Rule 24. Sections 15.1.2.2, 15.1.6, 15.2.6.2, 15.2.6.3, 15.2.11.1.1, 15.2.11.1.2, 15.2.11.2, 15.3.2.1, 15.3.4.1.2, 15.3.4.2.1, 15.3.6, 15.3.7.2, and 15.7.2.1 are amended, sections 15.1.2.1.1, 15.1.2.2.1, 15.2.11.1.3, 15.3.4.3.1.7, 15.7.4.2.1, and 15.7.4.4 are added and sections 15.2.2.2.3.1, 15.3.4.2.3, 15.3.4.2.3.1, 15.3.4.2.3.2, 15.7.2.2, 15.7.2.3, and 15.7.3.3 are deleted, to read as follows:
15.1.2.1.1. Educational occupancies shall include child care operations established and operated by an intermediate school board, the board of a local school district, the board or governing body of a state-approved nonpublic school, or by a person or entity with whom a school contracts for services, if the child care center in located in a school that is approved by the state fire marshal.
15.1.2.2. Unless otherwise permitted by section 15.1.4.1.1; educational occupancies shall not include any of the following:
(a) A part or full-day preschool.(c) A kindergarten-only building.(d) A building that houses a combination of preschool and kindergarten.(e) A building that houses a combination of day care and kindergarten. 15.1.2.2.1. A program specifically tailored for special needs children, special needs adults, or both, who range from 17 to 26 years of age, that is located in a community in a facility such as a shopping mall or business building, where the students will gain specific job experience and learn life studies, shall not be defined as a school.
15.1.6. For minimum construction requirements, refer to the Michigan rehabilitation code, R 408.30551 to R 408.30577.
15.2.2.2.3.1. Deleted.
15.2.6.2. Travel distances to an exit shall not exceed 200 feet (61 meters) from any point in the building unless otherwise permitted by section 15.2.6.3 or 15.2.6.4 (see also section 7.6).
15.2.6.3. Travel distance shall not exceed 250 feet (76.2 meters) in educational occupancies protected throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system pursuant to section 9.7.
15.2.11.1.1. The school or designated representative shall ensure every room or space that is more than 250 square feet (23.2 square meters) and is used for classroom or other educational purposes or is normally subject to student occupancy shall have not less than 1 outside window for emergency rescue or ventilation that complies with the following unless otherwise permitted by section 15.2.11.1.2:
(1) The windows shall be openable from the inside without the use of tools, only held closed by a single operation lock, and provide a clear opening of not less than 20 inches (50.8 centimeters) in width, 24 inches (61 centimeters) in height, and 5.7 square feet (0.5 square meters) in area. A screen on the window shall be readily removable without any special knowledge or tools.(2) The bottom of the opening shall be not more than 44 inches (112 centimeters) above the floor and any latching device shall be capable of being operated from not more than 54 inches (137 centimeters) above the finished floor.(3) The clear opening shall allow a rectangular solid with a width and height that provides not less than the required 5.7 square foot opening and a depth of 20 inches to pass fully through the opening.(4) The windows shall be accessible by the fire department and shall open into an area that has access to a public way. Windows opening onto an open court, as defined in the code, are acceptable.(5) The windows shall be identified by a permanent, durable, and legible sign having letters not less than 5/8 of an inch high and 1/8 of an inch wide. 15.2.11.1.2. The requirements of section 15.2.11.1.1 shall not apply to any of the following:
(1) Buildings protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system in compliance with section 9.7.(2) Where the room or space has a door leading directly to the outside of the building.(3) Rooms located 4 or more stories above the finished ground level.(4) Where awning type or hopper-type windows that are hinged or subdivided to provide a clear opening of not less than 4 square feet (0.38 square meters) or any dimension of not less than 22 inches (560 millimeters) meet the following criteria: (a) The windows shall be permitted to continue in use.(b) Screen walls or devices located in front of required windows shall not interfere with rescue requirements.(5) Where a room or space complies with the following: (a) Doors shall exist that allow travel between adjacent classrooms.(b) Doors used to travel from classroom to classroom shall provide either of the following: (i) Direct access to exits in both directions.(ii) Direct access to an exit in 1 direction and to a separate smoke compartment that provides access to another exit in the other direction.(c) The corridor shall be separated from the classrooms by a wall that restricts the passage of smoke, and all doors between the classrooms and corridor shall be self-closing or automatic-closing pursuant to section 7.2.1.8.(d) The length of travel to exits along such paths shall not exceed 150 feet (46 meters).(e) Each communicating door shall be marked in accordance with section 7.10.(f) No locking device shall be permitted on the communicating doors.(6) If a window retrofit project is undertaken, then compliance with the window clear opening dimensions is not required. Unless the existing sill construction is being modified, the existing sill height can be maintained. All other requirements of section 15.2.11.1.1 shall apply.(7) A school building constructed before August 1, 1989, that is in compliance with both of the following provisions: (a) The windowless section of the story is not more than 25% of the total area of the story, excluding corridors.(b) All windowless rooms, spaces, and public assembly places have 50% of their required exits visible directly to the exterior of the building and within 20 feet from the door of the occupied room. 15.2.11.1.3. Windowless student occupied rooms in additions to existing buildings or renovated buildings shall be permitted where it is impractical to comply with section 15.2.11.1.1 where all of the following:
