This document outlines requirements for business occupancies. It discusses classification of occupancy and hazard contents, exit details like types of exits permitted and capacity requirements, protection requirements like vertical opening enclosure and interior finishes, and fire protection systems like sprinklers, alarms and hazard separation. It provides specific requirements for means of egress, travel distances, number and arrangement of exits, signage and evacuation plans that must be followed for business occupancy buildings.

1. BUSINESS OCCUPANCIES

2. DIVISION 16. BUSINESS OCCUPANCIES
SECTION 10.2.16.1
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
A. Classification of Occupancy
Business Occupancies shall include all buildings and structures or parts thereof with
occupancy described in Division 3 of this Chapter.
B. Classification of Hazard of Contents
The contents of business occupancies shall be classified as ordinary hazard in
accordance with Division 4 of this Chapter. For purposes of the design of an automatic
fire
suppression system, an office occupancy shall be classified as “light hazard
occupancy”.

3. SECTION 10.2.16.2
EXIT DETAILS
A. General
1. All exit facilities shall be in accordance with Section 10.2.5.10 of this RIRR and this
Division.
However, only types of exits specified in para “B” of this Section (Types of Exits) may
be used as required exit facilities in any business occupancy with access thereto and
ways of travel therefrom in accordance with Section 10.2.5.2 of this RIRR.
2. If, owing to differences in grade level, any street floor exits are at points above or
below the street or ground level, such exits shall comply with the provisions for exits
from upper floors or floors below the street floor.

4. 3. Stairs and ramps serving two (2) or more floors below a street floor occupied for
business use shall be permitted in accordance with paras 4 and 5 below.
4. Where two (2) or more floors below the street floor are occupied for business
use, the same stairs or ramps shall be permitted to serve each.
5. An inside open stairway or inside open ramp shall be permitted to serve as a
required egress facility provided that only one (1) floor level below the street floor.
6. Floor levels below the street floor used only for storage, heating, and other
service equipment, and are not subject to business occupancy shall have a separate
means of egress in accordance with Division 18 of this Chapter.

5. B. Types of Exits
1. Exits shall be restricted to the following permissible
types:
a. Doors
b. Stairs and smoke proof enclosures
c. Horizontal exits
d. Ramps
e. Exit Passageways

6. C. Capacity of Means of Egress
1. The capacity of means of egress shall be in accordance with Section 10.2.5.2 of
this RIRR.
2. The clear width of any corridor or passageway serving an occupant load of fifty (50) or
more shall be not less than one and twelve hundredths meters (1.12 m). It is not the
intent that this provision applies to non-corridor or non-passageway areas of exit access,
such as the spaces between rows of desks created by office layout or low-height
partitions.
3. Street floor exits shall be sufficient for the occupant load of the street floor plus the
required capacity of stairs and ramps discharging through the street floor.

7. D. Number of Exits
1. Exits shall comply with the following, except as otherwise permitted by
para 2 through 6 below:
a. The number of means of egress shall be in accordance with Section 10.2.5.2
of
this RIRR.
b. Not less than two (2) separate exits shall be provided on every storey.
c. Not less than two (2) separate exits shall be accessible from every part of
every storey.
2. Exit access, as required by para 1.a through 1.c above, shall be permitted
to include a single exit access path for the distances permitted as common
paths of travel.

8. 3. A single exit shall be permitted for a room or area with a total occupant load of fewer
than one hundred (100) persons, provided that the following criteria are met:
a. The exit shall discharge directly to the outside at the level of exit discharge for the
building.
b. The total distance of travel from any point, including travel within the exit, shall not
exceed thirty meters (30 m).
c. The total distance of travel specified in para “b” above shall be on the same floor
level or, if traversing of stairs is necessary, such stairs shall not exceed four thousand
five hundred seventy millimeters (4,570 mm) in height and the stairs shall be provided
with complete enclosures to separate them from any other part of the building.

9. 4. Any business occupancy not exceeding three (3) storeys, and not exceeding an
occupant load of thirty (30) people per floor, shall be permitted a single separate exit
to each floor, provided that either of the following criteria is met:
a. This arrangement shall be permitted only where the total travel distance to the
outside of the building does not exceed thirty meters (30 m) and where the exit is
enclosed in accordance with Section 10.2.6.5 of this RIRR, serves no other levels, and
discharges directly to the outside.
b. A single outside stair in accordance with Section 10.2.5.5 of this RIRR shall be permitted
to serve all floors.

