R310.1 Emergency escape and rescue openings required. ¹  Habitable spaces located within basements and every sleeping room within the dwelling shall have at least one operable emergency escape and rescue opening. Where basements contain one or more sleeping rooms, emergency egress and rescue openings shall be required in each sleeping room, but shall not be required in adjoining habitable areas of the basement. Where emergency escape and rescue openings are provided, they shall have a sill height of not more than 44 inches above the floor. Where a door opening having a threshold below the adjacent ground elevation serves as an emergency escape and rescue opening and is provided with a bulkhead enclosure, the bulkhead enclosure shall comply with Section R310.3. Emergency escape and rescue openings with a finished sill height below the adjacent ground elevation shall be provided with a window well in accordance with Section R310.2.

Exceptions:

1. Habitable basements without sleeping rooms are not required to have emergency escape and rescue openings when they are provided with two remote, code-compliant stairways.
2. In existing buildings, basements being converted to habitable space without sleeping rooms are not required to have emergency escape and rescue openings.

R310.1.4 Operational constraints. Emergency escape and rescue openings shall be operational from the inside of the room without the use of a key or tool and the net clear opening dimensions shall be obtained by the normal operation of the opening from the inside.

Exception: Existing buildings undergoing alterations or installation of replacement windows shall be permitted to utilize removable sash to achieve the required minimum net clear openings. Such removable sash shall be capable of being removed without the use of a key or tool.

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