Perhaps you are conducting a fire inspection or survey and you notice that the hazard or commodity classification on the hydraulic calculation plate at the riser seems odd for the actual contents of the structure. Or, you are sitting down to do a plan review, the occupancy hazard and commodity class is listed. Are these classifications correct based on the use of the structure?
NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, chapter five defines occupancy hazard and commodities classifications for the design and installation of sprinkler systems. In book form, this information can sometimes be difficult to recall. This slideshow presentation can be utilized as a reference to quickly review and confirm occupancy and commodity classifications.
Showing posts with label fire protection system. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fire protection system. Show all posts
Why Did Your System Fail?
In his book, Normal Accidents: Living With High Risk Technologies, Charles Perrow provides a framework for analyzing risk and argues that increasing system complexity makes failure inevitable.
In this book he introduces the acronym DEPOSE, to investigate and explain conventional accident cause. This tool can be applied to determine fire protection system and incident response failures.
D - design
Was this design appropriate? What design may have worked better? How could a different design prevented the incident or failure?
E - equipment
Did the equipment function as it should? How should the equipment have worked? What better equipment should have been employed?
P - procedures
Was a standard procedure in place? Was the operating procedure clearly communicated and understood? How can the procedure be improved on, less steps, easier to understand, etc.?
O - operators
What condition were the personnel in? Have they been properly trained? Do they have all the necessary equipment, tools, and support needed?
S - supplies and materials
Is there an adequate inventory of supplies and materials? Are these the correct supplies, material, and parts for the system on-site?
E - environment
What was the environment like at the time of the failure? Is it possible to protect against the adverse environment? Has the system or equipment been designed to work within this environment?
For more on understanding and solving fire protection problems you might be interested in, The Guide for Fire Protection Solutions.
How to Implement a Sprinkler Impairment Program
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| "Out of Order" by deglispiriti |
NFPA 25 outlines the required components of an impairment program. There are 9 action steps that must be taken to provide for the protection of life and property throughout the impairment period.
Step 1. Determine the extent and duration of the impairment.
Step 2. Inspect the areas affected by the impairment and document the increased risks that may be present.
Step 3. Provide risk mitigation recommendations to building owner, manager, or other responsible party.
Step 4. If the impairment will last for more than 10 consecutive hours one of the following options must be implemented:
- Evacuation of the affected area
- Implement a fire watch
- Establish a temporary water supply
- Eliminate potential ignition sources and limit fuel sources
Step 5. Notify the fire department.
Step 6. Notify the insurance carrier, fire alarm company, property owner/manager, and any other stakeholders.
Step 7. Notify supervisors/individuals within the affected space of the impairment.
Step 8. Tag the affected area or system.
Step 9. Prior to shut-down, ensure that all tools and materials are at the site.
Here is an impairment notification template that you can customize for your use --> Download Impairment Notification Template.
Testing Integrated Fire Systems
Integrated fire systems are those fire protection and life safety systems that "are required to operate together as a whole to achieve overall fire protection and life safety objectives." An example of an integrated system might be a fire alarm, fire sprinkler, elevator recall, and smoke control. When a fire is detected each of these items has a specific code required function to perform. Integrated testing ensures that these systems all work flawlessly together. Integrated testing is to be completed as outlined in NFPA 4, Standard for Integrated Fire Protection and Life Safety System Testing. Integrated system testing is also a function that should be part of the building commissioning plan.
This integrated testing is to be supervised and managed by an Integrated Testing Agent (ITa). The ITa is responsible for planning, scheduling, documentation, coordination, and implementation of the integrated testing for all systems. The ITa's first responsibility is to create a test plan. The integrated testing plan provides guidance, direction, and time-frames for all systems personnel.
This integrated test plan must include the following components:
- Verification of proper installation per design documents
- List of each system that is installed and is to be tested
- All documentation for each system (as required by that systems code or standard)
- List and contact information for all members of the integrated test team, their responsibilities, and a denotation of which individuals are required to be present for testing
- List of all equipment required for testing
- System input and output function matrix
- Final system drawings and diagrams are to be listed and referenced in the testing plan and available on-site
- Narrative description of test scenarios and procedures, and documentation and approvals for the AHJ
- The extent of systems and system functions to be tested
- Testing schedule
- Future integrated systems test frequency
A thorough and complete integrated testing plan will keep everyone moving toward the same goal. The plan will ensure that all items are properly tested, will work together, and all required documentation is accounted for.
