Effectiveness of Company Level Inspection Programs [SURVEY]

I am conducting research for a white paper to be published regarding the effectiveness of company level inspection programs.  This research primarily deals with fire department size and company level inspection function, duties, and training. 

If you have 10 minutes to spare please take the survey below.  The survey is composed of 14  multiple choice or fill-in questions.  All responses are optional.

Company Level Inspections Survey:

https://goo.gl/forms/PCJvAKxNEPaFTWkp2

Thank you for assisting with this.  If you would like more information on this study, would like to discuss further, or are interested in receiving the survey results, please contact me at, thecodecoach@gmail.com.

Elements of Plan Review

For fire prevention organizations tasked with conducting plan reviews, NFPA 1730 lists 9 plan review elements. This post will examine each of these and provide links to additional resources.

1.  Fire Protection Environmental Impact (Feasibility Study). The feasibility study should examine such items as response times for fire/emergency services, communications capabilities,  hydrants availability, and water main requirements.  Any special considerations, and fire protection alternatives or equivalencies, should be documented and reviewed.
    Suggested resource: Fire Protection Approaches in Site Plan Review 

2.  Water Supply and Fire Flow. These should be conducted to ensure that the available water supply requirements can be met. If they cannot, other options should be considered and decided upon at this time.
    Suggested resource: How to Conduct Hydrant Flow Testing 

3.  Emergency Vehicle Access. This should be based on the largest piece of apparatus that the responding department may have to use.  Driving surfaces, widths, overhead clearances, loads, and turn-around's, and dead-ends should be considered.

4.  Construction Building Plans. This element of plan review should be conducted to determine code compliance, occupancy classifications, construction type, required fire protection features, fire resistance ratings, interior finishes, and any special hazards or structures.
     Suggested resource: The Art of Reading Buildings ; 101 Things I Learned in Engineering School 

5.  Certificate of Occupancy Inspections. These inspections are carried out throughout the project and can include all the trades (plumbing, electric, HVAC, etc.) and fire protection systems.  These inspections ensure that what has been approved on the plans is what is being installed in the building.
     Suggested resource: Why You're Stuck in Permitting (and how to get out!)

6.  Hazardous Materials and Processes. Any hazardous materials or processes should be reviewed for proper storage, handling, transfer, containment, emergency planning, and fire protection.
     Suggested resource: What's your MAQ? ; How to Store Hazardous Materials 

7.  Fire Protection System Plans.  These reviews confirm that required systems are in place, designed properly, and work for the structure.  These systems include, sprinklers, alarms, smoke control, fire pumps, hood systems, kitchen hoods, elevator recall, and similar items.
     Suggested resource: Sprinklers where required... ; How to Design a Fire Alarm System

8.  Fire and Life Safety Systems Field Acceptance Inspections.  These final inspections are in place to visually witness the correct operation of the fire protection systems, and confirm that all systems are in place and functional in accordance with codes, standards, and approved plans.
     Suggested resource:  Testing Integrated Fire Systems ; Understanding Pre-Action Sprinkler Systems

9.  Certificate of Occupancy (CO) issued.  This is the main objective for any building project.  After all work is completed, and all items are confirmed to be installed and functional per the approved plans, the Certificate of Occupancy can be issued, and the structure can be put into use.
     Suggested resource: The Road to C.O. - the Direct Route to Building Occupancy 

How To Conduct NFPA 80 Inspections

One of my first large projects in my new position was to ensure that the facility was compliant with all egress and fire door inspection requirements.  Having personally conducted inspections of all 200 doors on the facility, I became intimately familiar with the requirements of NFPA 101:7 and NFPA 80. Recent editions of NFPA 101 require that egress and fire doors be inspected annually.

NFPA 101:7.2.1.15:

Where required by Chapters 11 through 43, door assemblies for which the door leaf is required to swing in the direction of egress travel shall be inspected an tested not less than annually in accordance with 7.2.1.15.2 throught 7.2.1.15.8.

NFPA 101:7.2.1.15.2:

Fire-rated door assemblies shall be inspected and tested in accordance with NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives.

NFPA 80 clearly outlines how these annual inspections are to be conducted and what components must be inspected.

NFP 80:5.2.41 clearly states that fire doors must be inspected annually. Some occupancy types require more frequent inspections (NFPA 409 requires monthly visual inspections, for example).  Although there are several fire door inspection agencies, organizations, and certification courses around, NFPA 80 does not require a special certification, it merely states a person "with knowledge and understanding of the operating components of the type of assembly being subject to testing".  It is also not the AHJ's job to conduct the fire door inspection, it is on the building owner to have the inspections conducted and a record available for the AHJ.

