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Fire and Life Safety Issues, August 2002
By Paul Radomski, Santa Monica Fire Inspector

KEEPING EXIT PATHS CLEAR AND SAFE

The presence of security bars and grates over doors and windows used to be a rare sight in Santa Monica. Not so any more. It's one thing to secure premises against the intrusion of unwanted visitors. It is quite another issue when occupants cannot safely escape the threat of disaster because those same safeguards impede their exit path. Section 12 of the Uniform Fire Code spells out some very specific requirements with regard to maintaining safe and unobstructed exits from all points of a building.

All interior exit doors and exterior gates of a building must allow the occupant to leave safely without the use of a key, special knowledge or effort. To put that in plain English, it is acceptable to have a keyed lock or knob on the outside of a door or gate, as long as the inside device can be quickly opened without needing to use a key. Lever action handles and push bars are examples of acceptable interior locks. The main reason for this is what we call the "panic factor". In an emergency, people rarely think clearly; they panic. And when you panic, you don't think to remember things such as, "Oh, I must bring my keys or I won't be able to escape." This is one of those codes that was written in response to numerous fire fatalities where the occupants might have survived had their means of egress not been blocked by a locked gate or door.

Another life safety issue is the use of wrought iron bars over windows. Again, the Code is very specific. Bars and grates over windows of sleeping areas must be equipped with interior release devices. This is a device that, when stepped on or pulled releases the point of attachment on one side of the grate, thus allowing the bars to swing out and away from the window.

Why is the Fire Department concerned about bars on my windows, you ask? Think about it. If your primary escape exit is blocked by fire, you need to have a second way out. Besides, interior release devices are not required on all windows with bars, just the ones over sleeping areas. That includes bedrooms and, in studio apartments, the combination living room/ bedroom.

Frequently we find things that clutter upstairs balcony corridors and stairwells. This can be dangerous during an earthquake or fire in any apartment unit above the first floor. Items such as bicycles, barbecues, plants and furnishings can become tangled in hose lines used to extinguish a fire, in addition to being a trip hazard for the residents. The Fire Code requires a clear, unobstructed minimum width of 36 inches throughout the length of all designated fire exit corridors. That doesn't mean that we don't like plants. One acceptable alternative to potted plants in the exit path is to use over-the-rail planter boxes that fasten to the balcony rail and hang on the outside edge of the rail. That way the plants are off the ground and out of the way.

Finally, one of the Building Code issues that we look for during our inspections has to do with maintaining stairways and handrails in a safe condition. Termite or wood rotted stairway components, including treads, risers and deck landings will be ordered repaired, so it's a good idea to be on the lookout for signs of damage.

Stay safe and we'll see you next month!