10. 5. A single means of egress shall be permitted from a mezzanine within a business
occupancy, provided that the common path of travel does not exceed twenty-three
meters (23 m), or thirty meters (30 m) if protected throughout by an approved, supervised
automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 10.2.6.7 of this RIRR.
6. A single exit shall be permitted for a maximum two-storey, single-tenant
space/building that is protected throughout by an approved, supervised sprinkler
system in accordance with Section 10.2.6.7 of this RIRR and where the total travel to the
outside does not exceed thirty meters (30 m).

11. E. Arrangement of Means of Egress
1. Means of egress shall be arranged in accordance with Section 10.2.5.2 of this RIRR.
2. Dead-end corridors shall be permitted in accordance with the following:
a. In buildings protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler
system in accordance with Section 10.2.6.7 of this RIRR, dead-end corridors shall not
exceed fifteen meters (15 m).
b. In buildings other than those complying with para “c” below, dead-end corridors
shall not exceed six meters (6 m).
c. It is recognized that dead ends exceeding the permitted limits exist and, in some
cases, are impractical to eliminate. The C/MFM having jurisdiction might permit such
dead ends to continue to exist, taking into consideration any or all of the following:
1) Tenant arrangement
2) Automatic sprinkler protection
3) Smoke detection
4) Exit remoteness

12. 3. Limitations on common path of travel shall be in accordance with the following:
a. Common path of travel shall not exceed thirty meters (30 m) in a building protected
throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance
with Section 10.2.6.7 of this RIRR.
b. Common path of travel shall not exceed thirty meters (30 m) within a single tenant
space having an occupant load not exceeding thirty (30) persons.
c. In buildings other than those complying with para “a” or “b” above, the common
path of travel shall not exceed twenty-three meters (23 m).
d. It is recognized that common paths of travel exceeding the permitted limits exist and,
in some cases, are impractical to eliminate. The C/MFM having jurisdiction might
permit such common paths of travel to continue to exist, taking into consideration
any or all of the following:
1) Tenant arrangement
2) Automatic sprinkler protection
3) Smoke detection
4) Exit remoteness

13. F. Travel Distance to Exits
1. In buildings protected throughout by an approved, supervised sprinkler system in
accordance with Section 10.2.6.7 of this RIRR, the travel distance shall not exceed
sixty-one meters (61 m).
2. In buildings other than those complying with para 1 above, the travel distance,
measured
in accordance with Section 10.2.5.2 of this RIRR, shall not exceed forty-six meters (46 m).
G. Discharge from Exits
All of the required exits shall terminate directly to the street or through a yard, court, or
passageway with protected openings and separated from all parts of the interior of the
building.
The exits may also discharge on the areas of the floor exit discharge provided the
following are met:
1. Such exits discharge to a free and unobstructed way to the exterior of the building by
not more than six meters (6 m) distance, which way is readily visible and identifiable
from the point of discharge from the exit.

14. G. Discharge from Exits
All of the required exits shall terminate directly to the street or through a yard, court, or
passageway with protected openings and separated from all parts of the interior of the
building.
The exits may also discharge on the areas of the floor exit discharge provided the
following are met:
1. Such exits discharge to a free and unobstructed way to the exterior of the building by
not more than six meters (6 m) distance, which way is readily visible and identifiable
from the point of discharge from the exit

15. 2. The floor of discharge into which the exit discharge is provided with automatic fire
suppression system and any other portion of the level of discharge with access to the
discharge area is provided with automatic fire suppression system or separated from
it in accordance with the requirements for the enclosure of exit in Section 10.2.5.2 of
this RIRR.
3. The entire area on the floor of discharge is separated from areas below by construction
having a minimum fire-resistance rating of two (2) hours.

16. H. Exit Signs and Lighting
1. Exit illumination shall be provided in accordance with Section 10.2.5.11 of this RIRR.
2. Emergency lighting shall be provided in accordance with Section 10.2.5.11 of this RIRR in
any building where any one of the following conditions exists:
a. The building is two (2) or more storeys in height above the level of exit discharge.
b. The occupancy is subject to fifty (50) or more occupants above or below the level of
exit discharge.
3. Emergency lighting in accordance with Section 10.2.5.11 of this RIRR shall be provided
for all underground and limited access structures.
4. Means of egress shall have signs in accordance with Section 10.2.5.12 of this RIRR.
I. Emergency Evacuation Plan
Emergency Evacuation Plan shall be in accordance with Section 10.2.5.13 of this RIRR.

17. SECTION 10.2.16.3
PROTECTION
A. Protection of Vertical Openings
1. Vertical openings shall be enclosed or protected in accordance with Section 10.2.6.5 of
this RIRR, unless otherwise permitted by the following:
a. Unenclosed vertical openings in accordance with Section 10.2.6.5 of this RIRR shall
be permitted.
b. Exit stairs shall be permitted to be unenclosed in two-storey, single tenant spaces
that are provided with a single exit in accordance with para D.6 of Section 10.2.16.2
of this RIRR.
c. Unprotected vertical openings shall be permitted in existing buildings complying
with all of the following:
1) Where protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system in
accordance with NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems.
2) Where no unprotected vertical opening serves as any part of any required means
of egress.

