The Smart Apartment Advisor Show for Wed. Dec. 21st
On this week's show we'll follow up on comments from last week's Ghost Ship Warehouse episode as well as topics that may affect property owners and tenants in 2017.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/12/us/oakland-warehouse-ghost-ship-fire.html
Define safe and habitable housing
Free from safety problems, threats to health,
Top Five Safety Measures
- Egress - two means from each unit
- Could be front door and back door to the outside. Could also be from a fire escape through a window and a front door. One of the major problems in Ghost Ship was inadequate ability for everyone to get out after one exit was blocked. Not enough exits.
- Also involves adequate stairs and handrails that are properly constructed. Stairs need to be of uniform height and depth (rise and run) and free of worn carpet. Handrails need to be
- Clear, logical exit path with few to no obstructions. If it feels like a maze going in it’ll be impossible to handle in a fire or other emergency.
- Life safety systems - fire extinguishers, fire alarms, sprinkler systems are all required for residential buildings and public gathering spots. One reason why this disaster was as bad as it turned out was that this warehouse wasn't required to have these items in place. People working at a warehouse don't need them to get out of the building and there wouldn't be nearly as many people present at the same time as there were for this show. All of these items are expensive to install and maintain. The owner and master tenant of this warehouse would probably not want to go through the process and incur the cost of installing them because it's prohibitive to do so.
- Adequate electrical systems - lack of sufficient outlets can be a serious problem. If you have fuses, this is a problem. If circuits trip frequently you probably don’t have adequate service throughout. This is a leading cause of fire hazard stemming from overloaded outlets and using too many extension cords and surge protectors. Overloaded surge protectors are a serious problem.
- Appropriate number of people for the space. More people require more exits and more safety measures. Too many people increase the likelihood that confusion will become dangerous and possibly life-threatening.
- Overloaded balconies for parties. Properly maintained structures should support plenty of people. Nevertheless, be careful.