Chapter 2
Means of Escape
Chapter 2 governs the design, construction, and maintenance of all exit facilities required to provide safe means of escape from buildings in Singapore. It covers how to determine exit requirements based on occupancy type, occupant load, travel distance, and exit capacity, and sets specific numeric thresholds drawn from Table 2.2A. Special provisions address smoke-free approaches to staircases, exit door requirements, remoteness of exits, and dedicated requirements for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Scope: Applies to all buildings erected, altered, or changed in occupancy in Singapore, across all purpose groups (PG I–VIII). Specific sub-clauses address residential, commercial, industrial, healthcare, assembly, and basement occupancies.
Source: SCDF Code of Practice for Fire Precautions in Buildings 2023. This is a guidance summary — always verify against the full Fire Code clause text.
Critical points
Internal exit staircases must be enclosed with fire-rated construction (per Cl.3.8) and have no more than two exit doors opening into the staircase shaft at each storey (excluding the final discharge door).
CriticalClause 2.3.3a(1)Basement exit staircases must NOT be continuous with staircases serving non-basement storeys, unless specifically permitted by SCDF.
CriticalClause 2.3.5bAll exit staircases must discharge at ground level directly into an external space, an open-sided external corridor (≤5 m from eave line), an open-to-sky corridor of ≥1.2 m width, or a compliant air well.
CriticalClause 2.3.3c(1)Where two exits are required, separation distance measured in a straight line between the furthest edges of the exit doors must be ≥ 1/2 the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the area (or ≥ 1/3 if sprinklered), and in all cases ≥ 7 m.
CriticalClause 2.3.12b–cExit doors and exit access doors must open in the direction of travel when leading to areas of refuge, exit enclosures, high hazard areas, or spaces with occupant load > 50 persons.
CriticalClause 2.3.9cExit staircases in buildings with habitable height > 24 m (except PG II) must be pressurised if they cannot be naturally ventilated.
CriticalClause 2.3.3d(8)Spiral staircases may only serve as required exits if external, unenclosed, serving ≤25 persons on mezzanine floors/balconies, constructed of non-combustible materials, with tread length ≥750 mm, and not more than 10 m high.
ImportantClause 2.3.7aExit staircase re-entry is required for non-residential buildings with exit staircases serving more than 7 storeys. Re-entry points must be ≤6 storeys apart and not more than 3 storeys above the highest re-entry door.
ImportantClause 2.3.9l
Compliance thresholds
| Parameter | Value | Condition | Clause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staircase riser height (maximum) | 175 mm | All exit staircases | Clause 2.3.3d(4) |
| Staircase tread depth — residential units | ≥ 225 mm | Within residential units | Clause 2.3.3d(4)(a) |
| Staircase tread depth — common areas of residential buildings | ≥ 275 mm | Common areas of residential buildings | Clause 2.3.3d(4)(a) |
| Staircase tread depth — PG VI and VIII buildings | ≥ 250 mm | PG VI and VIII buildings | Clause 2.3.3d(4)(b) |
| Staircase tread depth — all other buildings | ≥ 275 mm | All buildings not covered by (a) or (b) | Clause 2.3.3d(4)(c) |
| Staircase clear headroom | ≥ 2 m | Measured from pitch line of staircase or finished floor level of landing to underside of obstruction | Clause 2.3.3d(5) |
| Staircase ventilation opening (natural) | ≥ 10% of floor area per floor of the staircase | All exit staircases (fixed openings in external walls) | Clause 2.3.3d(7) |
| Habitable height threshold for pressurisation of internal exit staircases | 24 m | Internal exit staircases without natural ventilation where building exceeds 24 m (except PG II) | Clause 2.3.3d(8) |
| Spiral staircase — maximum height when used as required exit | 10 m | Spiral staircase used as required exit (external, unenclosed, ≤25 persons) | Clause 2.3.7a |
| Spiral staircase — tread length (minimum) when used as required exit | 750 mm | Spiral staircase used as required exit | Clause 2.3.7a |
| Spiral staircase — maximum occupant load when used as required exit | 25 persons | Mezzanine floors, balconies, or any storey | Clause 2.3.7a |
| Exit ramp maximum slope | 1 in 10 | All internal and external exit ramps (curved ramps: max 1 in 12) | Clause 2.3.8a |
| Exit/exit access door maximum opening force | 30 N at 0°; 20 N at 30° opening | All exit doors and exit access doors | Clause 2.3.9d(3) |
| Fire door vision panel clear size | 100 mm (width) × 600 mm (height) | Fire door to exit staircase and smoke-free/fire lift lobby | Clause 2.3.9e |
| Vision panel bottom edge height | 900 mm above finished floor level | Fire door to exit staircase and smoke-free/fire lift lobby | Clause 2.3.9e |
| Minimum exit separation distance (straight line between door edges) | ≥ 7 m (absolute minimum in all cases) | Any two required exits | Clause 2.3.12b(2) |
| Minimum exit separation — non-sprinklered building | ≥ 1/2 maximum overall diagonal dimension of area served | Non-sprinklered building | Clause 2.3.12b |
| Minimum exit separation — sprinklered building | ≥ 1/3 maximum overall diagonal dimension of area served | Building protected by approved automatic sprinkler system | Clause 2.3.12c |
| Scissor staircase door separation distance | ≥ 7 m between closer edges of staircase doors | Exit door openings of scissor exit staircases | Clause 2.3.4c |
| Unprotected openings near staircase discharge point | ≥ 3 m away; reducible to 1.5 m if along same plane as staircase exit | Both internal and external exit staircases at discharge point | Clause 2.3.3c(4) |
| Maximum discharge distance to external space (sprinklered building — covered circulation) | 10 m | Sprinklered building where up to 50% of staircases discharge to covered ground level circulation | Clause 2.3.3c(2)(b) |
| Exit passageway ventilation (natural) | ≥ 15% of floor area of exit passageway | Internal exit passageways | Clause 2.3.2d(1) |
| Staircase re-entry — maximum separation between re-entry points | ≤ 6 storeys apart | Non-residential buildings with exit staircases serving > 7 storeys | Clause 2.3.9l(2) |
| Staircase re-entry — maximum storeys above highest re-entry door | 3 storeys | Non-residential buildings with staircase re-entry | Clause 2.3.9l(2) |
Interactive decision tree
Design exit staircase and verify means of escape requirements.