N.Y. Labor Law § 271: Requirements for buildings erected before October first, nineteen hundred and thirteen

§ 271. Requirements for buildings erected before October first,

nineteen hundred and thirteen. No factory shall be conducted in a

building erected before October first, nineteen hundred thirteen, and

not occupied or used as a factory building on July first, nineteen

hundred forty-eight, unless such building shall conform to the

requirements of section two hundred seventy. No factory shall be

conducted in a building erected before October first, nineteen hundred

thirteen and occupied or used as a factory building on July first,

nineteen hundred forty-eight, unless such building shall conform to the

following requirements:

1. Required exits. a. On each floor used as a factory there shall be

at least two exits remote from each other, except that a single exit may

be accepted by the commissioner from a floor or other area, of one

thousand square feet or less, so long as no person is regularly employed

on such floor or other area. One such exit on each floor shall be either

a grade exit, an interior stairway enclosed as hereinafter provided or

ramp similarly enclosed, or an exterior fireproof enclosed stairway. The

other shall be: either such a grade exit, stairway or ramp; or a

horizontal exit; or an exterior screened stairway; or outside

fire-escapes on a building six stories or less in height, except such

fire-escapes shall not be accepted as a required exit in such buildings

or particular classes thereof where the board finds that they will not

in its opinion furnish adequate and safe means of escape for occupants

in case of fire. Unenclosed exterior stairways or ramps extending up to

grade may be substituted for enclosed stairways from a floor area below

the ground floor.

b. No point on any floor above or below the ground floor shall be more

than one hundred feet distant from the entrance to one such exit at that

floor nor more than one hundred and fifty feet distant from such exit if

the building has an automatic sprinkler system conforming to section two

hundred and eighty and the rules of the board. No point in any ground

floor area shall be more than two hundred feet distant from an exit from

that floor and in a sprinklered building more than two hundred and fifty

feet distant from such exit.

c. If safe egress may be had from the roof to an adjacent structure

every stairway serving as a required exit in a building exceeding two

stories in height shall be extended to the roof. All such stairways

shall extend to the first story and lead to the street or to an

unobstructed passageway leading to a street or road or to an open area

affording safe passage to a street or road.

2. Stairway enclosures. All interior stairways serving as required

exits and the landings, platforms and passageways connected therewith

shall be enclosed on all sides by partitions of fire-resisting material

extending continuously from the basement to the roof. Where the stairway

continues to the top floor such partitions shall extend to three feet

above the roof or to the roof if it is fireproof. All such partitions

and doors provided for openings therein shall be constructed in

accordance with rules adopted by the board.

3. Doors. Where five or more persons are employed on any floor of a

factory building all doors on such floor leading to or opening on any

exit shall open outwardly or be double swinging doors. All exit doors in

the first story, including the doors of the vestibule, shall open

outwardly.