Fire Code of the Philippines Ebook - SafetySignsPH.com Fire Code of the Philippines eBook - SafetySignsPH | Page 201

travel in different directions (no common path of travel).
3. All vertical opening shall be enclosed.
C. Occupant Load
1. For purposes of determining required exits, the occupant load of
mercantile buildings or parts of building used for mercantile purposes
shall not be less than the following:
a. Street floor, one (I) person for each two and eight-tenths square
meters (2.8 m 2 ) gross floor area. In stores with no street floor as
defined in Division 2 of this Chapter, but with access directly from
the street by stairs or escalators, the principal floor at the point of
entrance to the store shall be considered the street floor. In stores
where due to difference in grade of streets on different sides, there
are two (2) or more floors directly accessible from the street (not
including alleys or similar back streets), each such floor shall be
considered a street floor for the purpose of determining occupant
load.
b. Due to differences in grade of streets on different sides, two or
more floors directly accessible from streets (not including alleys or
similar back streets) exist; each such floor is permitted to be
considered a street floor. The occupant load factor is one person
for each 3.7 square meters of gross floor area of sales space.
c. Sales floors below the street floor: same as street floor.
d. Upper floors, used for sale: one (1) person for each five and six
tenths square meters (5.6 m 2 ) gross floor area.
e. Floor or sections used only for offices, storage, shipping and not
open to the general public: one (1) person for each nine and
three-tenths (9.3) square meters gross floor area.
f.
Floors or sections used for assembly purposes: occupant load
determined in accordance with Division 8 of this Chapter.
g. Covered Walls: one (1) person for each two and eight-tenths
square meters (2.8 m 2 ) gross floor area.
2. Where any required egress capacity from a balcony or mezzanine
passes through the room below, that required capacity shall be
added to the required egress capacity of the room below.
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