Fire Code of the Philippines 2008

Rule 10. Fire Safety Measures

SECTION
10.2.5.1

DIVISION 5. MEANS OF EGRESS

APPLICATIO
N

A. Means of egress for both new and existing buildings shall comply with this
Division except as may be modified for individual occupancies by
Divisions 8 through 17 of this Chapter.
B. Any change, alteration or addition that would reduce the means of egress
below the requirements for new buildings is prohibited.
SECTION 10.2.5.2 GENERAL PROVISIONS
E. Measurement of Means of Egress
1. The width of means of egress shall be measured by clear width starting
from the narrowest point of the egress component under consideration,
unless otherwise provided in para (2) hereof.
2. Projections of not more than one hundred fourteen millimeters (114
mm)at a maximum height of nine hundred sixty five millimeters (965
mm)within the means of egress on each side shall be permitted.
F. Minimum Width
The width of any means of egress shall not be less than nine hundred fifteen
millimeters (915 mm) except when specifically provided under Division 8 to
Division 17 of this Chapter.
G. Number of Means of Egress
1. The number of means of egress from any balcony, mezzanine, storey, or
portion thereof shall not be less than two (2), except when specifically
permitted in Division 8 through 17 of this Chapter.
2. When the occupant load for any storey or portion thereof is more than five
hundred (500) but not more than one thousand (1000), the means of
egress shall not be less than three (3); in excess thereof, the means of
egress shall not be less than four (4).
3. The occupant load of each storey considered individually shall be required
to be used in computing the number of means of egress at each storey,
provided that the required number of means of egress is not decreased in
the direction of exit travel.
4. No doors other than hoistway door, the elevator car door, and doors that
are readily openable from the car side without a key, tool, special
knowledge, or special effort shall be allowed at the point of access to an
elevator car.

5. Elevator lobbies shall have access to at least one exit. Such exit access
shall not require the use of a key, a tool, special knowledge, or special
effort.
H. Arrangement of Exit
1. Exits shall be located and exit access shall be arranged so that exits
are readily accessible at all times.
2. When exits are not immediately accessible from an open floor area,
continuous passageways, aisles, or corridors leading directly to every
exit shall be maintained and shall be arranged to provide access for
each occupant to not less than two exits by separate ways of travel.
3. Corridors shall provide exit access without passing through any
intervening rooms other than corridors, lobbies, and other spaces
permitted to be open to the corridor.
4. Remoteness shall be determined in accordance with the following:
a. When more than one exit is required from a building or portion
thereof, such exits shall be remotely located from each other and
shall be arranged and constructed to minimize the possibility
that more than one exit has the potential to be blocked by any
fire or other emergency condition.
b. When two (2) exits or exit access doors are required, they shall
be located at a distance from one another not less than onehalf(1/2) of the length of the maximum over-all diagonal
dimension of the building or area to be served, measured in a
straight line between the nearest edge of the exit doors or exit
access doors, unless otherwise provided in para (c) hereof.
c. In buildings protected throughout by an approved supervised
automatic sprinkler system, the minimum separation distance
between two exits or exit access doors measured in accordance
with para (b) hereof shall not be less than one-third (1/3) the
length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the
building or area to be served.
d. Where exit enclosures are provided as the required exits
specified in para (b) and para (c) hereof and are interconnected
by not less than 1-hour fire resistance-rated corridor, exit
separation shall be measured along the line of travel within the
corridor.
e. Where more than two exits or exit access doors are required, at
least two (2) of the required exits or exit access doors shall be
arranged to comply with the minimum separation distance
requirement.
5. Interlocking or scissor stairs shall be considered only as a single exit
for new buildings.

I.

Dead-End Limits

Means of egress shall be so arranged that there are no dead-endpockets,

hallways, corridors, passage ways or courts whose depth exceeds the limits
specified in individual occupancies by Divisions 8 through 17 of this Chapter
J.

Measurement of Travel Distance to Exits

1. The maximum travel distance in any occupied space to the nearest exit
shall not exceed the limits specified for individual occupancies by
Divisions 8 through 17 of this Chapter. Maximum travel distance shall be
determined as follows:
a. The travel distance to an exit shall be measured on the floor or other
walking surface along the center line of the natural path of travel,
starting from the most remote point subject to occupancy, curving
around any corner or construction with a thirty (30) centimeter
clearance therefrom, and ending at the center of the doorway or other
point at which the exit begins. Where measurement includes stairs, it
shall be taken in the place of the tread nosing.
b. In the case of open areas, distance to exits shall be measured from the
most remote point subject to occupancy. In case of individual rooms
subject to occupancy by not more than six (6) persons, distance to
exits shall be measured from the floors of such rooms provided the
path of travel from any point in the room to the room door does not
exceed fifteen meters (15 m).
2. Where open stairways or ramps are permitted, as a path of travel to
required exit, such as between mezzanines or balconies and the floor
below, the distance shall include the travel on the stairway or ramp, and
the travel from the end of the stairway or ramp to reach an outside door
or other exit, in addition to the distance to reach the stairway or ramp.
3. Where any part of an exterior way of exit access is within three meters (3
m) horizontal distance of any unprotected building opening, as permitted
by Section 10.2.5.5 for outside stairs, the distance to the exit shall include
the length of travel to ground level.
K. Access to Exits
1. A door from a room to an exit or to a way of exit access shall be of
the side-hinged, swinging type. It shall swing with exit travel.
2. In no case shall access to exit be through a bathroom, bedroom, or other
room subject to locking, except where the exit is required to serve only
the bedroom or other room subject to locking, or adjoining rooms
constituting part of the same dwelling or apartment used for single family
occupancy.
3. Ways of exit access and the doors to exits to which they lead shall be
designed and arranged to be clearly recognizable as such. Deco- rations

