Section 330.3370  Stairways, Vertical Openings, and Doorways

Every building shall meet the following requirements:

a)         Stairways shall be enclosed and all openings to them shall be equipped with self-closing doors having a minimum of three feet, eight inches in clear width.  Each door shall swing in the direction of exit travel and be equipped with a view panel of clear wired glass, and shall be incapable of being locked from the inside of the stairwell.  (A, B)

b)         All vertical openings or shafts (elevators, dumbwaiters, laundry chutes, and stairways) shall be enclosed with material having not less than a two hour fire resistive rating.  All doors opening into such vertical openings shall be noncombustible with at least a one and one-half hour "B" labeled door.  (A, B)

c)         Vertical openings and shafts shall be located in rooms of not less than one hour fire resistive construction.  The doors shall be three-fourths hour rated solid core wood doors or an equivalent.  (A, B)

d)         All required exit doors shall swing outward, be equipped with panic hardware, and be free of any obstruction, chain, locking or holding device.  Each exit door and each door in an exit passageway shall be at least three feet, eight inches in clear width.  If the doors have no latching mechanism, panic hardware may not be required.  (A, B)

e)         Any hazardous area shall be enclosed with construction having at least a one hour fire resistance rating or be provided with automatic fire protection.  If the hazard is severe it shall have both.  Doors shall be kept closed when not in use.  (A, B)

f)         Any door that is part of a fire wall separating sections of a building, or two abutting buildings, shall be appropriate for the fire resistance rating of the separation.  (A, B)

g)         Doors to residents' rooms shall be of solid core wood construction of at least one and three-fourths inches thickness or equivalent, and shall be at least three feet wide and swing into the room.  (A, B)

(Source:  Amended at 13 Ill. Reg. 6562, effective April 17, 1989)