One of the most important considerations is to ensure that the inspections (and any deficiencies) are clearly documented, and all required components are thoroughly inspected.  One of the best forms for this is available for free from www.idighardware.com, it is a single checklist (each door on the facility should have its own inspection sheet), that thoroughly lists all inspection criteria.

NFPA 80 Inspection Form

**Using Target Solutions for inspections? E-mail me to receive a fire door inspection template.**

Another important form to have available is an inventory sheet of all facility doors, here is a simple one that I created for use on our facility (feel free to steal):

Egress/Fire Door Inventory Sheet

Inspection records are required to have the following information:

(1)  Date of inspection

(2)  Name of facility

(3)  Address of facility

(4)  Name of person(s) performing inspections and testing

(5)  Company name and address of inspecting company

(6)  Signature of inspector of record

(7)  Individual record of each inspected and tested fire door assembly

(8)  Opening identifier and location of each inspected and tested fire door assembly

(9)  Type and description of each inspected and tested fire door assembly

(10)  Verification of visual inspection and functional operation

(11)  Listing of deficiencies

Doors should be inspected from both sides to ensure compliance. Inspections should denote the following deficiencies (NFPA 80:5.2.3.5):

(1)  Labels are clearly visible and legible.

(2)  No open holes or breaks exist in surfaces of either the door or frame.

(3)  Glazing, vision light frames, and glazing beads are intact and securely fastened in place, if so equipped.

(4)  The door, frame, hinges, hardware, and noncombustible threshold are secured, aligned, and in working order with no visible signs of damage.

(5)  No parts are missing or broken.

(6)  Door clearances do not exceed clearances allowed.

(7)  The self-closing device is operational; that is, the active door completely closes when operated from the full open position.

(8)  If a coordinator is installed, the inactive leaf closes before the active leaf.

(9)  Latching hardware operates and secures the door when it is in the closed position.

(10)  Auxiliary hardware items that interfere or prohibit operation are not installed on the door or frame.

(11)  No field modifications to the door assembly have been performed that void the label.

(12)  Meeting edge protection, gasketing and edge seals, where required, are inspected to verify their presence and integrity.

(13)  Any signage is properly affixed to the door (per NFPA 80:4.1.4).

Fire doors must not exceed allowable clearances between the door and the frame, the door and the sill, or between two doors.  The required maximum clearances are as follows:

•  the clearance under the bottom of the door must not exceed 3/4"
• if bottom of door is more than 38" AFF clearance cannot exceed 3/8"
• clearance at top of a steel door or between pairs of doors must be 1/8-1/16"
• wood doors must not exceed 1/8"

There are several useful tools for checking these clearances quickly and reliably (much better than using a tape measure and "eyeballing" it).  I personally use, and recommend, this this one from Aegis Fire Barrier Consultants, or this one from DoorGap Gauge.

All inspection records are to be kept for three years. 

The most important part of any inspection program is, not just documenting deficiencies, but ensuring that they are corrected.  It is only when these fire doors are properly installed and maintained that they can effectively accomplish their intended purpose.

Further reading:

• Fire Doors? Whats the big deal?
• NFPA codes and standards blog
• Introduction to Passive Fire Protection

Click to receive my FREE guide for the "5 Must-Have Resources for Maintaining Fire Door Compliance"

High Cost of Non-Compliance

I jokingly tell people that the reason I got into fire prevention is because I don't need any more friends. Everyone seems to hate it when the fire inspector comes around. People seem to be most afraid of the potential cost to correct any fire code violations that the inspector may find.  However, as fire inspectors our responsibilities in code enforcement are to, not only protect ourselves, but also the business owner.

We protect the business owner by identifying fire hazards in their business.  By identifying and correcting these hazards loss of a business property, time, and lives can be avoided.  However, fire inspections also protect the business owner, by ensuring that if an incident does occur the businesses insurance company will make any necessary payments.  Often times, insurance companies try to find a way not to pay, and if the facilities are not up to current fire codes then it is easy for the insurance company to deny the claims.

The Insurance Journal recently reported that a fire destroyed, restaurant in Massachusetts was recently denied it's insurance claim, and court ordered to repay a $15,000 insurance advance. The judge based his ruling on the fact that the restaurant had been operating with an out of date fire suppression system. You can read the entire article here, Massachusetts Judge: Obsolete Fire-Suppression Means No Claims Paid.

As fire prevention professionals it is our responsibility to educate business and industry representatives on the fact that we are not just there to hurt them, fight against them, or shut down their business, but that we are there to partner with them to ensure the continued success and longevity of there enterprise.