National Building Code of the Philippines

(3) Arrangement of Exits . If only two exits are required they shall be placed a distance apart to not less than one-fifth of the perimeter of the area served measured in a straight line between exits. Where three or more exits are required they shall be arranged a reasonable distance apart so that if one becomes blocked, the others will be available. (4) Distance to Exits . No point in a building without a sprinkle system shall be more than 45.00 meters from an exterior exit door, a horizontal exit, exit passageway, or an enclosed stairway, measured along the line of travel. In a building equipped with a complete automatic fire extinguishing system the distance from exits may be increased to 60.00 meters. (c) Doors . The provisions herein shall apply to every exit door serving an area having an occupant load of more than 10 or serving hazardous rooms or areas. (1) Swing . Exit door shall swing in the direction of exit travel when serving any hazardous areas or when serving an occupant load of 50 or more. Double acting doors shall not be used as exits serving a tributary occupant load of more than 100; nor shall they be used as a part of fire assembly, nor equipped with public hardware. A double acting door shall be provided with a view panel of not less than 1,300 square centimeters. (2) Type of Lock or Latch . Exit door shall be openable from the inside without the use of a key or any special knowledge or effort: Except , that this requirement shall not apply to exterior exit doors in a Group E or F Occupancy if there is a conspicuous, readily visible and durable sign on or adjacent to the door, stating that the door is to remain unlocked during business hours. The locking device must be of a type that will readily be distinguishable as locked. Flush bolts or surface bolts are prohibited. (3) Width and Height . Every required exit doorway shall be of a size as to permit the installation of a door not less than 900 millimeters in width and not less than 2.00 meters in height. When installation in exit doorways, exit doors shall be capable of openings at least 90 decrees and shall be so mounted that the clear width of the exit way is not less than 700 millimeters. In computing the required exit width the net dimension of the exitway shall be used. (4) Door Leaf Width . No leaf of an exit door shall exceed 1.20 meters in width. (5) Special Doors . Revolving, sliding, and overhead doors shall not be used as required exits. (6) Egress from Door . Every required exit door shall give immediate access to an approved means of egress from the building. (7) Change in Floor Level at Doors. Regardless of the occupant load there shall be a floor or landing on each side of an exit door. The floor or landing shall be leveled with, or not more than 50 millimeters lower than the threshold of the doorway: Except , that in Group A and B occupancies, a door may open on the top step of a flight of stairs or an exterior landing provided the door does not swing over the top step or exterior landing and the landing is not more than 200 millimeters below the floor level. (1) Door Identification . Glass doors shall conform to the requirements in Section 1005. Other exit doors shall be so marked that they are already distinguishable from the adjacent construction. (2) Additional Doors. When additional doors are provided for egress purposes, they shall conform to all provisions in the following cases: Approved revolving doors having leaves which will collapse under opposing pressures may be used in exit situations: Provided : That such doors have a minimum width of 2.00 meters or they are not used in occupancies where exits are required to be equipped with panic hardware or at least one conforming exit door is located adjacent to each revolving doors installed in a building and the revolving door shall not be considered to provide any exit width. (d) Corridors and Exterior Exit Balconies . The provisions herein shall apply to every corridor and exterior exit balcony serving as required exit for an occupant load of more than ten. (1) Width . Every corridor or exit balcony shall not be less than 1.10 meters in width. (2) Projections . The required width of corridors and exterior exit balconies shall be an obstructed: Except that trim handrails, and doors when fully opened shall not reduce the required width by more than 200 millimeters. Doors in any position shall not reduce the required width of the corridor by more than one-half. (3) Access to Exits . When more than one exit is required, they shall be arranged to allow going to either direction from any point dead ends permitted by this Code. (4) Dead Ends . Corridors and exterior exit balconies with dead ends are permitted when the dead end does not exceed 6.00 meters in length. (5) Construction . Walls and ceilings of corridors shall not be less than one-hour fire-resistive construction. Provided, that this requirement shall not apply to exterior exit balconies, railings, and corridors of one-storey building housing a Group E and F Occupancy occupied by one tenant only and which serves an occupant load of 30 or less, nor to corridors, formed by temporary partitions. Exterior exit balconies cannot project into an area where protected openings are required. (6) Openings . When corridor wall are required to be one-hour fire-resistive construction, every interior door opening shall be protected as set forth in generally recognized and accepted requirements for dual purpose fire exit doors. Other interior openings except ventilation louvers equipped with approved automatic fire shutter shall be 7 millimeters thick fixed wire glass set in steel frames. The total area of all openings other than doors, in any portion of an interior corridor wall shall not exceed twenty- five percent of the area of the corridor wall of the room being separated from the corridor. (e) Stairways . Except stairs or ladders used only to access, equipment, every stairway serving any building or portion thereof shall conform to the following requirements: (1) Width . Stairways serving an occupant load of more than 50 shall not be less than 1.10 meters. Stairways serving an occupant load of 50 or less may be 900 millimeters wide. Private stairways serving an occupant load of less than 10 may be 750 millimeters. Trim and handrails shall not reduce the required width by more than 100 millimeters. (2) Rise and Run . The rise of every step in a stairway shall not exceed 200 millimeters and the run shall not less than 250 millimeters. The maximum variations in the height of risers and the width of treads in any one flight shall be 5 millimeters: Except, in case of private stairways serving an occupant load of less than 10, the rise may be 200 millimeters and the run may be 250 millimeters, except as provided in sub- paragraph (3) below. (3) Winding Stairways . In Group A Occupancy and in private stairways in Group B Occupancies, winders may be used if the required width of run is provided at a point not more than 300 millimeters from the side of the stairway where the treads are narrower but in no case shall any width of run be less than 150 millimeters at any point.