Report on First Revisions with Statement June 2014 NFPA 101

Transcription

1 101 FR6005 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Where there are sleeping accommodations for more than 16 residents are provided, the occupancy shall be classified as a large facility in accordance with Section Statement: Editorial revision for consistency with NFPA FR6006 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Minimum Construction Requirements. (No requirements. Reserved) Statement: The proposed revision is intended for consistency with the remainder of the Code. 101 FR6017 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Every sleeping room and living area shall have access to a primary means of escape located to provide a safe path of travel to the outside at street level or the finished ground level. Statement: This revised wording is being proposed to coordinate the requirements for means of escape with those stated for One- and Two- Family Dwellings, and to clarify that primary means of escape must be arranged to provide for a safe path of travel to grade. 1

2 101 FR6018 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Sleeping rooms, other than those complying with or , and living areas in facilities without a sprinkler system installed in accordance with shall have a second means of escape consisting of one of the following: (1) Door, stairway, passage, or hall providing a way of unobstructed travel to the outside of the dwelling at street or the finished ground level that is independent of, and remotely located from, the primary means of escape (2) Passage through an adjacent nonlockable space independent of, and remotely located from, the primary means of escape to any approved means of escape (3)* Outside window or door operable from the inside, without the use of tools, keys, or special effort, that provides a clear opening of not less than 5.7 ft 2 (0.53 m 2 ), with the width not less than 20 in. (510 mm), the height not less than 24 in. (610 mm), and the bottom of the opening not more than 44 in. (1120 mm) above the floor, with such means of escape acceptable, provided that one of the following criteria is met: (a) The window is within 20 ft (6100 mm) of the finished ground level. (b) The window is directly accessible to fire department rescue apparatus, as approved by the authority having jurisdictionahj. (c) The window or door opens onto an exterior balcony. (4) Windows having a sill height below the adjacent finished ground level that are provided with a window well meeting the following criteria: (a) The window well has horizontal dimensions that allow the window to be fully opened. (b) The window well has an accessible net clear opening of not less than 9 ft 2 (0.84 m 2 ), with a length and width of not less than 36 in. (915 mm). (c) A window well with a vertical depth of more than 44 in. (1120 mm) is equipped with an approved permanently affixed ladder or with steps meeting the following criteria: i. The ladder or steps do not encroach more than 6 in. (150 mm) into the required dimensions of the window well. ii. The ladder or steps are not obstructed by the window Sleeping rooms that have a door leading directly to the outside of the building with access to the finished ground level or to an exterior stairway meeting the requirements of shall be considered as meeting all the requirements for a second means of escape Sleeping rooms shall not be required to have a secondary means of escape where the clinical needs of the residents require special security measures, provided all of the following are met: (1) The building is protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with (2) A fire alarm system is provided in accordance with through and (3) Smoke detectors are provided in accordance with Statement: Residents with Alzheimer's and related illnesses are prone to escaping via the secondary means of escape. This proposal allows preventing this escape in such facilities where additional fire sprinkler and alarm protection is provided. An operable window is still provided to allow venting products of combustion but the window opening may be limited. Smoke alarms are not required in resident rooms, as the residents are unable to respond appropriately to the alarm and may even hide, making evacuation more difficult for staff. 2

