White River Township Fire Prevention and Protection Ordinance
 
ARTICLE V
 
Exits and Egress
 

SECTION 1. General

A.         Any required means of egress shall not be obstructed or otherwise rendered inoperative. At no time shall any object be placed in front of an exit sign, exit path or exit door that would hamper the identification of or the access of such device.

             B.        Means of egress continuity.

                        The path of egress travel along a means of egress shall not be interrupted by any building element other than a means of egress component as specified in this chapter. Obstructions shall not be placed in the required width of a means of egress except projections permitted by this chapter. The required capacity of a means of egress system shall not be diminished along the path of egress travel.
 

SECTION 2. Locks and Latches

A.         All Egress doors shall be readily openable from the egress side without the use of a key or special knowledge or effort.

B.         Each door in a means of egress from an occupancy of Group A or E having an occupant load of 100 or more and any occupancy of Group H-1, H-2, H-3 or H-5 shall comply with the applicable rules of the FPBSC and shall not be provided with a latch or lock unless it is panic hardware or fire exit hardware.
 

SECTION 3. Occupant Load

            At no time shall the occupant, owner or person responsible for the event allow overcrowding or the exceeding the maximum occupant load of a structure. Violation of this section will result in a fine and may result in the immediate evacuation of the structure until the allowed occupant load is reached.
 

SECTION 4. EXIT Signs

A.         Exits and exit access doors shall be marked by an approved exit sign readily visible from any direction of egress travel. Access to exits shall be marked by readily visible exit signs in cases where the exit or the path of egress travel is not immediately visible to the occupants. Exit sign placement shall be such that no point in an exit access corridor is more than 100 feet (30 480 mm) from the nearest visible exit sign.

B          Exit signs shall be internally or externally illuminated. The face of an exit sign illuminated from an external source shall have an intensity of not less than 5 foot-candles (54 lux). Exit signs shall be illuminated at all times.

C.         To ensure continued illumination for duration of not less than 60 minutes in case of primary power loss, the exit signs shall be connected to an emergency electrical system provided from storage batteries, unit equipment or an on-site generator.
 

SECTION 5. Egress Illumination

 The means of egress, including the exit discharge, shall be illuminated at all times the building space served by the means of egress is occupied. The means of egress illumination level shall not be less than 1 foot-candle (11 lux) at the floor level.