June 21, 1993
VA HANDBOOK 7610 (420)
(53) Provide night security lighting in areas visible fro m outside.
(54) Provide emergency lighting for all means of egress.
(55) Provide lighting for drives, parking lot, and walks.
(56) Requirements of NFPA 101 (latest edition) shall be adhered to in the facility design. Child development centers are
classified as Educational Occupancies, Chapter 10-7, within NFPA 101.
(57) Apply fire protection requirements for the youngest age group when more than one group is accommodated.
(58) Equip commercial grade kitchen hood(s) with an automatic wet or dry extinguishing system in accordance with NFPA
96.
(59) Ensure location of at least one fire hydrant within 61 m (200') of the facility.
(60) Provide a hard -wire automatic fire alarm and detection system (FADS) in accordance with NFPA 72, 101, and the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) specifications.
(61) All walls separating the child care center from the rest of the building occupancy shall be fire -rated for one hour. This
does not apply to interior dividers within a child activity room.
(62) All doors in fire -rated walls must be at least 815 mm (32") in clear width and be self-closing.
(63) All door openings in the means of egress shall be at least 815 mm (32") in clear width.
(64) Doors shall swing in direction of exit travel.
(65) Provide at least two exits from each child activity area. At least one of these exits shall discharge directly outside.
Neither exit shall require travel through any other room or program area to reach the exit discharge.
(66) Dead end corridors shall not exc eed 6096 mm (20").
(67) Exits from dead end corridors shall not use adjacent rooms as a means of egress.
(68) In existing construction, child activity spaces without an exterior wall shall be provided with an exit access remote
from the other exit.
(69) Travel distance to fire exits must not exceed 46 m (150') from any point in the building and 30.5 m (100') from any
occupied room door. When the facility is completely sprinklered, the maximum distance may be increased by 15.3 m (50').
(70) Exits from infant and pretoddler program areas shall accommodate a crib (minimum of 915 mm (36") clear for 8.65 mm
(34") cribs).
(71) Provide all ramps with nonslip surfaces.
(72) Provide guard rails wherever ramps exceed one foot in height above ground level. Recommend all guard rails for
stairs/ramps be at child height as well as at adult height.
(73) Ramps shall not be less in width than the exit door leading to the ramp.
(74) Maximum ramp slope shall be one foot in twenty.
(75) Ensure exit leads to a hard surface at least 9.1 m (30') from the building.
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