3 101 FR6019 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: The entire primary means of escape shall be arranged so that occupants are not required to pass through a portion of a lower story above or a story below, unless that route is separated from all spaces on that story by construction having a minimum 1 2-hour fire resistance rating. Statement: It is clear that when occupants use the second floor of a residential board and care occupancy (small facility) for living or sleeping purposes, and the primary means of escape is down an interior stair to the LED, that the stairway as well as the path from the bottom of the stiarway to an outside door must be separated from all other spaces on the LED by construction having at least a 1/2-hour fire resistance rating. But the occupants who may be occupaying a level below the LED (basement) also need the same protection. Why would traveling up stirs to the LED be any safet than traveling down stairs from a second floor? a fire at the LED is hazardous in both situations. People needing to travel from a basement should have the saem protection as people traveling from the second floor. 101 FR6007 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Access-controlled egress locks door assemblies complying with shall be permitted. Statement: Editorial revision for consistency with Chapter FR6020 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Winders Existing winders complying with shall be permitted to remain only in conversions. Statement: New winders, which are not allowed in new construction, should not be allowed in conversions due to safety concerns. Only existing winders should be allowed to remain. 101 FR6010 SAF-BCF ( (New) ) Recommendation: Alcohol-based hand-rub dispensers in accordance with shall be permitted. Statement: The proposed FR adds language to permit the use of ABHR dispensers in accordance with the proposed FR6008 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Fire Alarm Systems General. A manual fire alarm system shall be provided in accordance with Section 9.6. Statement: Editorial revision for consistency with other occupancy chapters and NFPA

4 101 FR6009 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Doors. Doors in means of egress shall meet all of the following criteria: (1) Doors complying with shall be permitted. (2) Doors within individual rooms and suites of rooms shall be permitted to be swinging or sliding. (3) No door, other than those meeting the requirement of (4) or (5), shall be equipped with a lock or latch that requires the use of a tool or key from the egress side. (4) Delayed-egress locks in accordance with shall be permitted. (5) Access-controlled egress doors door assemblies in accordance with shall be permitted. (6) Doors located in the means of egress that are permitted to be locked under other provisions of Chapter 32, other than those meeting the requirement of (4) or (5), shall have adequate provisions made for the rapid removal of occupants by means such as remote control of locks, keying of all locks to keys carried by staff at all times, or other such reliable means available to staff at all times. (7) Only one such locking device, as described in (6), shall be permitted on each door. Statement: Editorial revision for consistency with Chapter FR6011 SAF-BCF ( (New) ) Recommendation: Alcohol-based hand-rub dispensers in accordance with shall be permitted. Statement: The proposed FR adds language to permit the use of ABHR dispensers in accordance with the proposed FR6031 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: * Emergency Forces Notification. Emergency forces notification shall meet the following requirements: (1) Fire department Emergency forces notification shall be accomplished in accordance with (2) Smoke detection devices or smoke detection systems shall be permitted to initiate a positive alarm sequence in accordance with for not more than 120 seconds. Statement: The proposed revision is intended to correlate with terminology in Chapter 9. 4

5 101 FR6021 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: * Cooking Facilities. Cooking facilities, other than those within individual residential units, shall be protected in accordance with Cooking facilities shall be protected in accordance with 9.2.3, unless otherwise permitted by , , or * Where residential cooking equipment is used for food warming or limited cooking, the equipment shall not be required to be protected in accordance with 9.2.3, and the presence of the equipment shall not require the area to be protected as a hazardous area * Within a smoke compartment, where residential or commercial cooking equipment is used to prepare meals for 30 or fewer persons, one cooking facility shall be permitted to be open to the corridor, provided that all of the following conditions are met: (1) The portion of the board and care facility served by the cooking facility is limited to 30 beds and is separated from other portions of the board and care facility by a smoke barrier constructed in accordance with and through (2) The cooktop or range is equipped with a range hood of a width at least equal to the width of the cooking surface, with grease baffles or other grease-collecting and clean-out capability. (3)* The hood systems have a minimum airflow of 500 cfm (14,000 L/min). (4) The hood systems that are not ducted to the exterior additionally have a charcoal filter to remove smoke and odor. (5) The cooktop or range complies with all of the following: (a) The cooktop or range is protected with a fire suppression system listed in accordance with UL 300, Standard for Fire Testing of Fire Extinguishing Systems for Protection of Commercial Cooking Equipment, or is tested and meets all requirements of UL 300A, Extinguishing System Units for Residential Range Top Cooking Surfaces, in accordance with the applicable testing document's scope. (b) A manual release of the extinguishing system is provided in accordance with Section 10.5 of NFPA 96, Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations. (c) An interlock is provided to turn off all sources of fuel and electrical power to the cooktop or range when the suppression system is activated. (6)* The use of solid fuel for cooking is prohibited. (7)* Deep-fat frying is prohibited (8) Portable fire extinguishers in accordance with NFPA 96 are located in all kitchen areas. (9)* A switch meeting all of the following is provided: (a) A locked switch, or a switch located in a restricted location, is provided within the cooking facility that deactivates the cooktop or range. (b) The switch is used to deactivate the cooktop or range whenever the kitchen is not under staff supervision. (c) The switch is on a timer, not exceeding a 120-minute capacity, that automatically deactivates the cooktop or range, independent of staff action. (10) Procedures for the use, inspection, testing, and maintenance of the cooking equipment are in accordance with Chapter 11 of NFPA 96 and the manufacturer s instructions are followed. (11)* Not less than two AC-powered photoelectric smoke alarms, interconnected in accordance with , equipped with a silence feature, and in accordance with NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, are located not closer than 20 ft (6.1 m) from the cooktop or range. (12) No smoke detector is located less than 20 ft (6.1 m) from the cooktop or range * Within a smoke compartment, residential or commercial cooking equipment that is used to prepare meals for 30 or fewer persons shall be permitted, provided that the cooking facility complies with all of the following conditions: (1) The space containing the cooking equipment is not a sleeping room. (2) The space containing the cooking equipment is separated from the corridor by partitions complying with through (3) The requirements of (1) through (10) are met * Where cooking facilities are protected in accordance with 9.2.3, the presence of the cooking equipment shall not cause the room or space housing the equipment to be classified as a hazardous area with respect to the requirements of , and the room or space shall not be permitted to be open to the corridor. 5