Need an integrated testing agent or test plan? Want to be coached through the integrated testing process? Looking for more information? Visit the TCC Solutions page, or contact me directly.
Sprinklers where required...
Reading through the NFPA standards, one consistently comes upon the phrase "sprinklers where required". However, in order to find where they are, or may be, required, involves some searching through the code book. The IFC more conveniently lists the occupancies requiring fire protection under the fire sprinkler section.
The below is a tool that can be used as a quick guide to what occupancies require fire sprinklers, and where the code can be referenced.
Download a printable version of this document.
Assembly Occupancy (12.3.5/13.3.5):
- New
- all of the following (12.3.5.1):
- bars w/live entertainment
- dance halls
- discotheques
- nightclubs
- assemblies with festival seating
- a form of audience/spectator accommodation in which no seating, other than a floor or finished ground level, is provided for the audience/spectators gathered to observe a performance (3.3.221.1)
- where aggregate occupant load exceeds 300 (12.3.5.2, exception in 12.3.5.3)
- Existing
- where occupant load exceeds 100 in the following:
- bars w/llive entertainment
- dance halls
- discotheques
- nightclubs
- assemblies with festival seating
- exhibition or display areas greater than 15,000sq.ft. (see exception in 13.3.5.3)
Educational Occupancy (14.3.5/15.3.5):
- New
- buildings exceeding 20,000sq.ft.
- four or more stories in height
- portions below level of exit discharge
- with unprotected openings in accordance with 8.6.6
- Existing
- floors below level of exit discharge (see exception in 15.3.5.3)
- with unprotected openings in accordance with 8.6.6
Day-Care Occupancy (16.3.5/17.3.5):
- New and Existing
- areas with unprotected openings per 8.6.6
Health Care Occupancy (18.3.5/19.3.5):
- New
- required throughout (alternative allowed for Type I or Type II construction, per 18.3.5.5)
- Existing
- throughout buildings containing nursing homes
- high-rise buildings
- buildings containing these facilities of the types specified in 19.1.6
- alternative allowed for Type I or Type II construction, per 19.3.5.5
Ambulatory Health Care Occupancy (20.3.5.1/21.3.5.1):
- New and Existing
- isolated hazardous areas to be protected in accordance with 9.7.1.2
Detention and Correctional Occupancy (22.3.5/23.3.5):
- New and Existing
- high-rise buildings
- use condition I, II, III, IV, and V (as defined in 22.1.4)
- standpipes required
- class I - all buildings 3 or more stories in height
- class III - nonsprinklered buildings 3 or more stories in height
- also, see exceptions in 22.3.5.6
Lodging or Rooming Houses (26.3.6):
- all new, except those meeting the following:
- sleeping rooms having a door that opens directly to the outside
Hotels and Dormitories (28.3.5):
- New
- all new, except those meeting the following:
- suites that have a door opening directly to the outside at ground level
- those having exterior exit access arranged in accordance wih 7.5.3, in buildings 3 or fewer stories
- hazardous areas listed in Table 28.3.2.2.2.
- Existing
- high-rise buildings, with rooms not having direct exterior exit access
- hazardous areas listed in Table 29.3.2.2.2
Apartment Buildings (30.3.5/31.3.5):
- New
- required throughout
- Existing
- high-rise buildings, with rooms not having direct exterior exit access
- hazardous areas listed in Table 31.3.2.1.1
Board and Care Occupancy (32.3.3.5/33.3.3.5):
- New
- required throughout
- Existing
- high-rise buildings
- hazardous areas per 33.2.3.2
Mercantile Occupancy (36.3.5/37.3.5):
- New
- throughout all if 3 or more stories in height
- exceeding 12,000sq.ft.
- below level of exit discharge if:
- greater than 2500sq.ft.
- space used for sale, storage, handling of combustible goods
- Existing
- anything over one-story that meets the following:
- any story over 15,000sq.ft.
- exceeding 30,000sq.ft. in total area
- below level of exit discharge if:
- greater than 2500sq.ft.
- used for sale, storage, handling of combustible goods
- multiple occupancis protected as mixed occupancies, see 37.3.5(4)
Business Occupancy (38.3.2.2/39.3.2.2):
- New and Existing
- high hazard contents areas only
Industrial Occupancy (40.3.2):
- required throughout high hazard occuapncies, operations, or processes
Storage Occupancy (42.4):
- new high-rise storage facilities
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