NFPA 101 - LIFE SAFETY CODE, 2012 EDITION
Lodging or Rooming House
A building a or portion thereof that does not qualify as a one- or two- family dwelling, that provides sleeping accommodations for a total of 16 or fewer people on a transient or permanent basis, without personal care services, with or without meals, but without separate cooking and bathroom for individual occupants.
Dormitory
A building or a space in a building in which group sleeping accommodations are provided for more than 16 persons who are not members of the same family in one room, or a series of closely associated rooms, under joint occupancy and single management, with or without meals, but without individual cooking facilities.
Hotel
A building or groups of building under the same management in which there are sleeping accommodations for more than 16 persons and primarily used by transients for lodging with or without meals.
Apartment Building
A building or portion thereof containing three or more dwelling units with independent cooking and bathroom facilities
Multiple Occupancy
A building or structure in which two or more classes of occupancy exist
One- and Two- Family Dwelling Unit
A building that contains not more than two dwelling units with independent cooking and bathrooms facilities
Mixed Occupancy
A multiple occupancy where the occupancies are separated by fire resistance-related assemblies.
Assembly Occupancy
An occupancy (1) used for a gathering of 50 or more persons for deliberation, worship, entertainment, eating, drinking, amusement, awaiting transportation, or similar uses; or (2) used as a special amusement building, regardless of occupant load.
Residential Occupancy
An occupancy that provides sleeping accommodations for purposes other than health care or detention and correctional
Educational Occupancy
An occupancy used for educational purposes through the twelfth grade by six or more persons for 4 or more hours per day or more than 12 hours per week.
Residential Board and Care Occupancy
An occupancy used for lodging and boarding of four or more residents, not related by blood or marriage to the owners or operators, for the purpose of providing personal care services.
Mercantile Occupancy
An occupancy used for the display and sale of merchandise.
Industrial Occupancy
An occupancy used for the transaction of business other than mercantile.
Business Occupancy
An occupancy used for the transition of business other than mercantile.
Storage Occupancy
An occupancy used primarily for the storage or sheltering of goods, merchandise, products, or vehicles.
Detention and Correctional Occupancy
An occupancy used to house one or more persons under varied degrees of restraint or security where such occupants are mostly incapable of self-preservation because of security measures not under the occupants' control.
Health Care Occupancy
An occupancy used to provide medical or other treatment or care simultaneously to four or more patients on an inpatient bases, where such patients are mostly incapable of self-preservation due to age, physical or mental disability, or because of security measures no under the occupants' control.
Ambulatory Health Care Occupancy
An occupancy used to provide services or treatment simultaneously to four or more patients that provides, on an outpatient basis, one or more of the following: Treatment for patients that renders the patients incapable of taking action for self-preservation under emergency conditions without the assistance of others. Anesthesia that renders the patients incapable of taking action for self-preservation under emergency conditions without the assistance of others. Emergency or urgent care for patients who, due to the nature of their injury or illness, are incapable of taking action for self-preservation under emergency conditions without the assistance of others.
Mixed Occupancies
Each portion of the building shall be classified as to it's use in accordance with section 6.1. The building shall comply with the most restrictive requirements of the occupancies involved, unless separate safeguards are approved.
General
For the purpose of this code, the hazard of contents shall be the relative danger of the start and spread of fire, the danger of smoke or gases generated, and the danger of explosion or other occurrence potentially endangering the lives and safety of the occupants of the building or structure. Hazard of contents shall be classified by the registered design professional (RDP) or owner and submitted to the basis of the character of the contents and the processes or operations conducted in the building or structure. For the purpose of this code, where different degrees of hazards of contents exist in different parts of a building or structure, the most hazardous shall govern the classification, unless hazardous areas are separated or protected as specified in section 8.7 and applicable section of Chapters 11 through 43.
High Hazard Contents
High hazard contents shall be classified as those that are likely to burn with extreme rapidity or from which explosions are likely.
Incidental Instruction
In cases where instruction is incidental to some other occupancy, the section of the code governing parts of this Code.
Low Hazard Contents
Low hazard contents shall be classified as those of such low combustibility that no self-propagating fire therein can occur.
Multiple Occupancies - General
Multiple occupancies shall comply with the requirements of 6.1.14.1 and the one of the following: Mixed occupancies Separated occupancies Where exit access from an occupancy traverses another occupancy, the multiple occupancy shall be treated as a mix occupancy. Where incidental to another occupancy, areas used as follows shall be permitted to be considered part of the predominant occupancy and shall be subject to the provisions of the code that apply to the predominant occupancy: Mercantile, business, industrial, or storage use Nonresidential use with an occupant load fewer than that established by section 6.1 for the occupancy threshold
Special Structures
Occupancies in special structures shall conform to the requirements of the specific occupancy chapter, Chapters 12 through 43, except as modified by Chapter 11.
Ordinary Hazard Contents.
Ordinary hazard contents shall be classified as those that are likely to burn with moderate rapidity or to give off a considerable volume of smoke.
Other Occupancies
Other occupancies associated with educational institutions shall be in accordance with the appropriate parts of this Code.
General
The hazard of contents of any building or structure shall be classified as low, ordinary, or high in accordance with 6.2.2.2-6.2.2.4.
Occupancy Classification
The occupancy of a building or structure, or portion of a building or structure, shall be classified in accordance with 6.1.2 through 6.1.13. Occupancy classification shall be subject to the ruling of the authority having jurisdiction where there is a question of proper classification in any individual case.
Separated Occupancies
Where separated occupancies are provided, each part of the building comprising a distinct occupancy, as described in this chapter, shall be completely separated from other occupancies by fire-resistive assemblies, unless separated is provided by approved existing separation. Occupancy separations shall be classified as 3-hour fir resistance-rated, 2-hour fire resistance rated, or 1-hour fir resistance-rated and shall meet requirements of chapter 8. The minimum fire resistance rating specified in tables. Shall be permitted to be reduced by 1 hour, where the building is protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with 9.7.1.1 and supervised in accordance with 9.7.2, unless prohibited by double-dagger footnote entries in the tables. Occupancy separations shall be vertical, horizontal, or both or, when necessary, of such other form as required to provide complete separation between occupancy division in the building.
Nonresidential uses
Within detention and correctional facilities, uses other than residential housing shall be in accordance with the appropriate chapter of the code.