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Section 468 Schools, Colleges and Universities
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468.1 Scope:
Florida's public and private schools, colleges, and universities shall comply with all applicable requirements of the code and the following standards. These are minimum standards; boards or owners may impose more restrictive requirements. Additional requirements for public educational facilities in Florida, including public schools and Florida's colleges, are found in Section 453, State Requirements for Educational Facilities.
468.2 Sites
468.2.1 Drainage
Soil, grass, and planting beds shall provide positive drainage away from sidewalks, but shall not fall away at more than a 3-percent gradient slope for a minimum distance of 5 feet (1524 mm) from the edge. Gutters or other water funneling devices shall prevent storm water from pouring onto or draining across walks.The location of all drains, grates, drop inlets, catch basins, other drainage elements and curb cuts shall be out of the main flow of pedestrian traffic.
468.2.2 Playgrounds and Equipment
Playgrounds shall be evenly graded and sloped to provide positive surface drainage. Playground equipment shall be safe, structurally sound, verminproof, and shall not have jagged or sharp projections. Playground equipment shall be anchored to suitable foundations to prevent toppling or dislodgement. Cushioning materials such as mats, wood chips, or sand shall be used under climbing equipment, slides, and swings as required by the Public Playground Safety Handbook.
468.2.3 Outdoor Waste Containers
A smooth nonabsorbent surface shall be provided for outdoor waste containers.
468.2.4 Transmission Line Right-of-Way
Buildings, play areas and common use areas shall not be located within a high-voltage power transmission line right-of-way.
468.3 Building Construction
468.3.1 Rodent Proofing
Buildings for Group E occupancies shall be rodent proofed per Appendix F, Rodent proofing.
468.3.2 Glare From Natural Light
Sources of natural light in instructional spaces shall be glazed with glare reducing materials or shall be shielded to prevent glare that can interfere with seeing tasks within the instructional space.
468.3.3 Automated External Defibrillator
Automated external defibrillators shall be provided in public educational facilities that are a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association.
468.3.4 Diaper Changing Stations
A diaper changing station shall be located in or adjacent to any classroom where children wearing diapers are in attendance. A hand washing lavatory shall be provided within the changing station area. Access shall be provided to the lavatory without opening doors or touching a handle.
468.3.5 Plumbing
468.3.5.1 Standards
Educational and ancillary facilities shall be provided with toilets, hand washing facilities, and drinking fountains for all occupants, in ratios and accessible as required by the Florida Building Code, Florida law, and federal requirements.
Exception: A single unisex toilet room is allowed where provided in child care, pre-kindergarten through grade 3 and ESE classrooms.
468.3.5.2 Teacher Toilets
Faculty and staff toilets shall be separate from student toilets.
Exception: Separation of faculty/staff and student toilet facilities is not required for colleges and universities.
468.3.5.3 Toilet Room Access
468.3.5.3.1
Toilet facilities for pre-k through grade 12 shall be accessible under continuous roof cover from all student occupied spaces.
Exception: Relocatable classrooms installed for temporary use.
468.3.5.3.2 Access to Group Toilet Rooms
Access to student group toilet rooms shall not be through an occupied space, storage space, or equipment space.
468.3.5.3.3
Toilet rooms adjacent to food preparation or dining areas shall be completely enclosed, have self-closing doors, and shall open into vestibules with self-closing doors. Toilet rooms shall not open directly into food preparation areas, serving areas, or dining areas.
468.3.5.4 Shielding Device
The entry to each group toilet room shall be provided with a door, partition, or other shielding device to block from view the occupants in the toilet room. If a door is provided, it shall have a closer and shall swing out in the direction of egress.
468.3.5.5 Walls
468.3.5.6 Floor Drains and Hose Bibbs
All group toilet rooms shall be provided with at least one floor drain and one easily accessible hose bibb. The floor shall be sloped down to the drain.
468.3.5.6.1 Stall Urinals
Stall urinals shall not serve as the required floor drains.
468.3.5.6.2 Location
468.3.5.7 Handwashing Facilities
468.3.5.7.1
Handwashing facilities shall be located within or adjoining each toilet room.
468.3.5.7.2
Soap dispensers for liquid, foam, or powdered soap shall be provided at all handwashing basins.