6 Statement: Large residential board and care facilities are similar to nursing homes in many ways and kitchens represent the same level of hazard to board and care residents as they do to nursing home residents. This proposal inserts the language regarding protections from Chapter 18 into Chapter 32, in recognition of the similarity of the level of hazard the kitchen represents. Currently, kitchens are under the section regarding protection of hazardous areas in Chapter 18, whereas they are separate from hazardous areas in Chapter 32. The Technical Committee may also wish to consider moving to , which is a more appropriate location for occupancies such as residents with Alzheimer's in an assisted living facilitiy. 101 FR6025 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Every sleeping room and living area shall have access to a primary means of escape located to provide a safe path of travel to the outside at street level or the finished ground level. Statement: This revised wording is being proposed to coordinate the requirements for means of escape with those stated for One- and Two- Family Dwellings, and to clarify that primary means of escape must be arranged to provide for a safe path of travel to grade. 101 FR6033 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Access-controlled egress locks door assemblies complying with shall be permitted. Statement: Editorial revision for consistency with FR6012 SAF-BCF ( (New) ) Recommendation: Alcohol-based hand-rub dispensers in accordance with shall be permitted. Statement: The proposed FR adds language to permit the use of ABHR dispensers in accordance with the proposed

7 101 FR6016 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Where an automatic sprinkler system is installed, attics not used for living purposes, storage, or fuel-fired equipment shall meet one of the following criteria: (1) Attics shall be protected throughout by a heat detection system arranged to activate the building fire alarm system in accordance with Section 9.6. (2) Attics shall be protected with automatic sprinklers that are part of the required, approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with (3) Attics shall be of noncombustible or limited-combustible construction. (4) Attics shall be constructed of fire-retardant-treated wood in accordance with NFPA 703, Standard for Fire Retardant Treated Wood and Fire-Retardant Coatings for Building Materials. (5) Attics shall be protected by heat alarms arranged to provide occupant notification in accordance with Statement: The proposed revision is intended to provide a cost-effective alternative for existing facilities in which attic protection is required due to the lack of attic sprinkler protection in an otherwise sprinklered building. 101 FR6001 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Unless otherwise indicated in through , corridor walls shall meet all of the following requirements: (1) Walls separating sleeping rooms from corridors and areas open to the corridor shall have a minimum ½-hour fire resistance rating. The minimum ½-hour fire resistance rating shall be considered to be achieved if the partitioning is finished on both sides with lath and plaster or materials providing a 15-minute thermal barrier. (2) Sleeping room doors shall be substantial doors, such as those of 1¾ in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded wood-core construction or of other construction of equal or greater stability and fire integrity. (3) Any vision panels shall be fixed fire window assemblies in accordance with or shall be wired glass not exceeding 9 ft 2 (0.84 m 2 ) each in area and installed in approved frames. Statement: The proposed revision clarifies that the separation is intended to be between sleeping rooms and corridors, and not between adjacent sleeping rooms. 101 FR6034 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Doors. Doors in means of egress shall be as follows: (1) Doors complying with shall be permitted. (2) Doors within individual rooms and suites of rooms shall be permitted to be swinging or sliding. (3) No door in any means of egress, other than those meeting the requirement of (4) or (5), shall be locked against egress when the building is occupied. (4) Delayed-egress locks in accordance with shall be permitted. (5) Access-controlled egress doors assemblies in accordance with shall be permitted. (6) Revolving doors complying with shall be permitted. Statement: Editorial revision for consistency with

