Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 96, no. 2488: Articles]: November 20, 1915

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REAL ESTATE AY7D BUILDERS mil. NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 20, 1915 ■■■■■■■■^^ .....■■■.....■.....■........■■■■■■■Illllillli.....■■■■liililiill I HOW TO PLAN FOR FACTORY BUILDINGS I Preliminary Studies Should Be Submitted to the State Industrial Commission —Ignorance of the Labor Law Causes Trouble, Says Commissioner Lynch .1......iiiiiiiiiiiinim.....iiiiiBiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ii^iiiiiii.....iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ Section lO-d, subd. 3, of the Labor Law, re- approval of plans, reads as follows: "Before construction or alteration of a building in which it is intended to conduct one or ynore factories, the plans and specifications for such construc¬ tion or alteration may be submitted to the Com¬ missioner of Labor" for examination and ap¬ proval. BECAUSE of the use of the word "May" the Department of Labor has no jurisdiction over a building in course of erection, and it is not mandatory to submit plans and specifications of pro¬ posed factory buildings or alterations to existing buildings (except elevator installations, which is mandatory under rule 400 of the Industrial Code), but if desired by a manufacturer, architect or engineer, they may be submitted to the State Industrial Commission in such form and with such information as may be deemed necessary to intelligently de¬ termine their compliance with the pro¬ visions of the Labor Law and Industrial Code pertinent thereto. As soon as a building is actually used for factory pur¬ poses, the Department of Labor has jurisdiction. The Safest Way. The safest way to build for factory purposes nowadays is to get your plans approved by the State Industrial Com¬ mission, as well as by the local officials having jurisdiction. Commissioner James H. Lj^nch, head of the Bureau of Inspection, writing in the November Bulletin of the department, gives some very pertinent and timely information and advice to owners and architects con¬ cerning the requirements of the Labor Law and the safest procedure in filing plans. The report says: The arrangement of plans was for¬ merly done by owners or managers, who made little or no provision for their e.x¬ tension or development, and it was the belief that the buildings were of little importance, but it is now well known that they can and should be arranged and designed to facilitate production to the greatest extent, at the same time affording adequate protection against loss of life and property by fire. The efficiency of a new plant, or its capability of producing at minimum cost, depends to a great extent on the thought and study which has been given to the general arrangement of machinery in each department. Maximum Number on a Floor. The Labor Laws specify the maxi¬ mum number of people permitted to work in a room in a factory as fol¬ lows: For each person employed, not less than 250 cubic feet of air space be¬ tween 6 o'clock in the morning and 6 o'clock in the evening, and 400 cubic feet between 6 o'clock in the evening and 6 o'clock in the morning. Further, section 79-a, applicable to all buildings and additions erected after October 1, 1913, specifies that exits be provided in such number as the floor area may re¬ quire, same being 5,000 square feet or less—two exits; each additional 5,000 COMMISSIONER JAMES M. LYNCH. square feet or part thereof an additional exit. The location, number and type of these exits being fixed by law, they should be a primary consideration be¬ fore arranging the contents of a struc¬ ture. Sufficient exit capacity for the number of employees is also required. The minimum width of 44 inches for stairs, as specified in the law, may be insuffi¬ cient to accommodate the contemplated occupancy, thereby necessitating wider stairs or additional exits. Vertical openings in the form of shafts are to be enclosed in fireproof parti¬ tions, thereby reducing the vertical fire hazard. Fire Walls. Fire walls equipped with fire doors may often be conveniently provided, af¬ fording horizontal exits for the occu¬ pants, as well as automatic fire stops by breaking up areas and localizing fire within a building. Buildings over four stories in height are required to be of fireproof construc¬ tion, and the provisions of section 79-f of the Labor Law defining same, are applicable thereto. Sanitary conveniences are essential to efficient work and are required, such as good light, pure air, wash rooms, dress¬ ing rooms, water closets, etc.; sizes and number depending on sex and number of occupants as defined by the Sanitary Code. All of these requirements oc¬ cupy a certain amount of floor space, and the need is therefore evident for very careful planning and study before beginning detail drawings. The law of economic construction in the building of plants is, that the greatest efficiency and economy is obtained only when the work is under the direction of a thor¬ oughly proficient and experienced per¬ son. Efficiency is greatly hindered when a building is unsuited to its use, and defects which are discovered after completion are usually expensive to remedy. A manufacturer who contemplates the erection of a new factory building or ex¬ tensive alterations to an existing build¬ ing secures the services of a competent and conscientious engineer or architect. Preliminary studies of proposed build¬ ings should be subinitted to the State Industrial Coinmission, to be examined by its Engineeering Division, because in¬ timate knowledge of the requirements of the Labor Law places the division in a position to advise the manufacturer or his engineers as to the simplest, most economical and best methods of com¬ plying with the provisions of the law. Preparation of Plans. It has been the experience of the En¬ gineering Division that some architects and engineers prepare plans either in ignorance of the requirements of the law or on the assumption that their interpre¬ tations of it is correct. In the former case buildings have been completed, and upon inspection by a factory inspector, numerous changes and alterations have been necessitated in complying with or¬ ders issued, causing additional expense to the manufacturer, which could other¬ wise have been avoided, beside the an¬ noyance and inconvenience. IJpon tardy receipt of plans of build¬ ings in course of erection it has been found by the Engineering Division that the number of exits specified were either insufficient or of a type not recognized bv law, the building having been de¬ signed with consideration of the nature of the industry as to layout of machin¬ ery, etc., with no provision as to the width of aisles, number of exits, size and construction of toilet rooms, location of wash rooms, etc. It is needless to state that the manufacturer, on being notified that his building is being erected con¬ trary to the requirements of law, is put to extra expense and annoyance, in view of the fact that the building was let at a contract price and any additional work is usually estimated on a percentage basis. In the case of alterations or providing additional exits to an existing building, the possibility of future expan¬ sion is frequently overlooked. A pro¬ posed exit, if of sufficient width to pro¬ vide for, in addition to the existin.g exits, the maximum occupancy on a factory floor permissible by law, the necessity of requiring additional exit capacity for an increased occupancy would be ob¬ viated. Actual Cases Cited. In order to illustrate more clearly the assertion that some architects and en¬ gineers design and erect factory build¬ ings contrary to the requirements of the Labor Law, while their clients, the man¬ ufacturers, are of the impression that their buildings, having been approved by the local building department, meet all legal requirements, we cite the fol¬ lowin.g actual cases, one of which is at present under consideration: (l) Plans were approved by a local building department for a $100,000 bak-