KIND OF FIRE PROTECTION, BY HEIGHT AND CHARACTER OF CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS-NEW YORK.

[Each entry represents 1 building. When an establishment has more than 1 building and the several buildings are not uniform as regards fire protection, the principal building has been selected as representative. Figures for fire escapes wholly or partly of wood are not shown in the table.]

The law of New Jersey provides that buildings used for manufacturing purposes must have external fire escapes or fire towers. The construction of the fire escapes is prescribed by the law in great detail, leaving little or no discretion to the enforcing authority in this matter. The legal provisions are as follows:1

Every factory, workshop, mill, or place where the manufacture of * * is carried on * * * goods * which is 3 or more stories in height and in which 25 or more * * * employees shall be at work on or above the third floor shall be provided with outside iron fire escapes as hereinafter provided; the fire escapes shall be located at such places on the said building as may be best suited for the purpose intended or as the commissioner may designate in writing, and shall take in one or more windows on each floor above the first floor; fire escapes may project into the public highway to a distance not greater than 4 feet beyond the building line.

Here follows several sections which prescribe in great detail the construction and care of fire escapes to be erected under this law.

1 Acts of 1904, ch. 64, secs. 34 to 45, as amended by ch. 257, Acts of 1907 (22d An. Rept. Com. of Labor, pp. 865-869).

The more important of these requirements are briefly summarized below:

Fire escapes to consist of outside iron balconies and stairways at each floor above the first, connecting said balconies to the ground. The slope of the stairway to be no greater than a ratio of 1 horizontal to 11 vertical.

The balconies to be not less than 3 feet wide, taking in at each story at least 1 window of each part of the building separated by inside walls in which 25 or more employees may be at work.

A landing, not less than 24 inches square, to be at head and foot of each stairway.

Openings upon each balcony to be easy of access and kept unobstructed.

Floors of balconies to be of wrought iron or steel slats at least 14 by three-eighths of an inch, placed not more than 11 inches apart. Openings for stairways to be at least 21 by 42 inches and to have

no covers.

Platforms to be able safely to sustain a load of at least 80 pounds per square foot.

The outside top rail of balconies to be at least 3 feet high, to extend around the entire platform, and of a specified size, strength, and method of riveting.

Stairways to be capable of sustaining a safe load of at least 100 pounds in all its parts and the treads a concentrated load of 200 pounds.

Treads to be not less than 7 inches wide and the rise not more than 9 inches.

Stairs to be not less than 20 inches wide between inside of strings, and there shall be a clear passage between stairway and wall of building of not less than 14 inches.

Stairways to have a handrail of not less than three-fourths inch round wrought iron rod or pipe, not less than 30 or more than 42 inches above steps.

Brackets supporting balconies to be of a specified size and character and riveted to wall in a specified manner.

There shall be a drop ladder from lower balcony to ground, instead of fixed stairway, when the fire escape is over a highway. If such balcony is more than 16 feet above the ground an intermediate landing balcony shall be provided not more than 10 feet from ground. Drop ladder to be at least 15 inches wide, and constructed as specified in detail.

A gooseneck ladder to be provided from top balcony to roof; to be securely fastened to wall of building and extend at least 30 inches above the roof. There shall be a space of at least 14 inches between such ladder and the outer rail of balcony.

All parts of such fire escapes shall receive not less than two coats of paint at time of erection, and thereafter shall be painted as neces

sary.

The commissioner [of labor] shall have power to make and have served an order in writing * * * ordering that a fire escape. shall be erected * * * or ordering that a fire escape already erected shall be changed and altered in such manner as he shall * * * designate; such fire escapes must conform to the provisions of this act: Provided, That fire towers, when approved by the commissioner, shall be legal protection the same as iron fire escapes as hereinbefore provided.

Penalty. For failure to comply with said orders within the time therein limited, a fine of $100 and an additional fine of $10 per day for each additional day of noncompliance.

As regards the outward opening of doors the law directs that— All the main doors, both inside and outside, of places coming under the provisions of this act [i. e. factory, workshop, mill, or place where the manufacture of goods of any kind is carried on], shall outwardly or be sliding doors, and shall be kept unbolted and unlocked during the hours of employment.

Penalty.-$50.1

open

There is no legal provision regarding exit signs and lights, but in the section of the law dealing with dangerous machinery it is enacted that

When in the opinion of the commissioner it is necessary, the halls leading to workrooms shall be provided with proper lighting facilities. Penalty.-$50.1

Enforcement.-Charged to the State department of labor.2

CONDITIONS FOUND.