8 101 FR6027 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Access to all required exits shall be in accordance with Section 7.5 unless otherwise modified by this chapter. Statement: Section appears to allow egress through kitchens and other spaces that are not really permited by 7.5. See Section requires sleeping rooms to have a protected path to an exit, but appears allow other resident use rooms to egress through unprotected paths including kitchens. 101 FR6028 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Travel distance from the door within a room, suite, or living unit to a corridor door shall not exceed 75 ft (23 m) in buildings not protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Statement: The proposed revision corrects an apparent error. 101 FR6026 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Travel distance from the door within a room, suite, or living unit to a corridor door shall not exceed 125 ft (38 m) in buildings protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Statement: The proposed revision corrects an apparent error. 101 FR6029 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Emergency Lighting. Emergency lighting in accordance with Section 7.9 shall be provided in all facilities meeting any of the following criteria: (1) Facilities having an impractical evacuation capability (2) Facilities having a prompt or slow evacuation capability with more than 25 sleeping rooms, unless each sleeping room has a direct exit to the outside of the building at the finished ground level. Statement: It appears that this should be sleeping rooms. Otherwise, bathrooms would have to give a direct exit to the outside. 8

9 101 FR6002 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: In other than buildings protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with (1), rooms Rooms containing high-pressure boilers, refrigerating machinery, transformers, or other service equipment subject to possible explosion shall not be located directly under or adjacent to exits, and such rooms shall be effectively separated from other parts of the building as specified in Section 8.7. Statement: The proposed revision resolves a conflict with Chapter 32, which has no such provision. 101 FR6013 SAF-BCF ( (New) ) Recommendation: Alcohol-based hand-rub dispensers in accordance with shall be permitted. Statement: The proposed FR adds language to permit the use of ABHR dispensers in accordance with the proposed FR6003 SAF-BCF ( ) Recommendation: Prompt evacuation capability facilities in buildings two or fewer stories in height, where not less than one required means of egress from each sleeping room provides a path of travel to the outside without traversing any corridor or other spaces exposed to unprotected vertical openings, living areas, and kitchens, shall not be required to comply with The requirements of shall not apply where all of the following are met: (1) The evacuation capability shall be prompt. (2) The building shall be two or fewer stories in height. (3) Not less than one required means of egress from each sleeping room shall provide a path of travel to the outside without traversing any corridor or other spaces exposed to unprotected vertical openings, living areas, and kitchens. Statement: The proposed revision editorially reorganizes the paragraph for clarity and makes no technical changes. 9