(1) A minimum of 50% of the required exits pass into a separate atmosphere created by a minimum 2-hour fire rated barrier with labeled 90-minute fire rated door assemblies in all openings. Glazing, other than permitted in the door by NFPA 80, shall be permitted only if the glazing has been tested for a 2-hour rating as well. Such construction shall completely separate the building from exterior wall to exterior wall.(2) Each separate area shall have approved exiting pursuant to the code.(3) A maximum of 25% of the total area of the student occupied rooms in the building shall be permitted to be windowless. 15.2.11.2. Lockups. Locking devices for designated "quiet rooms" shall meet all of the following criteria:
(1) The locking mechanism shall be a spring operated latch, which is manually depressed to keep it in the latched position. Upon manual release, the latch shall automatically return to the unlatched position.(2) A viewing window shall be required for observation of the student.(3) There shall be constant supervision by a teacher or responsible adult at all times a student is in the room. 15.3.2.1. Rooms or spaces for the storage, processing, or use of materials specified in section 15.3.2.1(1) to (4) shall be protected pursuant to the following:
(1) The rooms or spaces shall be separated from the remainder of the building by fire barriers having a minimum 1-hour fire resistive rating or protected by automatic extinguishing systems as specified in section 8.7in the following areas: (a) Boiler and furnace rooms, unless such rooms enclose only air-handling equipment.(b) Rooms or spaces greater than 100 square feet used for storage of combustible supplies.(c) Rooms or spaces used for the storage of hazardous materials or flammable or combustible liquids in quantities deemed hazardous by recognized standards.(d) Janitor closets [see also 15.3.2.1(4)].(2) The rooms or spaces shall be separated from the remainder of the building by fire barriers having a minimum 1-hour fire resistance rating and protected by automatic extinguishing systems as specified in section 8.7in the following areas: (b) Maintenance shops, including wood working and painting areas.(c) Rooms or spaces used for the processing or use of combustible supplies deemed hazardous by recognized standards.(d) Industrial arts and crafts rooms.(3) Where automatic extinguishing is used to meet the requirements of section 15.3.2(1) or (2), the protection shall be permitted pursuant to section 9.7.1.2.(4) Where janitor closets addressed in section 15.3.2.1(1)(d) are protected pursuant to the sprinkler option of section 15.3.2.1(1), the janitor closet doors shall be permitted to have ventilating louvers. 15.3.4.1.2. The requirements of section 15.3.4.1.1 shall not apply to buildings meeting all of the following criteria:
(1) Buildings having an area not exceeding 1,000 square feet.(2) Buildings containing a single classroom.(3) Building located not less than 10 feet from another building. 15.3.4.2.1. Initiation of the required fire alarm system shall be by manual means in accordance with section 9.6.2.1(1). Manual fire alarm pull stations shall be provided pursuant to sections 9.6.2.2 to 9.6.2.5 of the code and at all exterior doors in the natural path of escape whether or not the path of escape is designated a required exit by these rules.
15.3.4.2.3. Deleted.
15.3.4.2.3.1. Deleted.
15.3.4.2.3.2. Deleted.
15.3.4.3.1.7. A presignal system pursuant to section 9.6.3.3 shall be permitted.
15.3.6. Corridors shall be separated from other parts of the story by walls having a minimum 1-hour-fire-resistance rating pursuant to section 8.3unless otherwise permitted by the following:
(1) Corridor protection shall not be required where all spaces normally subject to student occupancy have at least 1 door opening directly to the outside or to an exterior exit access balcony or corridor pursuant to section 7.5.3.(2) The following shall apply to buildings protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system with valve supervision pursuant to section 9.7:(a) Corridor walls shall not be required to be rated, provided that the walls form smoke partitions pursuant to section 8.4.(b) The provisions of section 8.4.3.5 shall not apply to normally occupied classrooms.(3) Where the corridor ceiling is an assembly having a 1-hour-fire-resistance rating where tested as a wall, the corridor wall shall terminate at the corridor ceiling.(4) Lavatories shall not be required to be separated from corridors, provided they are separated from all other spaces by walls having a 1-hour-fire-resistance rating pursuant to section 8.3.(5) Lavatories shall not be required to be separated from corridors, provided that the building is protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system pursuant to section 9.7.(6) In school buildings constructed before August 1, 1989, every interior corridor, including corridors in flexible plan buildings, shall be constructed to be reasonably smoke-tight.(7) In a school building constructed before August 1, 1989, and which is protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system installed pursuant to section 9.7 of the code, corridor walls are not required. 15.3.7.2. The requirements of section 15.3.7.1 shall not apply to any of the following:
(1) Where all classrooms have exterior exit access pursuant to section 7.5.3.(2) Buildings protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system pursuant to section 9.7. 15.7.2.1. Emergency egress drills shall be conducted pursuant to the act.
15.7.2.2. Deleted.
15.7.2.3. Deleted.
15.7.3.3. Deleted.
15.7.4.2.1. Items permitted to be located in exit corridors, provided the required clear width of the corridor is not obstructed, shall be limited to include fixed benches or hardwood or non-combustible material, trophy cases which are not used for excessive amounts of combustible materials, drinking fountains, telephones, vending machines, and other fixtures or items as approved by the authority having jurisdiction.
15.7.4.4. Desks and other instructional equipment shall be prohibited in required egress corridors.
Mich. Admin. Code R. 29.1924
1998-2000 AACS; 2016 MR 10, Eff. 5/19/2016