It’s that time of year. Grocery store shelves are lined with boxes and boxes of snack sized treats. Lawns are scattered with tombstones, skeletons, and ghosts. Cobwebs are draped over doors and windows. Pumpkins are anxiously awaiting to be carved into glorious spooky jack-o-lanterns.
Pop-up Halloween scare/shock/spook/haunted houses often show up during the month of October in cities and towns in my neck of the woods. I’ve been through a few of these “houses”, especially in my younger years. A group of friends’ pack into a two-door car and drive to some old warehouse in an area you normally never venture to. At the door, you are greeted by distant howls, groans, and screams which often transition into laughter. You pay your entrance fee to the zombie working the front booth and head through a dark door, usually covered in a curtain, into the unknown. Each room contains a variety of scares and often hidden workers posing as props to deliver an extra dose of fright. For the most part, these houses are intended to confuse and disorient people in addition to scare. Eventually, after a few screams or shrieks, you make it outside, inhale that crisp autumn air and breath out a sigh of relief.
What’s worse than being stuck in a spooky building full of monsters, vampires, witches, and murderers? What about being stuck in this building when it’s ALSO on fire and filling with smoke and you don’t know which way leads outside?
Don’t think a fire can occur in a place full of people who are having fun especially when there are workers present? A fatal fire killed eight in a haunted castle attraction at Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park in 1984. Here’s a link to a documentary about this tragic fire: Six Flags Great Adventure Haunted Castle Fire. Or if you’re more inclined check out NFPA Haunted Caste Fire Investigation Report.
Building Codes have numerous requirements to ensure occupants can safely leave a building during an emergency. The number of egress doors (ways out of a room) depends on the room use, area, and travel distance to the nearest egress door. The maximum travel distance to the nearest exit is capped at fairly low numbers. Exit doors need to be clearly identifiable and are not permitted to be obstructed, covered, or have mirrors located nearby in a manner that would confuse the direction of exit. I’ve been in scare houses which block egress doors from rooms and create excessively long paths of travel to the nearest exit. Some even obstruct, block or worst of all LOCK exit doors. The props and scenery in these houses are typically flammable materials selected for their “eww gross” or “that’s creepy” factor and not for their ability to resist or prevent the passage of flames. Further, most of the houses are staffed by well meaning workers who likely have not been properly trained with evacuating persons in an emergency.
HOW CAN WE MAKE SCARE HOUSES SAFE?
OK so calm down Halloween party police. Is there a way we can still provide these almost real-life scares to people who desire the in-person frights that come from a scare house? Absolutely! But to do this we need to look outside of the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC). One excellent place to look is the NFPA 101, Life Safety Code standard which has a specific section for “special amusement buildings” within the assembly use requirements. There are three subclasses for special amusement buildings, of which Class B and C could apply to a scare house.
Class A: Permanently installed special amusement buildings that include at amusement ride or device in which patrons are contained or restrained and are unable to evacuate without the assistance of the ride operator.
Class B: Permanently installed special amusement buildings that do not include an amusement rise of device, or that include an amusement ride or device which patrons are able to self-evacuate.
Class C: Temporary or mobile special amusement buildings.
SUMMARY OF NFPA 101 SPECIAL AMUSEMENT BUILDING REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY TO SCARE HOUSES
These special amusement buildings must adhere to all the regular assembly use Building Code requirements but there are quite a few additions. A summary of the additional requirements follows but be sure to check out 12.4.9 in Chapter 12 (New Assembly Occupancies) and 13.4.9 Special Amusement Buildings in Chapter 13 (Existing Assembly Occupancies) of NFPA 101 2024 Edition for full details.
Exit Signs
Illuminated proximity exit signs must be located near the floor in addition to the regular “green running person” exit signs. If mazes, mirrors or other designs are used to confuse the egress path, approved directional exit marking that becomes apparent in an emergency is also required.
Fire Alarm
A fire alarm is required for Class A and B special amusement buildings. A manual fire alarm box (manual pull station in Canadian lingo) which will actuate the fire alarm system must be in a constantly attended and supervised location when the building is open to the public.
Class C buildings require an approved automatic smoke detection system. Actuation of any smoke detection system must activate an audible and visible alarm in a constantly attended receiving station when the building is occupied for purposes of initiating emergency action.
Smoke Detection
Smoke detection is required in Class C buildings. When actuated, lighting levels must increase, and any conflicting or confusing sounds and visuals must stop.
Smoke detection is also required in Class A and B buildings if they are operated at reduced lighting levels.
Fire Suppression
This is a big one…every special amusement building over 3050 mm in height or larger than 15 m2 in area must be protected with fire suppression sprinklers.
Interior Finishes, Furnishing, Decorations and Scenery
Interior finishes must have low flame propagation properties and all furnishings, decorations and scenery must have flame spread rating of no more than 25.
Fire Safety Plan (Emergency Action Plan)
A Fire Safety Plan (Emergency Action Plan in American lingo) must be in place with special attention paid to ensure safe and orderly evacuation of occupants in case of fire. Attraction operators (workers) must be trained on the specific evacuation instructions unique to the special amusement building.
SO, WHAT NEXT?
Unfortunately, the NBCC does not currently contain any code provisions to allow for occupants to become lost in an imaginary world and enjoy some thrills while still maintaining an acceptable level of fire and life safety. Typically, a building which does not meet the prescriptive requirements of the NBCC must use an Alternative Solution.
What is your experience with special amusement buildings? I’d love to hear from AHJs, designers, and especially those occupants who are brave enough to seek the unique thrills these houses provide. Have you ever been in a haunted house that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up?
This article is specific to scare/fun houses located in buildings and not similar attractions which are built on trailers part of travelling fairs, carnivals, or exhibitions. I also didn’t touch on assembly use buildings that contain escape rooms or where occupants are in harnesses and tethered to things like rock climbing walls or high ropes courses. I would also love to hear your thoughts on any of these.
Big werewolf howl shout outs to my pal Jim Burns for his help with this article and my Fall 2023/24 Code 200 course in the Architectural Technologies program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic for always asking engaging questions, one of which inspired me to write this blog.
