NZBC Clause F6, Visibility in Escape Routes

The Department has been asked to clarify the linkage between NZBC Clause F6, Visibility in Escape Routes and the Fire Safety Acceptable Solution C/AS1. Confusion has occured because C/AS1 has not yet been updated to account for the changes made to Code Clause F6. The soon-to-be- released amendment to C/AS1 will resolve the confusion. Please note that all italicised words are defined in the Building Code.

Clause F6, effective from 18 October 2007, was drafted and renamed from 'Lighting for Emergency' to 'Visibility in Escape Routes' to acknowledge that emergency situations in buildings may have a number of causes and 'visibility in escape routes' may be provided by systems other than illuminance (lighting), such as wayfinding systems.

Clause F6 requires that the specified features in the escaperoutes of all buildings, except those listed in the Limits on Application, (ie, detached dwellings, householdunits within multi-unit dwellings, outbuildings or ancillary buildings) be made reasonably visible when the main lighting fails. Visibility systems do not have to be provided in the first 20 metres of an escape route in situations where the risk of impediment to movement due to the specified features not being visible is low. Examples include where people are familiar with the escape route, the escape route is level and people do not require assistance to escape.

While there has been a change in Clause F6's title, systems installed to satisfy the requirements of the clause remain specified systems under the Building (Specified Systems, Change of Use and Earthquake-prone Buildings) Regulations 2005. These systems require compliance schedules (SS 4).

Where a building is altered and the alteration involves changes to the means of escape then, under sections 112 and 115 of the Building Act, the requirements of Clause F6 must be considered along with other relevant Code clauses.