Section 1213
SECTION 1213. Stages and Platform. (a) Stage Ventilators. There shall be one or more ventilators constructed of metal or other incombustible material near the center and above the highest part of any working stage raised above the stage roof and having a total ventilation area equal to at least five percent of the floor area within the stage walls. The entire equipment shall conform to the following requirements: (1) Opening Action. Ventilators shall open by spring action or force of gravity sufficient to overcome the effects of neglect, rust, dirt, or expansion by heat or wrapping of the framework. (2) Glass. Glass, if used in ventilators must be protected against falling on the stage. A wire screen, if used under the glass, must be so placed that if clogged it cannot reduce the required ventilating area or interfere with the operating mechanism or obstruct the distribution of water from the automatic fire extinguishing systems. (3) Design. Ventilators, penthouses, and supporting framework shall be designed in accordance with this Code. (4) Spring Actuation. Springs, when employed to actuate ventilator doors, shall be capable of maintaining full required tension indefinitely. Springs shall be no stressed more than fifty percent of their rated capacity and shall not be located directly in the air stream, nor exposed to elements. (5) Location of Fusible Links. A fusible link shall be placed in the cable control system on the underside of the ventilator at or above the roof line or as approved by the Building Official, and shall be so located as not to be affected by the operation of fire-extinguishing systems. (6) Control. Remote, manual, or electrical control shall provide for both opening and closing of the ventilator doors for periodic testing and shall be located at a point on the stage designated by the Building Official. When remote control of ventilator is electrical, power failure shall not affect its instant operation in the event of fire. Hand winches may be employed to facilitate operation of manually controlled ventilators. (b) Gridirons.– (1) Gridirons, fly galleries, and pin-rails shall be constructed of incombustible materials and fire protection of steel and iron may be omitted. Gridirons and fly galleries shall be designed to support a live load of not less than 367 kilograms per square meter. Each loft block well shall be designed to support 373 kilograms per linear meter and the head block well shall be designed to support the aggregate weight of all the loft block wells served. The head block well must be provided with an adequate strongback or lateral brace to offset torque. (2) The main counterweight sheave beam shall be designed to support a horizontal and vertical uniformly distributed live load sufficient to accommodate the weight imposed by the total number of loft blocks in the gridiron. The sheave blocks shall be designed to accommodate the maximum load for the loft or head blocks served with a safety factor of five. (c) Rooms Accessory to Stage. In a building having a stage, the dressing room sections, workshops, and store rooms shall be located on the stage side of the proscenium wall and shall be separated from each other and from the stage by not less than a One-hour Fire Resistive Occupancy Separation. (d) Proscenium Walls. A stage shall be completely separated from the auditorium by a proscenium wall or not less than two-hour incombustible construction. The proscenium wall shall extend not less than 1.20 meters above the roof over the auditorium. Proscenium walls may have the addition to the main proscenium openings, one opening at the orchestra pit level and not more than two openings at the stage floor level, each of which shall be not more than 2.00 square meters in area. All openings in the proscenium walls of stage shall be protected by a fire assembly having a one and one-half fire-resistive rating. The proscenium opening, which shall be the main opening for viewing performances, shall be provided with a self closing fire-resistive curtain as specified in this Code. (e) Stage Floor. The type of construction for storage floors shall depend upon the requirements based on the type of Occupancy and the corresponding fire-resistive requirements. All parts of the stage floor shall be designed to support not less than 620 kilograms per square meters. Openings through stage floor shall be equipped with tight-fitting trap doors of wood of not less than 5 millimeters nominal thickness. (f) Platforms. The type of construction for platforms shall depend upon the requirements based on the type of Occupancy and corresponding fire-resistive requirements. Enclosed platforms shall be provided with one or more ventilators conforming to the requirements of stage ventilators: Except, that the total area shall be equal to five percent of the area of the platform. When more than one ventilator is provided, they shall be so spaced as to provide proper exhaust ventilation. Ventilators shall not be required for enclosed platform having a floor area of 45.00 square meters or less. (g) Stage Exits. At least one exit not less than 900 millimeters wide shall be provided from each side of the stage opening directly or by means of a passageway not less than 900 millimeters in width to a street or exit court. An exit stair not less than 750 millimeters wide shall be provided for egress from each fly gallery. Each tier of dressing rooms shall be provided with at least two means of egress each not less than 750 millimeters wide and all such stairs shall be constructed in accordance with the requirement specified in this Code. The stairs required in this sub-section need not be enclosed.