10 101 FR6022 SAF-BCF ( (New) ) Recommendation: Cooking Facilities Cooking facilities shall be protected in accordance with 9.2.3, unless otherwise permitted by , , or * Where residential cooking equipment is used for food warming or limited cooking, the equipment shall not be required to be protected in accordance with 9.2.3, and the presence of the equipment shall not require the area to be protected as a hazardous area * Within a smoke compartment, where residential or commercial cooking equipment is used to prepare meals for 30 or fewer persons, one cooking facility shall be permitted to be open to the corridor, provided that all of the following conditions are met: (1) The portion of the board and care facility served by the cooking facility is limited to 30 beds and is separated from other portions of the board and care facility by a smoke barrier constructed in accordance with and through (2) The cooktop or range is equipped with a range hood of a width at least equal to the width of the cooking surface, with grease baffles or other grease-collecting and clean-out capability. (3)* The hood systems have a minimum airflow of 500 cfm (14,000 L/min). (4) The hood systems that are not ducted to the exterior additionally have a charcoal filter to remove smoke and odor. (5) The cooktop or range complies with all of the following: (a) The cooktop or range is protected with a fire suppression system listed in accordance with UL 300, Standard for Fire Testing of Fire Extinguishing Systems for Protection of Commercial Cooking Equipment, or is tested and meets all requirements of UL 300A, Extinguishing System Units for Residential Range Top Cooking Surfaces, in accordance with the applicable testing document's scope. (b) A manual release of the extinguishing system is provided in accordance with Section 10.5 of NFPA 96, Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations. (c) An interlock is provided to turn off all sources of fuel and electrical power to the cooktop or range when the suppression system is activated. (6)* The use of solid fuel for cooking is prohibited. (7)* Deep-fat frying is prohibited (8) Portable fire extinguishers in accordance with NFPA 96 are located in all kitchen areas. (9)* A switch meeting all of the following is provided: (a) A locked switch, or a switch located in a restricted location, is provided within the cooking facility that deactivates the cooktop or range. (b) The switch is used to deactivate the cooktop or range whenever the kitchen is not under staff supervision. (c) The switch is on a timer, not exceeding a 120-minute capacity, that automatically deactivates the cooktop or range, independent of staff action. (10) Procedures for the use, inspection, testing, and maintenance of the cooking equipment are in accordance with Chapter 11 of NFPA 96 and the manufacturer s instructions are followed. (11)* Not less than two AC-powered photoelectric smoke alarms, interconnected in accordance with , equipped with a silence feature, and in accordance with NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, are located not closer than 20 ft (6.1 m) from the cooktop or range. (12) No smoke detector is located less than 20 ft (6.1 m) from the cooktop or range. (13) The smoke compartment is protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section * Within a smoke compartment, residential or commercial cooking equipment that is used to prepare meals for 30 or fewer persons shall be permitted, provided that the cooking facility complies with all of the following conditions: (1) The space containing the cooking equipment is not a sleeping room. (2) The space containing the cooking equipment is separated from the corridor by partitions complying with through (3) The requirements of (1) through (10) are met * Where cooking facilities are protected in accordance with 9.2.3, the presence of the cooking equipment shall not cause the room or space housing the equipment to be classified as a hazardous area with respect to the requirements of , and the room or space shall not be permitted to be open to the corridor. 10

11 Statement: Large residential board and care facilities are similar to nursing homes in many ways and kitchens represent the same level of hazard to board and care residents as they do to nursing home residents. This proposal inserts the language regarding protections from Chapter 18 into Chapter 32, in recognition of the similarity of the level of hazard the kitchen represents. Currently, kitchens are under the section regarding protection of hazardous areas in Chapter 18, whereas they are separate from hazardous areas in Chapter 32. The Technical Committee may also wish to consider moving to , which is a more appropriate location for occupancies such as residents with Alzheimer's in an assisted living facility. 101 FR6030 SAF-BCF (A ) Recommendation: A It is not the intent to prohibit furniture in corridors and spaces open to corridors, provided that the minimum required width is maintained. Storage is not permitted in corridors or spaces open to corridors. It is also not the intent to require corridors to be defined by a change in flooring texture, material, or color to separate it from areas allowed to be open to corridors. Statement: Some users of NFPA 101 have interpreted the term "corridor separation" as requiring a physical or visual separation to define all corridor spaces. Areas allowed to be open to the corridor, which were not specifically addressed in 32.3, are addressed in Public Input 140 and this annex language clarifies that the intent is not to visually identify the distinction between corridors and areas that are open to the corridor. 11

