§ 271. Requirements for buildings erected before October first,
nineteen hundred and thirteen. No factory shall be conducted in a
building erected before October first, nineteen hundred thirteen, and
not occupied or used as a factory building on July first, nineteen
hundred forty-eight, unless such building shall conform to the
requirements of section two hundred seventy. No factory shall be
conducted in a building erected before October first, nineteen hundred
thirteen and occupied or used as a factory building on July first,
nineteen hundred forty-eight, unless such building shall conform to the
following requirements:

1. Required exits. a. On each floor used as a factory there shall be
at least two exits remote from each other, except that a single exit may
be accepted by the commissioner from a floor or other area, of one
thousand square feet or less, so long as no person is regularly employed
on such floor or other area. One such exit on each floor shall be either
a grade exit, an interior stairway enclosed as hereinafter provided or
ramp similarly enclosed, or an exterior fireproof enclosed stairway. The
other shall be: either such a grade exit, stairway or ramp; or a
horizontal exit; or an exterior screened stairway; or outside
fire-escapes on a building six stories or less in height, except such
fire-escapes shall not be accepted as a required exit in such buildings
or particular classes thereof where the board finds that they will not
in its opinion furnish adequate and safe means of escape for occupants
in case of fire. Unenclosed exterior stairways or ramps extending up to
grade may be substituted for enclosed stairways from a floor area below
the ground floor.

b. No point on any floor above or below the ground floor shall be more
than one hundred feet distant from the entrance to one such exit at that
floor nor more than one hundred and fifty feet distant from such exit if
the building has an automatic sprinkler system conforming to section two
hundred and eighty and the rules of the board. No point in any ground
floor area shall be more than two hundred feet distant from an exit from
that floor and in a sprinklered building more than two hundred and fifty
feet distant from such exit.

c. If safe egress may be had from the roof to an adjacent structure
every stairway serving as a required exit in a building exceeding two
stories in height shall be extended to the roof. All such stairways
shall extend to the first story and lead to the street or to an
unobstructed passageway leading to a street or road or to an open area
affording safe passage to a street or road.

2. Stairway enclosures. All interior stairways serving as required
exits and the landings, platforms and passageways connected therewith
shall be enclosed on all sides by partitions of fire-resisting material
extending continuously from the basement to the roof. Where the stairway
continues to the top floor such partitions shall extend to three feet
above the roof or to the roof if it is fireproof. All such partitions
and doors provided for openings therein shall be constructed in
accordance with rules adopted by the board.

3. Doors. Where five or more persons are employed on any floor of a
factory building all doors on such floor leading to or opening on any
exit shall open outwardly or be double swinging doors. All exit doors in
the first story, including the doors of the vestibule, shall open
outwardly.