18. 3) Where required exits consist of exit doors that discharge directly to grade
in accordance with Section 10.2.5.3, outside stairs in accordance with
Section 10.2.5.4, smoke-proof enclosures in accordance with Section 10.2.5.4,
or horizontal exits in accordance with Section 10.2.5.6 of this RIRR.
d. Floors that are below the street floor and are used for storage or other than
a business
occupancy.

19. B. Interior Finish
1. Interior finish shall be in accordance with Section 10.2.6.4 of this RIRR.
2. Interior wall and ceiling finish
a. Interior wall and ceiling finish material complying with Section 10.2.6.4 of this RIRR
shall be Class A or Class B in exits and in exit access corridors.
b. Interior wall and ceiling finishes shall be Class A, Class B, or Class C in areas other than
those specified in para “a” above.
3. Interior floor finish
a. Interior floor finish shall comply with Section 10.2.6.4 of this RIRR.
b. Interior floor finish in exit enclosures shall be Class I or Class II.
C. Extinguishing Equipment
All business occupancy buildings fifteen meters (15 m) or more in height shall be
provided throughout with approved, supervised sprinkler system, fully electrically supervised
designed in accordance with NFPA 13.

20. D. Detection, Alarm, and Communications Systems
1. A fire alarm system in accordance with Section 10.2.6.4 of this RIRR shall be provided in
all business, where any one of the following conditions exists:
a. The building is two (2) or more storeys in height above the level of exit discharge;
b. The occupancy is subject to fifty (50) or more occupants above or below the level of
exit discharge. For existing building, the occupancy is subject to one hundred (100)
or more occupants above or below the level of exit discharge; or
c. The occupancy is subject to three hundred (300) or more total occupants. For existing
building, the occupancy is subject to one thousand (1,000) or more total occupants.
2. Initiation of the required fire alarm system shall be by one of the following means:
a. Manual means in accordance with Section 10.2.6.6 of this RIRR;
b. Means of an approved automatic fire detection system that complies with Section
10.2.6.6 of this RIRR, and provides protection throughout the building; or
c. Means of an approved automatic sprinkler system that complies with Section 10.2.6.7
of this RIRR, and provides protection throughout the building.

21. 3. Occupant notification. During all times that the building is occupied, the required fire
alarm system, once initiated, shall perform one of the following functions:
a. For new and existing building, it shall activate a general alarm throughout the
building in accordance with Section 10.2.6.6 of this RIRR. A positive alarm sequence
in accordance with Section 10.2.6.6 of this RIRR shall be permitted.
b. For existing building, a pre-signal system in accordance with Section 10.2.6.6 of this
RIRR shall be permitted.
c. For new and existing building, it shall activate an alarm signal in a continuously
attended location for the purpose of initiating emergency action by personnel
trained to respond to emergencies as follows:
1) Emergency action shall be initiated by means of live voice public address system
announcements originating from the attended location where the alarm signal is
received, unless otherwise permitted by para 3 below

22. 2) The live voice public address system shall be permitted to be used for other
announcements, provided that the emergency action use takes precedence
over any other use.
3) In lieu of live voice public address system announcements, any other occupant
notification means in accordance with Section 10.2.6.6 of this RIRR shall be
permitted.
4. Where business occupancies do not fall within the condition of para D.1 above, it shall
be provided with manual fire alarm system.

23. E. Protection from Hazard
1. Hazardous areas including, but not limited to, areas used for general storage, boiler or
furnace rooms, and maintenance shops that include woodworking and painting areas
shall be protected in accordance with Section 10.2.6.10 of this RIRR.
2. It is not the intent of this provision that rooms inside individual tenant spaces that are
used to store routine office supplies for that tenant be required to be either separated
or sprinklered.
3. High hazard contents areas, as classified in Division 4 of this Chapter, shall meet the
following criteria:
a. The area shall be separated from other parts of the building by fire barriers having a
fire resistance rating of not less than one (1) hour, with all openings therein protected
by the three-quarters (3/4) of an hour, fire protection-rated, self-closing fire door
assemblies.
b. The area shall be protected by an automatic extinguishing system in accordance
with Section 10.2.6.7 of this RIRR

24. • 4. The requirement for separating high hazard contents areas from
other parts of the
• building shall comply with Section 10.2.6.10 of this RIRR.