New Nightclub Fire Regulations
By Paul McGrath
On Monday, February 5, 2007 The State of New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards and the Division of Fire Safety adopted new amendments to the Uniform Fire Code for Nightclubs. These amendments address certain deficiencies in the current fire code for nightclubs. These new amendments have been adopted as a result of the tragic Rhode Island Station nightclub fire in February 2003 that took the life of 100 people and left over 200 more injured. The State of New Jersey has always been proactive when it comes to the fire safety of its residents and although we have been fortunate not to have had a nightclub fire of this magnitude, the State deems it necessary to take every step to prevent such a tragedy. This article will clarify the new amendments and answer any questions the reader might have about this new code.
What types of occupancy do these new rules cover?
These new codes cover Nightclubs, as defined below. Nightclubs that meet or exceed the requirements of the BOCA 1990 Edition or later and possess a valid certificate of occupancy are not required to comply with these changes.
What is a “nightclub”?
The amendment defines a nightclub, as “all buildings and places of public assembly designed for use as dance halls, eating and/or drinking establishments, and similar occupancies, in which the established maximum permitted occupant load exceeds the number of seats provided by more than 30 percent or which, affords less than 12 square feet net area per occupant.”
An example of this would be a restaurant that removes some of their tables and chairs in order to accommodate a musical band, thus reducing the number of seats to a seat to occupancy ratio of less than 100:130.
How is this determined?
The amendment states that “for purposes of determining the net area per occupant, only the actual public assembly room or rooms shall be considered. For purposes of applying the requirements of this code, the nightclub shall include all rooms, lobbies and other spaces connected thereto with a common means of egress and entrance.”
Therefore, to determine if the net area per occupant is less than 12 square feet per person, only the public assembly areas are to be used in the calculation of the net area. However, the requirements of the fire code apply to the entire nightclub facility, including work areas.
What if my club can accommodate 100-299 people, what kind of fire protection system do I need to install?
In order to be in compliance, all nightclubs that have an occupancy load of 100 or more need to have an automatic fire detection system installed throughout the nightclub. This fire alarm system will sound when activated by smoke detectors, the house lights will go on full and the performance sound system will be muted. The only exception would be if there is a fire sprinkler system in the building.
What if my club can accommodate 300 people, what do I have to do then?
For nightclubs with occupancy of 300 or more, the code states that the nightclub must be equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system that will be activated in the area of a fire, should one occur. Again, the house lights will go on full and the performance sound system will be muted.
Are there any other things that I will have to comply with?
Yes, Egress is another area that has been addressed. The new rules are as follows:
The code states that for Nightclubs that do not have an automatic fire sprinkler system, the main exit (entrance) and at least one other exit should be placed a distance apart equal to one-half the length of the maximum overall diagonal distance of the area being used in the building. For Nightclubs that have an automatic fire sprinkler system, the distance between exits should be one-third the length of the maximum overall diagonal distance.
If the Nightclub accommodates 100-299 people, the main exit must have an egress capacity of one-half the occupancy and the alternate exits must have an egress capacity of two-thirds of the occupancy.
If the Nightclub accommodates 300 or more persons, the main exit must have an egress capacity for at least two-thirds of the occupancy and the alternate exits must have an egress capacity for at least two-third of the occupancy.
When do I have to have this done by?
The requirements state that all nightclubs must be in compliance by February 5, 2009.
Please consult the accompanying chart for further clarification of the changes.
PAUL MCGRATH is president of City Fire Equipment Company, Inc., a full-service fire protection company specializing in the installation, maintenance, testing and inspection of all types of fire protection equipment, including portable fire extinguishers, fire alarm systems, fire sprinkler systems, kitchen fire suppression systems and kitchen hood cleaning. Paul can be reached at 973-560-1600 x 204 or via e-mail at paul@cityfire.com. Please visit our website at www.cityfire.com.
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