SENATE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 54, 442 PRINTER'S NO. 1077
No. 52 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY MESSRS. GALLEN, ANDERSON, DAVIES, FRYER AND BROWN,
FEBRUARY 5, 1979
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, IN SENATE, APRIL 23, 1979
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 27, 1927 (P.L.465, No.299), entitled,
2 as amended, "An act to provide for the safety of persons
3 employed, housed, or assembled in certain buildings and
4 structures not in cities of the first class, second class,
5 and second class A, by requiring certain construction and
6 ways of egress, equipment, and maintenance; providing for the
7 licensing of projectionists, except in cities of the first
8 class and second class; requiring the submission of plans for
9 examination and approval; providing for the promulgation of
10 rules and regulations for the enforcement of this act;
11 providing for the enforcement of this act by the Department
12 of Labor and Industry and, in certain cases, by the chiefs of
13 fire departments in cities of the third class; providing
14 penalties for violations of the provisions of this act; and
15 repealing certain acts," authorizing the installation of an
16 approved smoke detector system in lieu of an automatic water
17 sprinkler system in certain Class I buildings.
18 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
19 hereby enacts as follows:
20 Section 1. Section 1, act of April 27, 1927 (P.L.465,
21 No.299), referred to as the Fire and Panic Act, amended May 28,
22 1937 (P.L.1016, No.281), is amended to read:
23 Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That,
24 General Requirement.--Every building enumerated in this act,
25 erected or adapted for any of the purposes of the several
1 classes of buildings covered by this act, shall be so
2 constructed, equipped, operated, and maintained, with respect to
3 type of construction and materials used, fireproofing, number
4 and type of ways of egress, aisles and passageways, stairs and
5 fire escapes, wall openings, exits and exit signs, doors and
6 doorways, shaftways and other vertical openings, emergency
7 lighting, automatic sprinkler systems or approved smoke detector <--
8 systems, fire alarm systems, fire drills, electrical equipment,
9 inflammable and explosive materials, heating apparatus and fuel
10 storage, number of occupants, ventilation, arrangement of
11 seating and standing space, construction and equipment of
12 stages, projection rooms, and dressing rooms, and all other fire
13 and panic protection as to provide for the safety and health of
14 all persons employed, accommodated, housed, or assembled
15 therein. Whenever any building designated in this act shall, in
16 the opinion of the Department of Labor and Industry, become
17 dangerous to further occupancy because of structural or other
18 defects, it shall immediately be closed to further occupancy,
19 and a sign posted thereon to that effect. Such building shall
20 not again be occupied until all recommendations of the
21 department to eliminate hazardous conditions are complied with.
22 The Department of Labor and Industry shall have the power,
23 and its duty shall be, to make, alter, amend, or repeal rules
24 and regulations for carrying into effect all of the provisions
25 of this act, applying such provisions to specific conditions,
26 and prescribing means, methods and practices to make effective
27 such provisions.
28 As used in this act, the term "approved smoke detector
29 system" shall mean a system meeting the applicable requirements
30 of the Underwriters Laboratories.
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1 Section 2. Section 3 of the act, amended April 11, 1939
2 (P.L.18, No.17), is amended to read:
3 Section 3. Special Requirements.--There shall be installed
4 such emergency lighting systems, sprinkler systems, and fire
5 alarm systems, in such of the buildings enumerated in this act
6 as the Department of Labor and Industry may specify and which in
7 its judgment are necessary to give proper protection from fire
8 and panic to those employed, assembled, lodged or housed
9 therein. No such systems shall be installed unless they are of a
10 type approved by the Department of Labor and Industry.
11 Any school building included in Class I shall be given the
12 option by the Department of Labor and Industry to install an
13 approved smoke detector system in lieu of an automatic water
14 sprinkler system whenever the Department of Labor and Industry
15 deems an automatic water sprinkler system necessary.
16 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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