Michigan Administrative Code › Department - Health and Human Services › Childrens Services Agency › Licensing Rules for Child Caring Institutions › Part 5 - FIRE SAFETY FOR SMALL, LARGE, AND SECURE INSTITUTION FACILITIES › Section R. 400.4501 - Definitions

Current through Vol. 24-12, July 15, 2024
Rule 501. As used in this part:
(a) "Ambulatory" means a resident who is
				  physically and mentally capable of traversing a path to safety without the aid
				  of another person. A path to safety includes the ascent and descent of any
				  stairs or approved means of egress.
(b) "Approved" means acceptable to the
				  department and fire inspecting authority and in accordance with these rules.
				  The department makes the final approval based on recommendations from the fire
				  inspecting authority
.
(c) "Basement" means a story of a building or
				  structure having &frac12 or more of its clear height below average grade
				  for at least 50% of the perimeter of the story.
(d) "Combustible" means those materials which
				  can ignite and burn.
(e)
				  "Conversion" or "converted" means a change, after the effective date of these
				  rules, in the use of a facility or portion thereof from some previous use to
				  that of a licensed or approved institution, or an increase in capacity from a
				  residential group home to a small facility or an increase in capacity from a
				  small facility to a large facility or a change to a secure facility. A
				  converted facility shall comply with the provisions of these rules for fire
				  safety for converted facilities.
(f) "Electric lock" means an electric door
				  lock system operated from a remote control unit. The system is fail-safe in
				  that all locks are automatically unlocked in the event of electrical failure.
				  The system is approved by a nationally recognized independent testing
				  laboratory.
(g) "Escape window" in
				  new construction, remodeled, or converted facilities means an approved
				  side-hinged window with a minimum net clear opening of 5.
7
square feet with a net clear opening height of 24 inches and width of 20 inches
.
Grade floor openings shall have a minimum net clear opening
				  of 5.7 square feet. The window shall be operable from the inside with a single
				  motion and shall be equipped with non-locking-against-egress hardware. The
				  window shall be operable without the use of special tools. The sill height
				  shall not be greater than 36 inches from the floor, unless an approved
				  substantial permanent ledge or similar device not less than 12 inches wide is
				  provided under the window, in which case the sill height may be increased to 44
				  inches from the floor. In an existing facility, "escape window" means a window
				  acceptable to the fire inspecting authority.
(h) "Existing facility" means a building,
				  accessory buildings and surrounding grounds which is licensed or approved by
				  the department as an institution at the time these rules take effect and which
				  is not unoccupied for more than 90 days. Where an increase in capacity or
				  change in use affects fire safety requirements, the facility shall comply with
				  all applicable requirements prior to the increase or change in use.
(i) "Facility" means a building, and
				  surrounding grounds including recreational areas owned, leased, or primarily
				  rented by a child care organization for use as a small, large, or secure
				  facility to house and sleep residents. "Facility" includes new, remodeled,
				  converted, and small, large, secure, and existing facilities. Any portion of a
				  facility not used by residents and not used as a required means of egress and
				  which is separated from the rest of the facility by an approved fire barrier,
				  and buildings used by the residents strictly for up and awake activities do not
				  need to meet these rules for fire safety. However, the right of the fire
				  inspecting authority to inspect a nonuse area for hazardous use, or any
				  building on the grounds that is used by the residents strictly for up and awake
				  activities, is retained and directives relative to fire safety of such area or
				  building may be issued to assure the fire safety of those use areas.
(j) "Fire alarm device" means an approved
				  device capable of sounding an alarm. A fire alarm shall be specifically
				  designated as such and shall not be used for any purpose other than sounding an
				  alarm of fire or other emergency or for fire drills. The device shall be loud
				  enough to be heard throughout the facility under normal conditions. A device
				  may be a bell, a horn, a whistle, or any other device acceptable to the fire
				  inspecting authority.
(k) "Fire
				  alarm system" means an approved electrical closed circuit, self-supervised
				  local system for sounding an alarm. The system is comprised of a panel, pull
				  stations, and audible electric signal devices.
(l) "Fire resistance rating" means the time
				  in hours or fractions thereof that materials or their assemblies will resist
				  fire exposure as determined by fire tests established and conducted by approved
				  testing laboratories.
(m)
				  "Hazardous area" means those parts of a facility housing a flame-producing
				  heating plant, incinerators, water heater, and kitchens and areas where
				  combustible materials, flammable liquids, or gases are used or
				  stored.
(n) "Large facility" means
				  a building used to house more than 15 residents.
(o) "Means of egress and exit" means an
				  unobstructed way of departure from any point in a building to safe open air
				  outside at grade.
(p) "Newly
				  constructed," "new construction," or "new facility" means a new structure or
				  new addition to a facility after the effective date of these rules.
(q) "Non-ambulatory" means a resident,
				  including a resident confined to a wheelchair, who is physically or mentally
				  incapable of traversing a path to safety without the aid of another person. A
				  path to safety includes the ascent and descent of any stairs or other approved
				  means of egress from the building.
(r) "Remodeled" means changes in a facility
				  that modify existing conditions and includes renovation and changes in the fire
				  alarms, sprinkler systems, and hood suppression systems. Remodeled and affected
				  areas of a child caring institution shall conform to the provisions of these
				  rules for fire safety for remodeled and converted facilities. Unaffected areas
				  of a facility are not required to conform to the required provisions for
				  remodeled and converted facilities.
(s) "Secure facility" means a building used
				  as a detention facility or a secure child caring institution. The building or
				  portions of the building are used to keep residents in custody. Outside doors
				  or individual sleeping rooms usually have locks which are secure from the
				  inside. The locks are used in the usual course of operation. A secure facility
				  shall meet the requirements for a large facility, regardless of the number of
				  residents. A facility with an approved seclusion room is not a secure facility
				  solely by virtue of having a seclusion room.
(t) "Small facility" means a building which
				  houses at least 7 or more than 15 residents and which is not a secure
				  facility.
(u) "Street floor" means
				  the lowest story of a facility which is not a basement.
(v) "Story" means that part of a building
				  between a floor and the floor or roof next above.
(w) "Substantially remodeled" means changes
				  in a facility that result in the exposure or addition of structural joists or
				  studs.
(x) "Wire glass" means glass
				  which is not less than 1/4 inch thick; which is reinforced with wire mesh, No.
				  24 gauge or heavier with spacing not greater than 1 square inch; and which is
				  installed in steel frames or, when approved, installed in wood frames or stops
				  of hardwood material not less than 3/4 inch actual dimension and not more than
				  1,296 square inches per frame with no single dimension more than 54 inches in
				  length.