuse with rated corridors

Exit discharge
“That portion of a means of egress system between the termination of an exit and a public way.”. The
exit discharge permits occupants to safely make their way to the sidewalk, street, alley, or other publicly
owned area.

Public way
“A street alley or other parcel of land open to the outside air leading to a street, that has been deeded,
dedicated or otherwise permanently appropriated to the public for public use and which has a clear
width and height of not less than 10 feet.”.

Horizontal exit
“A path of egress travel from one building to an area in another building on approximately the same
level, or a path of egress travel through or around a wall or partition to an area on approximately the
same level in the same building, which affords safety from fire and smoke from the area of incidence
and areas communicating therewith.”.

Means of Egress Design

Six steps are used
Step #1 – determine the design occupant load
• Theoretical number of people who will occupy the space
• Factors from tables in code

Step #2 – determine the number of exits

• One exit permitted in certain cases
• Typically 50 or fewer persons and short travel distance
• Business or residential uses
• Two exits – up to 500 persons
• Three exits – 501 to 1,000 persons
• Four exits – over 1,000 persons

Step #3 – separation of exits or exit remoteness

• Based on the shape of the room or space
• Reduces possibility that one incident could block more than one exit

Step #4 – travel distance within the exit access

• Nonsprinklered short distance
• Sprinklered will be longer distance
• Sprinklered with feet roof vents extended for F and S uses
• High hazard uses shortest distance
• Common path of travel, “The portion of exit access that must be traversed before two separate
and distinct paths of travel to two exits are available”

Step #5 – capacity of means of egress components

• Size or width of doors, ramps, corridors, passageways
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• Design occupant load x factor

Step #6 – minimum sizes of means of egress components

• 50 persons or fewer, 36" for corridors, passageways, ramps, and stairs
• >50 persons, 44" for corridors, passageways, ramps, and stairs
• Doors – minimum width 32"
• Clear unobstructed width

Special requirements
• Main exits from assembly buildings
• Revolving doors
• Locks and latches
• Special locking arrangements

Means of egress identification

• All spaces requiring more than one exit or exit access
• Illuminated signs
• No point over 100' from visible sign
• Means of egress illumination
• Exit access, exit, and exit discharge require illumination
• Illuminated at 1 footcandle

Recommended References
NFPA Fire Protection Handbook, 18th Edition, 1997, NFPA
Principles to Fire Protection, Cote & Bugbee, 1988, NFPA
Life Safety Code Handbook, 1997 ed., NFPA
Fire Prevention: Inspection & Code Enforcement, D. Diamantes, 1997, Delmar
Fire Inspection & Code Enforcement, 6th ed., 1998, IFSTA
NFPA 101 - Life Safety Code, 2000 ed., NFPA
http://www.nfpa.org
http://www.ifsta.org
http://firesci.com [Delmar Publishing}

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