New York City is famously characterized by skyscrapers, and is densely populated with them at its center. In the wake of the notorious 9/11 terror emergency, the City issued legislation covering the safety standards and evacuation measures expected of tall buildings. Every tall building is therefore required to comply with NYC Local Law 26 of 2004 (LL26).
LL26 lays down requirements for the construction or upgrading of tall buildings. Some of these requirements are retroactive, meaning that they needed to be complied with immediately (the initial deadline was in 2006), while others are prospective, giving more time to be met. All the regulations are aimed at achieving a greater degree of safety for building occupants, both during ordinary business and emergency situations.
The scenes of catastrophe that greeted news watchers on that fateful day in September 2001 are marked by one main theme: buildings on fire. It is therefore no surprise that LL26 contains specific regulations relating to fire safety and escape strategies. Every office building in the city needs to have a comprehensive evacuation plan made, and the fire department may ask to see this plan at any time.
LL26 also covers the issue of exit points or routes in the building. The legislative term used is 'egress', which simply means exit. All routes of egress are required to be marked by photoluminescent material (material which glows in the dark). This regulation covers obvious items like stairways and doors. Photoluminescent marking is very important where evacuation takes place in heavy smoke or during the night.
Where the route to the exit is not straightforward, the legislation prescribes additional signage. The signage must be mounted on the walls and it must clearly indicate how to reach the exit point. If illuminated signs are used, they are required to be connected to an uninterrupted power supply such as a generator or battery pack in case of a power failure.
LL26 further prescribes the installation of sprinkler systems in buildings over 100 feet high. A concession may be made in cases where this is hard to do, such as older buildings or where it is impracticable to do so. At the same time, fuel oil piping above ground floor level is not allowed to be too large. The deadline for the installation of the sprinklers is 1 July 2019, unless the city authorities allow for more time.
As a general rule, every building owner is required to provide a report to the city authorities detailing how much they have achieved in meeting the regulations of LL26 concerning the installation of the sprinkler system. The report must be certified by an architect or professional engineer. The due date of the report is 1 July 2018.
All of the provisions of LL26 are designed to improve safety during emergencies. They are therefore necessary and to be welcomed. Acting on the legislation in the right spirit should make it easier to comply with NYC Local Law 26 of 2004.
LL26 lays down requirements for the construction or upgrading of tall buildings. Some of these requirements are retroactive, meaning that they needed to be complied with immediately (the initial deadline was in 2006), while others are prospective, giving more time to be met. All the regulations are aimed at achieving a greater degree of safety for building occupants, both during ordinary business and emergency situations.
The scenes of catastrophe that greeted news watchers on that fateful day in September 2001 are marked by one main theme: buildings on fire. It is therefore no surprise that LL26 contains specific regulations relating to fire safety and escape strategies. Every office building in the city needs to have a comprehensive evacuation plan made, and the fire department may ask to see this plan at any time.
LL26 also covers the issue of exit points or routes in the building. The legislative term used is 'egress', which simply means exit. All routes of egress are required to be marked by photoluminescent material (material which glows in the dark). This regulation covers obvious items like stairways and doors. Photoluminescent marking is very important where evacuation takes place in heavy smoke or during the night.
Where the route to the exit is not straightforward, the legislation prescribes additional signage. The signage must be mounted on the walls and it must clearly indicate how to reach the exit point. If illuminated signs are used, they are required to be connected to an uninterrupted power supply such as a generator or battery pack in case of a power failure.
LL26 further prescribes the installation of sprinkler systems in buildings over 100 feet high. A concession may be made in cases where this is hard to do, such as older buildings or where it is impracticable to do so. At the same time, fuel oil piping above ground floor level is not allowed to be too large. The deadline for the installation of the sprinklers is 1 July 2019, unless the city authorities allow for more time.
As a general rule, every building owner is required to provide a report to the city authorities detailing how much they have achieved in meeting the regulations of LL26 concerning the installation of the sprinkler system. The report must be certified by an architect or professional engineer. The due date of the report is 1 July 2018.
All of the provisions of LL26 are designed to improve safety during emergencies. They are therefore necessary and to be welcomed. Acting on the legislation in the right spirit should make it easier to comply with NYC Local Law 26 of 2004.
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