407.2.5 Nursing home housing units.

In Group I-2 occupancies, in areas where nursing home residents are housed, shared living spaces, group meeting or multipurpose therapeutic spaces shall be permitted to be open to the corridor, where all of the following criteria are met:

   1.   The walls and ceilings of the space are constructed as required for corridors.

   2.   The spaces are not occupied as resident sleeping rooms, treatment rooms, incidental uses in accordance with Section 509, or hazardous uses.

   3.   The open space is protected by an automatic fire detection system installed in accordance with Section 907.

   4.   The corridors onto which the spaces open, in the same smoke compartment, are protected by an automatic fire detection system installed in accordance with Section 907, or the smoke compartment in which the spaces are located is equipped throughout with quick-response sprinklers in accordance with Section 903.3.2.

   5.   The space is arranged so as not to obstruct access to the required exits.

407.2.6 Nursing home cooking facilities.

In Group I-2 occupancies, rooms or spaces that contain a cooking facility with domestic cooking appliances shall be permitted to be open to the corridor where all of the following criteria are met:

   1.   The number of care recipients housed in the smoke compartment is not greater than 30.

   2.   The number of care recipients served by the cooking facility is not greater than 30.

   3.   Only one cooking facility area is permitted in a smoke compartment.

   4.   The types of domestic cooking appliances permitted are limited to ovens, cooktops, ranges, warmers and microwaves.

   5.   The corridor is a clearly identified space delineated by construction or floor pattern, material or color.

   6.   The space containing the domestic cooking facility shall be arranged so as not to obstruct access to the required exit.

   7.   A domestic cooking hood installed and constructed in accordance with Section 505 of the New York City Mechanical Code is provided over the cooktop or range.

   8.   The domestic cooking hood provided over the cooktop or range shall be equipped with an automatic fire-extinguishing system of a type recognized for protection of domestic cooking equipment. Preengineered automatic extinguishing systems shall be tested in accordance with UL 300A and listed and labeled for the intended application. The system shall be installed in accordance with this code, its listing and the manufacturer's instructions.

   9.   A manual actuation device for the hood suppression system shall be installed in accordance with Sections 904.12.1 and 904.12.2.

   10.   An interlock device shall be provided such that upon activation of the hood suppression system, the power or fuel supply to the cooktop or range will be turned off.

   11.   A shut-off for the fuel and electrical power supply to the cooking equipment shall be provided in a location that is accessible only to staff.

   12.   A timer shall be provided that automatically deactivates the cooking appliances within a period of not more than 120 minutes.

   13.   A portable fire extinguisher shall be installed in accordance with Section 906 of the New York City Fire Code.

407.3 Corridor wall construction.

Corridor walls shall be constructed as smoke partitions in accordance with Section 710.

407.3.1 Corridor doors.

Corridor doors, other than those in a wall required to be rated by Section 509.4 or for the enclosure of a vertical opening or an exit, shall not have a required fire protection rating and shall not be required to be equipped with self-closing or automatic-closing devices, but shall provide an effective barrier to limit the transfer of smoke and shall be equipped with positive latching. Roller latches are not permitted. Other doors shall conform to Section 716.5.

407.4 Means of egress.

Group I-2 occupancies shall be provided with means of egress complying with Chapter 10 and Sections 407.4.1 through 407.4.4. The fire and emergency preparedness plans provided in accordance with Section 1001.4 of this code shall identify the building components necessary to support a defend-in-place emergency response in accordance with the New York City Fire Code.

407.4.1 Direct access to a corridor.

Habitable rooms in Group I-2 occupancies shall have an exit access door leading directly to a corridor.

   Exceptions:

      1.   Rooms with exit doors opening directly to the outside at ground level.

      2.   Rooms arranged as care suites complying with Section 407.4.4.

407.4.1.1 Locking devices.

Locking devices that restrict access to a care recipient's room from the corridor and that are operable only by staff from the corridor side shall not restrict the means of egress from the care recipient's room.

   Exceptions:

      1.   This section shall not apply to rooms in psychiatric treatment and similar care areas.

      2.   Locking arrangements in accordance with Section 1010.1.9.6.

407.4.2 Distance of travel.

The distance of travel between any point in a Group I-2 occupancy sleeping room, not located in a care suite, and an exit access door in that room shall be not greater than 50 feet (15 240 mm).

407.4.3 Projections in nursing home corridors.

In nursing homes of Group I-2 occupancies, where the corridor width is a minimum of 96 inches (2440 mm), projections shall be permitted for furniture where all of the following criteria are met:

   1.   The furniture is attached to the floor or to the wall.

   2.   The furniture does not reduce the clear width of the corridor to less than 72 inches (1830 mm) except where other encroachments are permitted in accordance with Section 1005.7.

   3.   The furniture is positioned on only one side of the corridor.

   4.   Each arrangement of furniture is 50 square feet (4.6 m 2 ) maximum in area.

   5.   Furniture arrangements are separated by 10 feet (3048 mm) minimum.

   6.   Placement of furniture is considered as part of the fire and emergency preparedness plans in accordance with Section 1001.4.