3640

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

[No. 82

PART II.-OWNER TO PROVIDE FIRE-ESCAPES.

New Buildings.

12. The owner of every building hereafter erected shall,
    before such building is occupied by any person, provide in
    connection therewith the fire-escapes hereby declared to be
    necessary for such building.

Existing Buildings.

13. The owner of every building heretofore erected shall,
    within a reasonable time after being required by the Superintendent by notice in writing so to do, provide in connection
    therewith the fire-escapes hereby declared to be necessary for
    such building.

BUILDINGS SUBJECT TO BY-LAW BY CHANGE OF USE.

14. When the nature of the use or occupation of any
    building, whether heretofore or hereafter erected, to which
    this by-law does not apply is changed so that this by-law
    applies thereto the owner of such building shall, within a
    reasonable time after being required by the Superintendent
    by notice in writing so to do, provide in connection therewith the fire-escapes hereby declared to be necessary for such
    building.

BUILDINGS SUBJECT TO BY-LAW BY STRUCTURAL ALTERATION.

15. When structural additions or alterations are made to
    any building, whether heretofore or hereafter erected, to
    which this by-law does not apply so that this by-law applies
    thereto, the owner of such building shall forthwith (and
    without the necessity of any notice) provide in connection
    therewith the fire-escapes hereby declared to be necessary
    for such building.

FRESH COMPUTATION OF NOMINAL CAPACITY.

16. When a fresh computation of the nominal capacity of
    any building has been made as hereinbefore provided, the
    owner of such building shall, within a reasonable time after
    being required by the Superintendent by notice in writing
    so to do, provide in connection therewith the fire-escapes
    hereby declared to be necessary for such building according
    to such fresh computation.

PART III.-FIRE-ESCAPES DECLARED TO BE NECESSARY.

NUMBER OF FIRE-ESCAPES PER BUILDING.

17. It shall be necessary for every building to be provided
    with a separate and sufficient fire-escape not connecting with
    any other fire-escape for every one hundred units or part of
    one hundred units of the nominal capacity of the building;
    and, where the nominal capacity of any story of a building
    exceeds one hundred units, it shall be necessary for such
    story to be provided with a separate and sufficient fireescape not connecting with any other fire-escape for every
    complete one hundred units of the nominal capacity of that
    story.

ALTERNATIVE ESCAPES.

18. In every case where the nominal capacity of any
    building or part of a building entails the provision of more
    than one fire-escape, the number of fire-escapes provided shall
    be such that each fire-escape is sufficient for a nominal
    capacity of at least one-third more than a nominal capacity,
    ascertained by dividing the total nominal capacity of such
    building or part of a building by the number of fire-escapes
    provided:

Provided that for the purposes of this and the last preceding
clause hereof any fire-escape of greater width at every exit
than the minimum width prescribed by clause 38 hereof
shall be deemed sufficient for an additional twenty-five units
of nominal capacity for every complete 2 ft. of width additional to the said minimum.

NUMBER OF EXITS PER STORY.

19. It shall be necessary for every story of a building to
    be provided with a separate exit to a fire-escape for every
    fifty units or part of fifty units of the nominal capacity of
    that story.

DISTANCE TO EXIT.

20. It shall be necessary for every room in a building
    (exclusive of bath-rooms, lavatories, and other rooms of a
    like nature) to have access to a sufficient fire-escape access to
    which is obtained either directly or by means of a level unimpeded passage-way of a length measured along the course
    thereof of not more than 100 ft. from the door or nearest
    door of such room to the exit:

Provided that in the case of a building so constructed that
the distance in a straight line from the door of any room to
the nearest exterior wall of the building having space beside
it for a fire-escape is a distance of more than 100 ft., then in
respect of such room such distance shall be deemed to be
substituted for the length of 100 ft. hereinbefore prescribed.

FIRE-ESCAPES TO COMPLY WITH BY-LAW.

21. No fire-escape shall be deemed sufficient for the purposes of this by-law unless it conforms in all respects with
    the requirements relating to fire-escapes hereinafter contained,
    and unless the exits thereto conform in all respects with the
    requirements relating to exits hereinafter contained, and
    unless it is at all times maintained in good, sound, and substantial order and condition, and unless all moving parts
    thereof and of all exits thereto are at all times maintained
    in free working condition.

CLEARANCE OF FIRE-ESCAPES.

22. No fire-escapes shall be deemed sufficient for the purposes of this by-law if-
    (a) At any time any part thereof is occupied by any goods
    or other movable article :
    (b) The space to a height of 6 ft. above any part of the
    footway is at any time occupied by any object so as
    to reduce the width of the space vertically above the
    footway of the fire-escape below the minimum width
    of 30 in. prescribed by clause 38 hereof.

APPROVAL OF PLANS.

23. Any person proposing to provide a fire-escape for any
    building, whether in pursuance of any requirement under
    this by-law or otherwise, shall submit to the Superintendent
    particulars of plans and specifications of such fire-escape and
    the exits thereto, and of such building, and of the actual or
    intended nominal capacity thereof, and if the Superintendent
    considers such particulars sufficient to enable him to do so
    he shall, by notice in writing, approve the same, and a fireescape with exits thereto, both constructed in accordance
    with such plans and specifications shall, if such construction
    has been commenced within three calendar months of the
    date of such approval, be deemed (so far only as regards matters appertaining to the design and construction thereof)
    to be sufficient for the purposes of this by-law.

UNIMPEDED PASSAGE-WAYS.

24. No passage shall be deemed an unimpeded passage-way
    for the purposes of this by-law unless it complies with all the
    following requirements:-
    (a) It lies for the whole of its course on one floor of the
    building:
    (b) It is of a height at its lowest part of at least 8 ft.
    and a width at its narrowest part of at least 3 ft. :
    (c) It is separated by a substantial partition from any
    staircase, lift-well, or other opening extending through
    any floor of the building:
    (d) It is not at any time occupied by any furniture,
    curtain, or other movable object placed so as to
    reduce the height and width of the passage-way
    below the aforesaid minimum measurements:
    (e) It is provided with a notice of the words "To FIREESCAPE" and a mark of direction, both permanently
    marked on or affixed to a wall thereof in a conspicuous position and in conspicuous lettering at
    least 6 in. high at every place where two or more
    passages meet or the passage-way changes its
    direction:

Provided that the requirements set out in paragraph (e)
hereof shall not apply to a passage in any part of a building
which part is occupied solely as a private dwelling or solely
as an office, warehouse, or counting-house in which not more
than ten persons are regularly engaged.

PART IV.-EXITS.

SIZE OF EXITS.

25. The exit of every fire-escape shall be a window, door,
    or other opening in the exterior wall of the building of such
    a size that when opened it shall not in any part be less than
    3 ft. wide nor less than 6 ft. high, exclusive of any projections
    or fittings connected therewith:

Provided that in case of an exit serving only for one room
having not more than five hundred square feet of floor-space
it shall be sufficient if the exit, when opened, has a rectangular
space of at least six square feet and a width unobstructed by
projections or fittings of at least 30 in.