Latest information Chicago fire lighting code requirements

Chicago fire regulations, USA:

Chicago, Illinois, follows stricter export lighting requirements than the rest of the United States. The exit sign must be red with positive surface tempered glass and tempered body. Emergency lights must also be steel, provide higher illumination than ordinary lamps, and if embedded in ceilings, they must have IC enclosures. The reference to this regulation is derived from Chapter 13 of the city of Chicago Municipal Code.

The specific requirements of the regulatory standards are as follows:

1) Minimum number of exports

2) Exit lighting

3) Emergency lighting

4) Exit, stair, fire escape and directional signs

1. minimum number of exports:

A. Each building, floor, space or room shall have not less than two exits, but any room or space may permit one exit under the conditions outlined in subsections (a) to (b) of this section; And under the conditions outlined in subsections (c) to (o) of this section, one floor and one exit can be allowed.

(a) Excluding hazardous environment, suitable for buildings with no more than 50 people living, one exit per room or space, and an area of not more than 1200 square feet; Or commercial, trade, industrial, inventory area not to exceed 4000 square feet, room or space farthest from the door not more than 75 feet or, if equipped with standard sprinkler systems, not more than 115 square feet.

(b) Any room or space not exceeding 2000 square feet is allowed to have an exit dedicated to storage purposes and can only be checked in occasionally.

(c) In single house and townhouse, any floor shall be allowed to have one exit, no more than one floor or one floor; However, the floor area shall not exceed 1500 square feet.

(d) In multiple homes, one exit for one family is allowed on the first or second floor, and one exit for basement space, but the floor or basement area should not exceed 800 square feet.

(e) In multiple homes, an exit from the residential unit is allowed to enter the public corridor when the distance to the furthest door within the unit does not exceed 35 feet or 55 feet from the furthest point of the residential unit. When these distances are exceeded, two exits are required.

(f) In two storey multi family houses, access to the internal stairs from the second floor shall be permitted in addition to type iii-c or IV-A or IV-B buildings.

(g) In multiple homes of class IA, IB and I-C buildings not exceeding four stories, one staircase shall be allowed under the following conditions.

(h) In the case of multiple homes in IA, IB or IC buildings and commercial units up to 8 floors, a smoke tower is permitted in the following cases:

(i) In the fire station, if there are not less than two sliding bars, access to an internal staircase from the second floor shall be allowed.

(j) In all public buildings, there shall be no less than one main entrance or exit for disabled persons, or for the access and use of wheelchair or persons with inconvenient movement.

(k) Of all collective housing, there should be two exits per floor.

(l) In the intermediate care facilities for the handicapped - 15 persons or less, each floor containing the area or room used by the household shall have at least two exits away from each other. At least one exit channel shall include an internal staircase, an enclosed external stair, or a horizontal exit.

(m) Of any multi and single house with a building type of not more than three floors, three storey units with an area of not more than 1500 square feet, at least one internal staircase dedicated to the unit, from the third floor to the external exit.

(n) In IIIB buildings or higher level Four story townhouses, the unit has a maximum floor area of not more than 1500 square feet and at least one internal staircase dedicated to the unit and from the highest floor to an external exit, which can replace the second exit required for the third or fourth floor,

(o) In single house and two unit multi house with no more than three floors, the second exit of unit 3 floor can be exempted if the following circumstances occur.

2. exit lighting:

All exit areas shall be adequately illuminated by electricity. Except for single and two homes, exit access is required to be open or available, and emergency exit lighting shall be provided for intermediate care facilities for 15 or less people with developmental disabilities. The lighting intensity of exit lighting on the floor surface perpendicular to the exit shall not be less than 1fc, and the surface in other directions shall not be less than 0.5fc.

3. emergency lighting

Emergency lighting shall meet the requirements of chapter 14-28 through 14-36 and 14-44 through 14-72* of this code.

4. exit, stairway, escape and directional signs

A. Exits, stairs, fire access and direction signs illuminated by power supply shall be installed and maintained in all existing buildings and in buildings to be constructed, rebuilt or rebuilt later.

B. Each such sign shall be internally illuminated by a 10 watt or greater incandescent lamp.

C. Exit signs shall be located above or adjacent to each opening at the horizontal exit or ramp to the building; It also covers every opening from the public assembly room to the inner floor, corridor or corridor. Stairs or exit signs shall be provided on each stair of the existing building. In future buildings, stair signs shall be located only on each staircase of each floor. Escape signs shall be located above or adjacent to each door or exit to the safety exit.

D. All these signs shall be clearly visible from all the routes to these exits

E. If the exit passage path or exit, stairs and fire ladders are not clear due to the tunnel, corridor crossing, partition wall, corridor turning, etc., direction signs shall be set. The sign shall be located in each courtyard, courtyard, passageway or other external space, from any exit to an indication as a way to leave each theatre, public assembly building, hotel, school or church.

F. Each exit, stairway and fire escape sign shall be in capital letters "exit", "stair" and "fire escape" respectively, with a height of at least 4.5 inches and a letter of nine sixteenth of an inch.

G. Each direction sign shall be marked with the word "exit" to indicate the direction of exit, stairs or fire access, and shall have horizontal arrows pointing to the direction of travel. The font shall be at least 3.875 inches high and the font shall be nine sixteenth inches. The arrow should be 0.5 inch wide and as long as the letter.

H. Fluorescent signs shall be made of materials conforming to or exceeding the specification for light emitting materials and devices (non radioactive) and lamp as described below in this section. Tests acceptable and approved by the Chicago fire commissioner shall be carried out by a qualified laboratory prior to installation until the laboratory proves to the fire commissioner that the sign meets the requirements specified in section 13-160-790, and the fire commissioner approves the installation of the sign. No person shall sell, install or use any such fluorescent mark without the approval of the Commissioner.