Information regarding fire protection was not obtained in the case of one of the 27 establishments visited. Of the remaining 26, 20 had buildings 3 or more stories in height, the material of construction being brick in all cases except one where the building was of brick and concrete.

1 Acts of 1904, ch. 64, secs. 12, 13, and 30 (22d An. Rept. Com. of Labor, pp. 862, 864).

2 Idem, sec. 45, as amended by ch. 257, Acts of 1907 (22d An. Rept. Com. of Labor, p. 868).

The following table classifies the 20 establishments mentioned by height, and shows the number of each group having certain important means of fire protection:

KIND OF FIRE PROTECTION, BY HEIGHT AND CHARACTER OF CONSTRUCTION of, BUILDINGS-NEW JERSEY.

[Each entry represents 1 building. When an establishment has more than 1 building and the several builddings are not uniform as regards fire protection, the principal building has been selected as representative. Figures for fire escapes wholly or partly of wood are not shown in the table.]

The subject of fire escapes and means of protection against fire is under the jurisdiction of the State factory inspection department in only such places as have less than 100,000 population. For cities of the first class (population 1,000,000 or more) and cities of the second class (population 100,000 to 1,000,000) there are special "municipal corporations" acts which prescribe building regulations and place the supervision thereof in the hands of the local authorities.

All but 6 of the 50 establishments visited in Pennsylvania and all but 1 of the 41 having buildings three or more stories high were in cities of the first or second classes, and others not within the jurisdiction of the State factory inspection department. Because of this fact and because the building regulations for these cities, as presscribed in the "municipal acts," are extremely full such regulations are not reproduced here. It is sufficient for the present purpose to note that under those regulations all buildings three or more stories high in cities of the first and second classes are required to maintain a high standard of safety against fire risks.

The more important of the State laws relative to fire escapes in places not of the character mentioned, and thus under the jurisdiction of the State factory inspection department, are given below in somewhat condensed form.1

Fire escapes.

story

*

*

are

SECTION 10. * * *Every storehouse, factory, manufactory,
or workshop of any kind in which employees * **
usually employed * * in the third or any higher
*shall be provided with a permanent, safe
external means of escape therefrom in case of fire, independent
of all internal stairways, the number and location of such
escapes to be governed by the size of the building and the
number of its inmates and arranged in such a way as to make
them readily accessible, safe, and adequate * * *
SEC. 11. Such escapes to consist of outside open iron stairways
of not more than 45 degrees slant, with steps not less than 6
inches in width and 24 inches in length.

SEC. 12. And all of said buildings, capable of accommodating
from 100 to 500 or more persons as operatives * * *

shall

be provided with 2 such stairways, and more than 2 stairways if such be necessary * * *

SEC. 13. And it shall be the duty of the owner or owners * * * to provide and cause to be securely affixed outside of every such building such permanent, external, uninclosed fire

escape.

SEC. 14. Nothing herein contained shall prohibit any person * * * from * * * erecting any other and different device, design, or instrument being a permanent, safe, external means of escape, subject to the inspection and approval of the constituted authorities * *

Penalty. Not exceeding $300 and imprisonment 1 to 2 months, and in case of fire liability for damages for personal injuries and to imprisonment 6 to 12 months.

Ropes, etc.

1

SECTION 1.

ers

* *

*

* *

*

* It shall be the duty of the owner or ownof every building * * more than 2 stories and used * high * * * as a hotel, factory, manufactory, workshop * to provide and cause to be securely affixed to a bolt through the wall over the window head, inside of at least 1 window in each room on the third * * * and * * * each higher floor * * * a chain at least 10 feet in length, with a rope at least 1 inch in diameter, securely attached thereto, of sufficient length to extend to the ground, or such other appliances as may be approved by * * [specified local authorities].

*

Brightly's Purdon's Digest, 12th ed., 1895, p. 914, secs. 1 to 16, with amendments by act No. 204, Acts of 1897 (22d An. Rept. Com. of Labor, pp. 1081–1083).

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Later law. By a law of 1909, act No. 233 (Bulletin of the Bureau of Labor, No. 85, pp. 753, 754), fire-escape requirements in cities of the first and second classes were made clearer and more stringent and the power of inspectors extended.