Life Safety Code Requirements

The Life Safety Code, National Fire Protection Association Standard 101, is essentially a building code. The 2009 edition is the latest publication and provides the minimum requirements for fire safety in all types of construction and occupancy. It provides the requirements for new construction and existing structures under rehab. The purpose of the Life Safety Code is to protect building occupants from danger of fire, smoke, and other life threatening hazards.

Fundamentals

• No matter the structure, the Life Safety Code covers it.

  The Life Safety Code is broken down into four major parts, each part with specific requirements. Part One is considered the basics or fundamentals. Part One covers 11 chapters: 1 through 4, 6 through 11 and 43. These are considered the minimum requirements covering administration and related items, occupancy hazards, fire protection equipment, ways of escape and special structures. It is extensive in its scope and is regarded as essential information to the understanding of the entire code.

Performance

• Sprinkler head requirements will get you home to him.

  Part Two consists of only one chapter, Chapter 5, Performance-Based Option requirements. This chapter covers requirements aimed at ensuring that the building design and building systems helps people escape in case of fire. This chapter covers all structures and considers the egress or escape characteristics of each type of building. It contains eight fire scenarios to ensure that building design meets egress requirements for each scenario.

Occupancy

• Because of the code, people don't have to escape blindly.

  Part Three is Chapters 12 through 42, the Occupancy chapters. These 31 chapters cover the requirements for occupancy in dwellings. It outlines the requirements for exits, lighting, sprinkler heads, and permissible building materials.

Additional Information

• Elevator requirements are in the code.

  Part Four consists of Annex A and B. Annex A provides information explaining aspects of the entire standard. This annex is numbered to coincide with the part of the text that it is referencing. Annex B covers occupant-controlled elevators for evacuation. This section was added to the code for the purpose of making elevators safe for evacuation. It describes the features needed to make these elevators safe.

Legality

• The code is law in many states and referenced in all.

  The Life Safety Code is used in all 50 states and has been made law in 43. The Life Safety Code is the only publication to address construction, occupancy, and protection in one text. The code is approximately 470 pages of technical information. The information provided in the text is important enough for the NFPA to offer three- and four-day seminars to instruct users about the code.