or draperies shall not be placed on exit doors. Mirrors shall not be placed
in or adjacent to any exit in such a manner as to confuse the direction of
exit.
4. Exit access shall be arranged that it will not be necessary to travel toward
any area of high hazard occupancy in order to reach the nearest exit,
unless the path is protected by suitable partitions.
L. Exterior Ways of Exit Access
1. Access to an exit may be by means of any exterior balcony, porch,
gallery, or roof that conforms to the requirements of this Section.
2. Exterior ways of access shall have smooth, solid floors, substantially
level, and shall have guards on the unenclosed sides at least
equivalent to those specified in paragraph H of Section 10.2.5.4 of
this IRR.
3. A permanent, reasonably straight path of travel shall be maintained
over the required exterior way of exit access. There shall be no
obstruction by railings, barriers, or gates that divide the open space
into sections appurtenant to individual rooms, apartments, or other
uses. Where the City/Municipal Fire Marshal having jurisdiction finds
that the required path of travel is obstructed by furniture or other
movable objects, he shall require their removal. However, if the width
of the exterior way of exit access is greater than the required path of
travel, he may permit the relocation of such furniture to one side so
that they are out of the path's way. Such furniture shall then be
fastened so they can no longer be moved. Alternatively, he may
require that railings or other permanent barriers be installed to protect
the path of travel against encroachment.
4. An exterior way of exit access shall be arranged so that there are
nodead-ends in excess of six meters (6 m) in length.
5. Any gallery, balcony, bridge, porch or other exterior exit access that
projects beyond the outside wall of a building shall comply with the
requirements of this Division as to width and arrangement.
M. Discharge from Exits
1. All exits shall terminate directly at a public way or at an exit discharge.
Yards, courts, open space, or other portions of the exit discharge shall
be of required width and size to provide all occupants with a safe
access to a public way.
2. Where permitted for individual occupancies by Divisions 8 through 17
of this Chapter, a maximum of fifty (50) percent of the exits may
discharge through areas on the floor of discharge provided all of the
following requirements are met:

a. Exits shall discharge to a free and unobstructed way to the

exterior of the building and is readily visible and identifiable from
the point of discharge from the exit.
b. The floor of discharge into which the exit discharges and any
other portion of the level of discharge with access to the
discharge areas are protected with approved, supervised
sprinkler system or separated from it in accordance with the
requirement for the enclosure of exits except if the discharge
area is a vestibule or foyer complying with all of the following,
and where allowed in Divisions 8 through 17:
1. The depth from the exterior of the building is not
greater than three meters (3m);
2. The length is not greater than six meters (6m);
3. The foyer is separated from the remainder of the
level of discharge by construction providing
protection at least the equivalent of wired glass in
steel frames; and the foyer serves only for means of
egress including exits directly to the outside.
c. .The entire area on the floor of discharge is separated from areas
below by construction having a minimum of two-hour (2-hr) fire
resistance rating.
3. Stairs and other exits shall be so arranged as to make clear the
direction of egress to the street. Exit stairs that continue beyond the
floor of discharge shall be interrupted at the floor of discharge by
partitions, doors, or other effective means.
4. Stairs, ramps, bridges, balconies, escalators, moving walks and other
components of an exit discharge shall comply with the detailed
requirements of this Division for such components.
5. Subject to the approval of the City/Municipal Fire Marshal having
jurisdiction, exits may be accepted where discharging to roofs or other
sections of the building or adjoining buildings, where the roof has a fire
resistance rating at least the equivalent of that required for the exit enclosure, where there is a continuous and safe means of egress from the
room, and all other reasonable requirements for the safety are
maintained.
N. Headroom
The minimum headroom shall not be less than two meters (2 m) nor any
projection from the ceiling be less than two meters (2 m) from the floor
O. Changes in Elevation

Where a means of egress is not level, such differences in elevation shall be

negotiated by stairs or ramps conforming to the requirements of this Section
for stairs and ramps.
P. Interior Finish in Exits
The flame spread of interior finish shall not exceed Class B in accordance
with Section 10.2.6.3 of this IRR in exit enclosures except when allowed in
Division 8 through 17 of this Section.