505.4 Openess
Code Excerpt:
505.4 Openness.
A mezzanine shall be open and unobstructed to the room in which such mezzanine is located except for walls not more than 42 inches (1067 mm) high, columns and posts.
Exceptions:
- Mezzanines or portions there of are not required to be open to the room in which the mezzanines are located, provided that the occupant load of the aggregate area of the enclosed space does not exceed 10.
- A mezzanine having two or more means of egress is not required to be open to the room in which the mezzanine is located, if at least one of the means of egress provides direct access to an exit from the mezzanine level.
- Mezzanines or portions thereof are not required to be open to the room in which the mezzanines are located, provided that the aggregate floor area of the enclosed space does not exceed 10 percent of the mezzanine area.
- In industrial facilities, mezzanines used for control equipment are permitted to be glazed on all sides.
- In Group F occupancies of unlimited area, meeting the requirements of Section 507.2 or 507.3, mezzanines or portions thereof are not required to be open to the room in which the mezzanines are located, provided that an approved fire alarm system is installed throughout the entire building or structure and notification appliances are installed throughout the mezzanines in accordance with the provisions of NFPA 72. In addition, the fire alarm system shall be initiated by automatic sprinkler water flow.
