actors that are related to the overall structure of the facility and sized so that the loss of any one means of egress shall not reduce the available width to less than 50 percent of the width required.
Originally, this particular set of standards used the word "capacity" in place of "width." The change brought about recently requires recognition that occupant load is better addressed by means of width specifications than simply by capacity specifications.
Ron Cote (2002), of the NFPA, reported that changes in standards impacting on means of egress often are undertaken with regard to the specific functions of a structure. Consequently, a means of egress for a nursing home in which a variety of individuals with mobility impairments are likely to be housed may well require a wider width in egress routes than one in a structure such as a residence or an apartment complex. However, Cote (2002) did note that the NFPA in 2002 called f
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