12 101 FR6023 SAF-BCF (A ) Recommendation: A The scope of NFPA 96, Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations, is limited to appliances that produce grease-laden vapors and does not apply to domestic cooking equipment used for food warming or limited cooking. A This provision is intended to permit small appliances used for reheating, such as microwave ovens, hot plates, toasters, and nourishment centers to be exempt from the requirements for commercial cooking equipment and hazardous area protection. A The intent of is to limit the number of persons for whom meals are routinely prepared to not more than 30. Staff and feeding assistants are not included in this number. A (3) The minimum airflow of 500 cfm (14,000 L/m) is intended to require the use of residential hood equipment at the higher end of equipment capacities. It is also intended to draw a sufficient amount of the cooking vapors into the grease baffle and filter system to reduce migration beyond the hood. A (6) The intent of this provision is to limit cooking fuel to gas or electricity. The prohibition of solid fuels for cooking is not intended to prohibit charcoal grilling on grills located outside the facility. A (7) Deep-fat frying is defined as a cooking method that involves fully immersing food in hot oil. A (9) The intent of this requirement is that the fuel source for the cooktop or range is to be turned on only when staff is present or aware that the kitchen is being used. The timer function is meant to provide an additional safeguard if the staff forgets to deactivate the cooktop or range. If a cooking activity lasts longer than 120 minutes, the timer would be required to be manually reset. A (11) The intent of requiring smoke alarms instead of smoke detectors is to prevent false alarms from initiating the building fire alarm system and notifying the fire department. Smoke alarms should be maintained a minimum of 20 ft (6.1 m) away from the cooktop or range as studies have shown this distance to be the threshold for significantly reducing false alarms caused by cooking. The intent of the interconnected smoke alarms, with silence feature, is that while the devices would alert staff members to a potential problem, if it is a false alarm, the staff members can use the silence feature instead of disabling the alarm. The referenced study indicates that nuisance alarms are reduced with photoelectric smoke alarms. Providing two, interconnected alarms provides a safety factor since they are not electrically supervised by the the fire alarm system. (Smoke Alarms Pilot Study of Nuisance Alarms Associated with Cooking) A The provisions of differ from those of , as they apply to cooking equipment that is separated from the corridor. A The provision of clarifies that protected commercial cooking equipment does not require an enclosure (separation) as a hazardous area in accordance with Section 8.7, as is required by Statement: The proposed revision adds annex language associated with the provisions added in FR-340-NFPA 12

13 101 FR6014 SAF-BCF (A (New) ) Recommendation: A An assembly point can be located outside the building, in a separate building, or in an adjacent smoke compartment in the same building. Statement: Although and address the issue of residents who cannot meaningfully assist in their evacuation, AHJs are requiring residents to evacuate to the outside during drills in cold weather and at night. The Technical Committee has acknowledged in both Chapters 32 and 33 that both new and existing residential board and care facilities house residents who are either incapable of self preservation or have much slower evacuation capabilities. The required level of safety for all new facilities, and existing facilities with an evacuation classification of impractical, has been significantly increased in more recent editions of the. This increased level of protection now allows for horizontal evacuation and no longer requires that initial evacuation has to be to the outside. In the last several years, the acuity rate of residents in this occupancy has significantly increased, and the residents evacuation rates have significantly decreased. The biggest objection of providers relative to the language in the Code and the enforcement of the Code is for the need to evacuate residents to the outside during drills, especially at night and during inclement weather. The Code does not currently define where an assembly point should be. The proposed new language clarifies that an assembly point can be outside, inside another building, or in an adjacent smoke compartment. 101 FR6004 SAF-BCF (A ) Recommendation: A In determining equivalency for existing buildings, the authority having jurisdiction might permit evaluations based on the health care occupancies fire safety evaluation system (FSES) of NFPA 101A, Guide on Alternative Approaches to Life Safety, substituting the mandatory safety requirements values of Table A for those contained in NFPA 101A. A residential board and care facility that selects the option to meet the requirements for limited care facilities in Chapter 19 is not considered a change in occupancy. *****Table A Substitute Mandatory Safety Requirements Values***** Statement: NFPA 101A-2013 has been approved. It adds criteria for evaluating Large Residential Board And Care facilities with evacuation capability of Impractical. Thus, the Mandatory Values associated with an FSES for such facilities now reside in the NFPA 101A FSES for B&C without having to direct the user to the FSES for Health Care Occupancies with substitute mandatory values. The material needs to be deleted from NFPA 101 Annex. 13

