I am based in Los Angeles, CA. And while I think we all know having anyone "sit" in the aisle as a seat is not safe or appropriate for a lot of reasons, does anyone have leads on any codes or guidelines that say why this is the case. Need some more authoritative documentation besides common sense to back me up.
Aisle Safety Seating (Having No Patrons Sit in Aisle)
- Thread startercoolsvens
- Start date
ZMB - Absolutely correct. In this particular case we have a 150 seats, but the occupancy on the rooms is very high. So the argument that we are breaking occupancy would likely not come up. I was thinking more along the lines of egress paths, trip hazard. While it is of course likely whoever is sitting on a step would get up to leave, it's more that they are blocking a pathway that is expected to be open from the start instead of waiting for them to get up.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
Thanks Bill. It's actually a small black box with "flexible seating" But the flexible seating is bleacher style pull out, so you can't move it to different locations in the room. But when it's collapsed there is a lot of space, which is one of the reasons the room occupancy might be higher.
Robert
Well-Known Member
The only time I have been allowed to place anyone seated on the stairs or in an aisle was when they were official personnel. That is ushers in a uniform or with ID tags and a flashlight and they had to be there as part of their official duties. I also had an AHJ once tell me that I had to count crew, artists, and staff of a show as part of the seating count. I won that discussion.
The reality is you have two maximum occupancy numbers. 150 with the seats in and 300 (or whatever the high number is) when the seats are removed. Run your theater as appropriate. If you are trying to convince someone in authority that you can allow 250 in a room with 150 chairs, call your fire marshal. That's the person who sets the rules for you.
Remember if you were trying to quickly evacuate in an emergency, everyone of those 150 seats is essentially acting like a person preventing exit from the room. So the number has to be lower.
Remember if you were trying to quickly evacuate in an emergency, everyone of those 150 seats is essentially acting like a person preventing exit from the room. So the number has to be lower.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
I have established maximum occupant load based on diagramming the room with "fixed" seats - even if ganging folding chairs - and non-fixed seating - ie: standing room which would be considered "festival seating" by most codes. So lets say you 150 fixed seats with aisles and 750 sq ft of festival seating, where the occupant load factor is 15 sq ft or 50 people in the 750 sq ft. Now you have to analyze egress for each separately and combined.
I've been thinking about seated spectators blocking the stairs and it's my opinion that it is not allowed. A very basic principal for assembly seating (or non-seating in the case of festival seating, mosh pits, and similar) emerged in assembly safety in the 1980's , the concept that everyone should have the freedom to egress. Because one goes to a Grateful Dead concert or enters a mosh pit or get to the edge of the stage or soccer field does not mean they have given up their freedom to egress. Read through the Life Safety Code, arguably the best in the world, and you see this implemented in the requirements. Therefore, by allowing people to sit in the aisle prohibits others from egressing safely at will. Aisles are not just for emergency egress. They need to be illuminated and have hand rails and useable geometry and so on all of the time there are occupants that would normally use them.
I've been thinking about seated spectators blocking the stairs and it's my opinion that it is not allowed. A very basic principal for assembly seating (or non-seating in the case of festival seating, mosh pits, and similar) emerged in assembly safety in the 1980's , the concept that everyone should have the freedom to egress. Because one goes to a Grateful Dead concert or enters a mosh pit or get to the edge of the stage or soccer field does not mean they have given up their freedom to egress. Read through the Life Safety Code, arguably the best in the world, and you see this implemented in the requirements. Therefore, by allowing people to sit in the aisle prohibits others from egressing safely at will. Aisles are not just for emergency egress. They need to be illuminated and have hand rails and useable geometry and so on all of the time there are occupants that would normally use them.
teqniqal
Well-Known Member
Also remember to read the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code requirements for Trained Crowd Managers - a minimum of one per 250 occupants. One more certification to obtain. This is also in Chapter 13, as is the seating and egress requirements that Bill mentioned. If you don't have a copy of the LSC, buy one. It is essential to knowing the regulations.
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