Sec. 11.19.02.32. Service Doors, Emergency Windows, Doors, and Exits

A. Service Door.

(1) The service door shall be:

(a) Located on the right side near the front, convenient to the seated operator's unobstructed vision. The entrance shall have a minimum horizontal opening of 24 inches and a minimum vertical opening of 68 inches.

(b) Manually or power operated by the seated operator and designed to afford easy release and prevent accidental opening. Parts of the hand lever may not come together so as to shear or crush fingers. If one section of the folding door opens inward and the other opens outward, the forward section shall open outward. Vertical closing edges shall be equipped with padding to prevent injury. The bottom of the lower glass panel shall be not more than 10 inches from the top surface of the bottom step when the bus is unloaded. The top of the upper glass panel shall be not more than 6 inches from the top of the door. Power-operated doors shall be equipped for emergency release in case of power failure and shall be labeled on the inside with letters at least 1/2 inch high and instructions for emergency opening.

(2) There may not be a door to the left of the driver on vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 21,500 pounds.

(3) A grab handle of stainless steel not less than 20 inches in length shall be properly secured in an unobstructed location inside the doorway.

(4) An entrance door head pad, minimum of 1 by 4 inches, of foam rubber, shall be installed on the interior of the vehicle to extend the width of the door opening.

(5) Manually operated service doors shall be equipped with heavy duty nonpainted or powder coated, rust resistant controls and rod with a positive inside latching device.

(6) The service door or doors shall have a handle for opening it from the outside.

(7) The effective date for a positive latching device and handle is January 1, 1991.

(8) There may be a security locking device on the outside handle of the service door.

(9) Electric-powered service doors shall have a handle switch directly powered by the battery.

B. Emergency Door.

(1) An emergency door shall be located in the rear and near the center. If the engine is so located as to prevent a rear emergency door or exit location, the emergency door shall be in the left side of the rear half of the bus and shall be clearly marked "EMERGENCY DOOR" in letters at least 2 inches high at the top of, or directly above, the door on both the inside and the outside. If the outside areas above the door or the upper door window are not large enough for the words, the words may be placed on the door under the upper window. An arrow at least 6 inches in length and 3/4 of an inch in width indicating the direction the release mechanism should be turned to open the emergency door shall be painted black on the inside of the emergency door.

(2) An arrow of equal dimensions indicating the direction the release mechanism should be turned to open the emergency door shall be on the outside of the emergency door in black and on the National School Bus Yellow background, as set forth in Regulation .20 of this chapter. The emergency door shall have a horizontal opening of at least 24 inches and a vertical opening of at least 48 inches measured from the floor level. The emergency door or exit shall be designed to be opened from both the inside and outside.

(3) The passage to the emergency door shall be kept clear of obstructions. For rear doors, the horizontal clearance of 24 inches shall be maintained for a distance of at least 12 inches inside the bus. When the emergency door is in the left side, a minimum horizontal clearance of 12 inches and a vertical clearance of 48 inches shall be maintained between it and the center aisle. An emergency door head pad, a minimum of 1 inch by 4 inches of foam rubber, shall be installed on the interior of the vehicle to extend the width of the door opening.

(4) The upper and lower portion of the central rear emergency door shall be equipped with approved safety glass, the exposed area of which shall be not less than 400 square inches in the upper portion and not less than 300 square inches in the lower portion. The left side emergency door shall be equipped with safety glass in the upper portion and the lower portion shall be of at least the same gauge metal as the body.

(5) The emergency door shall be hinged on the right side if it is in the rear end of the bus and on the front side if it is in the left side, and shall open only outward. Control from the operator's seat may not be permitted.

(6) The emergency door shall be equipped with a slide bar, cam-operated latch which shall have a minimum stroke of 1 inch. The latch shall be equipped with a suitable electric plunger-type switch connected with a distinctive audible signal automatically operated and located in the operator's compartment which shall clearly indicate the unlatching of this door to the seated driver when the engine is running. A cut-off switch, except through the ignition switch, may not be installed in the circuit. The switch shall be enclosed and wires leading from the switch shall be concealed in the body. The switch shall be so installed that the plunger contacts the farthest edge of the slide bar in such a manner that any movement of the slide bar will immediately close the circuit and activate the signal. The door latch shall be equipped with an interior handle which shall be capable of quick release but shall be protected against accidental release.

(7) There may not be steps leading to the emergency door.

(8) The outside handle shall be nondetachable and so designed as to minimize hitching.

(9) The engine starting system of a bus may not operate if any emergency exit is locked from either inside or outside the bus.

C. Emergency Windows.

(1) Side emergency windows shall be labeled “EMERGENCY EXIT” in letters at least 2 inches high located directly above the emergency exit on both the inside and outside surfaces of the bus.

(2) A distinctive audible signal, automatically operated, shall clearly indicate to the seated driver when the engine is running the unlatching of any emergency window. A cut-off switch, except through the ignition switch, may not be installed in the circuit.

(3) The rear emergency window shall be designed to be opened from both the inside and the outside and shall be equipped with an air or gas-assisted mechanism to assist in opening.

(4) The words “Emergency Exit” shall be in letters at least 2 inches high above a rear exit window on the inside and above or below the window on the outside of the vehicle.

D. Operating Instructions. Concise operating instructions describing the motions necessary to unlatch and open the emergency window shall be:

(1) Of a color that contrasts with the letters background; and

(2) Located within 6 inches of the release mechanism on the inside surface of the vehicle.

(3) A decal containing the precise operating instructions may be placed on any Emergency Exit window. The decal shall be transparent except for the lettering.

E. Roof Vent/Emergency Exit. At least one roof vent/emergency exit shall be installed and be:

(1) Adjustable;

(2) Equipped with a release handle inside and outside to permit the ventilator cover to hinge open for emergency exit;

(3) Labeled "EMERGENCY EXIT" in letters at least 2 inches high on the inside and outside of the vehicle followed by precise operating instructions; and

(4) Roof vents may be equipped with a distinctive audible signal.