PRINTER'S NO. 54
No. 52 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY GALLEN, ANDERSON, DAVIES AND FRYER,
FEBRUARY 5, 1979
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 5, 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 electronic smoke detector system in lieu of an automatic
17 water 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 electronic smoke
8 detector systems, fire alarm systems, fire drills, electrical
9 equipment, inflammable and explosive materials, heating
10 apparatus and fuel storage, number of occupants, ventilation,
11 arrangement of seating and standing space, construction and
12 equipment of stages, projection rooms, and dressing rooms, and
13 all other fire and panic protection as to provide for the safety
14 and health of all persons employed, accommodated, housed, or
15 assembled therein. Whenever any building designated in this act
16 shall, in the opinion of the Department of Labor and Industry,
17 become dangerous to further occupancy because of structural or
18 other defects, it shall immediately be closed to further
19 occupancy, and a sign posted thereon to that effect. Such
20 building shall not again be occupied until all recommendations
21 of the department to eliminate hazardous conditions are complied
22 with.
23 The Department of Labor and Industry shall have the power,
24 and its duty shall be, to make, alter, amend, or repeal rules
25 and regulations for carrying into effect all of the provisions
26 of this act, applying such provisions to specific conditions,
27 and prescribing means, methods and practices to make effective
28 such provisions.
29 Section 2. Section 3 of the act, amended April 11, 1939
30 (P.L.18, No.17), is amended to read:
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1 Section 3. Special Requirements.--There shall be installed
2 such emergency lighting systems, sprinkler systems, and fire
3 alarm systems, in such of the buildings enumerated in this act
4 as the Department of Labor and Industry may specify and which in
5 its judgment are necessary to give proper protection from fire
6 and panic to those employed, assembled, lodged or housed
7 therein. No such systems shall be installed unless they are of a
8 type approved by the Department of Labor and Industry.
9 Any school building included in Class I shall be given the
10 option by the Department of Labor and Industry to install an
11 electronic smoke detector system in lieu of an automatic water
12 sprinkler system whenever the Department of Labor and Industry
13 deems an automatic water sprinkler system necessary.
14 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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