Seating for more than 200 persons in assembly occupancies, when not fastened to the floor, shall be fastened into groups with a minimum of how many…

According to NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, in assembly occupancies with an occupant load exceeding 200, any seating that is not physically secured to the floor must be fastened together. This is required to prevent individual chairs from being displaced during an emergency, which could create obstructions in the means of egress. The code specifies that these chairs must be ganged or fastened together in groups of not less than three. This requirement does not apply to specific arrangements like seating at tables or in separated boxes/suites under certain conditions.

B. Five: This is incorrect. While a larger group is permissible, the specified minimum in the code is three chairs, not five.

C. Seven: This is incorrect. The code mandates a minimum of three chairs; seven exceeds this minimum but is not the required value.

D. Nine: This is incorrect. The code specifies a minimum of three chairs, making nine an incorrect value for the minimum requirement.

1. NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, 2021 Edition.

Section 12.2.5.8.1.2: "In assembly occupancies, where seating is not fastened to the floor and the occupant load is more than 200, the chairs shall be fastened together in groups of not less than three."

Section 13.2.5.8.1.2: (For Existing Assembly Occupancies) contains the identical requirement.

2. SFPE, Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 5th Edition.

Chapter 54, Egress Concepts and Design Approaches, Section 54.6.2, Assembly Occupancies: This section discusses egress design for assembly occupancies and references the NFPA 101 requirements for seating arrangements, including the rule for ganging loose chairs in groups of three or more to maintain clear aisle widths during evacuation. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2562-454)

3. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Fire Protection Engineering (FPE) Courseware.

FPE 571, Building Fire Safety: Course materials covering means of egress in assembly occupancies cite and explain the provisions of NFPA 101, including Section 12.2.5.8 regarding the requirement to fasten loose chairs in groups of at least three when the occupant load exceeds 200.