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36 | may/june 2014 | Facilities Manager code talkers T he National Fire Protec- tion Association (NFPA) has released the final standard with proposed text for the 2015 edition of NFPA 101, to be voted on by the NFPA membership at the Association Technical Meeting scheduled for June 11-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. As this particular code is employed broadly across the U.S., affecting many APPA member institutions, the APPA Standards and Codes Council wishes to report on the changes that are proposed for inclusion within the 2015 code ver- sion. Unless you are in a jurisdiction that automatically updates the code to "the latest edition," the 2015 edition will require adoption through a public process in your jurisdiction and with an effective date established. Typically this is a year or more after the date of edition. The changes outlined below are the Council's best assessment and interpreta- tion of the most impactful changes found in the final standard that will be voted on in June. This is intended as a good overview of what will likely be coming up, rather than a detailed evaluation. Changes that on the surface appeared to be simply a restatement of current language, minor changes in terminol- ogy, or grammatical corrections have not been included. CHAPTER 7—MEANS OF EGRESS • Clarifies that it is the walking surfaces of a means of egress that must be slip resistant, rather than walking surfaces in general. • Requires 13" minimum depth treads when there is a change in level of less than 21" in a means of egress. • Permits floor levels to be lower than the bottom of a door opening onto to them, but only if the space is not nor- mally occupied, and no lower than 8". • Is stricter on how much the swing of a door can project into required egress widths. • Removes the permissible conditions under which an outside stairway can- not be separated from a corridor. • Provides additional restrictions on fire barriers between buildings or areas where there are horizontal exits. • Permits "industrial stairs" where fire escape ladders are permitted. • The occupancy load table for calculat- ing occupancy has been revised. • Permits stairs greater than 44" in width to have a greater capacity. • Removes the provision to permit delaying of discharge at the exits while the nature of an alarm is being investigated. • Removes the provision that stairs and ramps be arranged to make clear the direction to the public way. • Increases the lighting requirement for exit paths to 2 footcandles. CHAPTER 8—FEATURES OF FIRE PROTECTION • New requirement that fire separation assemblies that are not symmetrical need to be tested from both sides of the assembly. • Permits Authority Housing Jurisdic- tion's to approve unlabeled steel door frames. • Replaces existing table for ratings of opening protective with new. • Prohibits convenience stairs from connecting more than four stories. • Requires that new escalators be protected only by NFPA 13 design method sprinklers or other method as approved by AHJ. CHAPTER 9—BUILDING SERVICE AND FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT • Prohibits smoke detectors from being installed within 36" of a door to a bathroom that contains a shower or a bathtub unless the detector is rated for. CHAPTER 10—INTERIOR FINISH, CONTENTS, AND FURNISHINGS • "Grandfather's" existing films, ve- neers, and coatings less than 9 mm thick from having to be tested for surface burning characteristics. CHAPTER 11—SPECIAL STRUCTURES AND HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS • New requirement for real-time video monitoring system in exist stairways in high-rises with an occupant load of more than 4,000. CHAPTER 12/13—ASSEMBLY OCCUPANCIES • Modifications to required widths of stairs and ramps under certain condi- tions. • Removes separate requirements for transitions in aisle stairs. • Provides new requirements for aisle stair risers, landings, and handrails. • Prohibits alcohol-based hand sanitizers New Proposed Edition of NFPA 101 Released By Dana Glenn Peterson, AIA code talkers code talkers