PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 54 PRINTER'S NO. 442
No. 52 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY MESSRS. GALLEN, ANDERSON, DAVIES, FRYER AND BROWN,
FEBRUARY 5, 1979
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 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 APPROVED smoke detector system in lieu of an <--
17 automatic water sprinkler system in certain Class I
18 buildings.
19 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
20 hereby enacts as follows:
21 Section 1. Section 1, act of April 27, 1927 (P.L.465,
22 No.299), referred to as the Fire and Panic Act, amended May 28,
23 1937 (P.L.1016, No.281), is amended to read:
24 Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That,
25 General Requirement.--Every building enumerated in this act,
1 erected or adapted for any of the purposes of the several
2 classes of buildings covered by this act, shall be so
3 constructed, equipped, operated, and maintained, with respect to
4 type of construction and materials used, fireproofing, number
5 and type of ways of egress, aisles and passageways, stairs and
6 fire escapes, wall openings, exits and exit signs, doors and
7 doorways, shaftways and other vertical openings, emergency
8 lighting, automatic sprinkler systems or electronic APPROVED <--
9 smoke detector systems, fire alarm systems, fire drills,
10 electrical equipment, inflammable and explosive materials,
11 heating apparatus and fuel storage, number of occupants,
12 ventilation, arrangement of seating and standing space,
13 construction and equipment of stages, projection rooms, and
14 dressing rooms, and all other fire and panic protection as to
15 provide for the safety and health of all persons employed,
16 accommodated, housed, or assembled therein. Whenever any
17 building designated in this act shall, in the opinion of the
18 Department of Labor and Industry, become dangerous to further
19 occupancy because of structural or other defects, it shall
20 immediately be closed to further occupancy, and a sign posted
21 thereon to that effect. Such building shall not again be
22 occupied until all recommendations of the department to
23 eliminate hazardous conditions are complied with.
24 The Department of Labor and Industry shall have the power,
25 and its duty shall be, to make, alter, amend, or repeal rules
26 and regulations for carrying into effect all of the provisions
27 of this act, applying such provisions to specific conditions,
28 and prescribing means, methods and practices to make effective
29 such provisions.
30 AS USED IN THIS ACT, THE TERM "APPROVED SMOKE DETECTOR <--
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1 SYSTEM" SHALL MEAN A SYSTEM MEETING THE APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS
2 OF THE UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES.
3 Section 2. Section 3 of the act, amended April 11, 1939
4 (P.L.18, No.17), is amended to read:
5 Section 3. Special Requirements.--There shall be installed
6 such emergency lighting systems, sprinkler systems, and fire
7 alarm systems, in such of the buildings enumerated in this act
8 as the Department of Labor and Industry may specify and which in
9 its judgment are necessary to give proper protection from fire
10 and panic to those employed, assembled, lodged or housed
11 therein. No such systems shall be installed unless they are of a
12 type approved by the Department of Labor and Industry.
13 Any school building included in Class I shall be given the
14 option by the Department of Labor and Industry to install an
15 electronic APPROVED smoke detector system in lieu of an <--
16 automatic water sprinkler system whenever the Department of
17 Labor and Industry deems an automatic water sprinkler system
18 necessary.
19 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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