468.3.5.7.3
Individual towel dispensers or hot-air hand drying devices shall be provided near handwashing basins.
468.3.5.8 Showers
468.3.5.8.1
Shower heads shall be based on the peak load to be accommodated at one time and provided at the ratio of one shower head for each five students, located a minimum of 30 inches (762 mm) apart.
468.3.5.8.2
Floors shall be drained in such a manner that waste water from any shower head will not pass over areas occupied by other bathers.
468.3.5.8.3
Water shall be heated and the temperature at the shower head shall not exceed 110°F (43°C) nor be less than 95°F (35°C).
468.3.5.9 Floors
468.3.5.10 Ceilings
Ceilings in group toilet rooms, kitchens, sculleries, can wash areas, showers and locker rooms shall be impervious.
468.3.5.11 Urinals
Trough urinals shall not be installed in any location.
468.3.5.12 Hot Water
When hot water is supplied to handwash sinks or lavatories in toilet rooms, a mixing valve shall be installed to control the temperature, at the fixture, which shall not exceed 110°F (43°C) nor be less than 95°F (35°C).
468.3.6 Mechanical
468.3.6.1 Natural Ventilation
Natural ventilation shall not be provided in toilet rooms, shower rooms, lockers rooms, and storage rooms for athletic equipment or soiled clothes.
468.3.6.2 Fans and Blowers
Fans and blowers shall be sized and designed to provide the required air movement without excessive or disturbing noise that would interfere with the educational program provided in the space being ventilated.
468.3.6.3 Kilns
Kiln rooms and areas shall be provided with adequate exhaust to dispel emitted heat to the exterior, and they shall not be connected to any other exhaust system.
468.3.6.4 Chemistry Laboratories and Science Classrooms
HVAC systems in chemistry labs and science classrooms shall be designed and installed to ensure that chemicals originating from the space are not recirculated.
Exception: A high capacity emergency exhaust system providing 20 air changes per hour may be used in chemistry laboratories and science classrooms with fume hoods. Positive ventilation may be provided via doors or windows opening to the exterior. Signs providing operational instructions shall be permanently installed at the emergency exhaust system fan switch and adjacent to the door(s) or window(s) to be opened.
468.3.6.5 Chemical Storage
Rooms used for the storage, handling, and disposal of chemicals used in school, college, and university laboratories shall be vented to the exterior. The ventilation system shall not be connected to the air-conditioning return air system, and the rooms shall be kept at moderate temperatures. Chemical storage cabinets, when vented to the exterior, shall be mechanically vented in accordance with NFPA 30 and NFPA 91.
468.3.6.6 Floor Drains and Plumbing Fixtures in Equipment Rooms
No floor drain or other plumbing fixture shall be installed in a room containing air handling machinery when such room is used as a plenum. When rooms are used as a plenum, equipment drains shall be conveyed through an indirect waste receptor located outside such rooms or other approved point of disposal.
468.3.6.7 Toilet Room Ventilation
Toilet rooms shall be continuously ventilated during building occupancy.
Exception: Individual toilet rooms shall be ventilated continuously during building occupancy or ventilation shall turn on with the light switch and run for at least 10 minutes after the light has been turned off.
468.3.7 Lighting
468.3.7.1 Illumination Level in Classrooms/Instructional Spaces
Illumination at the normal task level for the type of classroom/instruction space shall be designed to provide and maintain an average of 40 footcandles (400 lux).
468.3.7.2 Illumination Uniformity in Classrooms/Instruction Spaces
Luminaires shall have a ceiling arrangement or be positioned around the walls such that a uniformed illumination level, within 10 footcandles (100 Lux), is maintained at the students required normal task level for the type of classroom/instruction space.
468.3.7.3 Brightness Ratio in Classrooms/Instructional Spaces
468.3.7.4 Illumination Failure of General and Means of Egress Luminaires
Illumination systems shall be designed and maintained so that the failure of any single lighting unit, such as an electric luminaire, does not leave any occupied space or means of egress in the dark (see Section 1008 for additional means of egress requirements).
468.3.7.5 Glare Elimination
Illumination of permanently installed markerboards, chalkboards, and other instruction aids shall be designed to eliminate glare and shadows.
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