14 101 FR6024 SAF-BCF (A through A (New)) Recommendation: A This provision is intended to permit small appliances used for reheating, such as microwave ovens, hot plates, toasters, and nourishment centers to be exempt from the requirements for commercial cooking equipment and hazardous area protection. A The intent of is to limit the number of persons for whom meals are routinely prepared to not more than 30. Staff and feeding assistants are not included in this number. A (3) The minimum airflow of 500 cfm (14,000 L/m) is intended to require the use of residential hood equipment at the higher end of equipment capacities. It is also intended to draw a sufficient amount of the cooking vapors into the grease baffle and filter system to reduce migration beyond the hood. A (6) The intent of this provision is to limit cooking fuel to gas or electricity. The prohibition of solid fuels for cooking is not intended to prohibit charcoal grilling on grills located outside the facility. A (7) Deep-fat frying is defined as a cooking method that involves fully immersing food in hot oil. A (9) The intent of this requirement is that the fuel source for the cooktop or range is to be turned on only when staff is present or aware that the kitchen is being used. The timer function is meant to provide an additional safeguard if the staff forgets to deactivate the cooktop or range. If a cooking activity lasts longer than 120 minutes, the timer would be required to be manually reset. A (11) The intent of requiring smoke alarms instead of smoke detectors is to prevent false alarms from initiating the building fire alarm system and notifying the fire department. Smoke alarms should be maintained a minimum of 20 ft (6.1 m) away from the cooktop or range as studies have shown this distance to be the threshold for significantly reducing false alarms caused by cooking. The intent of the interconnected smoke alarms, with silence feature, is that while the devices would alert staff members to a potential problem, if it is a false alarm, the staff members can use the silence feature instead of disabling the alarm. The referenced study indicates that nuisance alarms are reduced with photoelectric smoke alarms. Providing two, interconnected alarms provides a safety factor since they are not electrically supervised by the the fire alarm system. (Smoke Alarms Pilot Study of Nuisance Alarms Associated with Cooking) A The provisions of differ from those of , as they apply to cooking equipment that is separated from the corridor. A The provision of clarifies that protected commercial cooking equipment does not require an enclosure (separation) as a hazardous area in accordance with Section 8.7, as is required by Statement: The proposed revision adds annex language associated with the provisions added in FR-341-NFPA 14

15 101 FR6015 SAF-BCF (A (New) ) Recommendation: A An assembly point can be located outside the building, in a separate building, or in an adjacent smoke compartment in the same building. Statement: Although and address the issue of residents who cannot meaningfully assist in their evacuation, AHJs are requiring residents to evacuate to the outside during drills in cold weather and at night. The Technical Committee has acknowledged in both Chapters 32 and 33 that both new and existing residential board and care facilities house residents who are either incapable of self preservation or have much slower evacuation capabilities. The required level of safety for all new facilities, and existing facilities with an evacuation classification of impractical, has been significantly increased in more recent editions of the. This increased level of protection now allows for horizontal evacuation and no longer requires that initial evacuation has to be to the outside. In the last several years, the acuity rate of residents in this occupancy has significantly increased, and the residents evacuation rates have significantly decreased. The biggest objection of providers relative to the language in the Code and the enforcement of the Code is for the need to evacuate residents to the outside during drills, especially at night and during inclement weather. The Code does not currently define where an assembly point should be. The proposed new language clarifies that an assembly point can be outside, inside another building, or in an adjacent smoke compartment. 15