Improperly protected sprinkler piping can move violently during an earthquake, resulting not only in extensive water damage to the interior of the building and equipment, but also result in a catastrophic fire due to the…
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Category: NFPA, FM Global, IBC/IFC, UL
NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems (2019 edition), consolidated and updated its guidance regarding the need for automatic sprinklers in concealed spaces. Section 9.2.1 Concealed Spaces Not Requiring Sprinkler Protection details several…
Read MoreProperty Loss There have been some significant high-profile fires in the past few years that have caused large commercial property losses and elimination of jobs. There was the fire at the GAP Distribution Center in…
Read MoreTransformers are one of the most, if not the most, critical piece(s) of equipment found at a facility. While power and distribution transformers are reliable and have low failures rates, the critical nature of these…
Read MoreFM Global recently updated their Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 8-9, Storage of Class 1, 2, 3, 4 and Plastic Commodities (July 2019 edition), to include ceiling-only sprinkler designs for ceiling heights up to 50…
Read MoreAs the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) states, “NFPA 13 is the industry benchmark for design and installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems. NFPA 13 addresses sprinkler system design approaches, system installation, and component options…
Read MoreThe 1961 Hartford Hospital fire sparked changes in hospital safety procedures and building codes that remain in place more than five decades later. On the afternoon of December 8th, a fire broke out in a…
Read MoreIn March of 2017 NFPA published a 54 page document that summarized a history of 485,700 fires by occupancy over a five year period (2010 – 2014). Not surprisingly residential fires accounted for 79.2% of…
Read MoreThe Department of Transportation (DOT), NFPA and FM Global are very different in how they classify flammable, combustible & ignitable liquids. NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code, is updated on a three year cycle…
Read MoreSeveral important changes are forthcoming in the release of the 2016 edition of NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. The most important change is the addition of protection criteria for expanded uncartoned…
Read MoreThe recently released June 2015 edition of FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 8-9, Storage of Class 1, 2, 3, 4 and Plastic Commodities, contains several changes from the previous version. A few of…
Read MoreSeveral years ago, FM Approvals created their Approval Guide website (www.approvalguide.com), allowing you to verify an FM Approved product. Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) now joins in with their own website (codelink.ul.com). The main difference is that…
Read MoreThe following is a synopsis of the new FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 1-15 “Roof Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Panels.” This is a new data sheet, issued in July 2014 with October 2014 revisions.…
Read MoreThe only notable change in July 2014 to FM Global Data Sheet 7-32, Ignitable Liquid Operations, is additional information for arranging ignitable liquid processes, handling, and use operations to stop liquid flow automatically and isolate…
Read MoreFM Global updated their Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet (DS) 8-1, Commodity Classification, in April. Their major changes are: Eliminated the sub-classification of plastic commodities (Group A, Group B and, Group C) and regrouping them…
Read MoreFlue spaces are necessary for rack storage arrangements to allow heat from a fire to quickly vent vertically. This is critical in order to help ensure the ceiling-level sprinklers will operate as quickly as possible.…
Read MoreYou might have noticed that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been making a shift in labeling requirements for chemicals. The new system is the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and…
Read MoreMany jurisdictions have adopted NFPA 25, Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, to help ensure that sprinkler systems are properly inspected and maintained. Many property insurance companies often require that this standard…
Read MoreWhat is a Standard? What is a Code? Why do they change so much? If they change, are we protected properly with the old standard we designed to? Codes Codes are consensus documents that are…
Read MoreThis is a new NFPA recommended practice, as opposed to standard. It outlines a systematic approach to provide documented confirmation that the fire protection and/or life-safety systems, as envisioned by an owner and/or their design…
Read MoreBetween March 2010 and now, FM Global has made two revisions to this Data Sheet. In September 2010 the following revisions were made: The maximum linear and area spacing for K25.2EC (K360EC) sprinklers when used…
Read MoreThe table below has been published by the International Codes Council (www.iccsafe.org). It is up to date as of July 15, 2011. STATE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE (IBC) INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE (IFC) COMMENTS Alabama Statewide; 2009…
Read MoreNFPA 20 is the most important standard for the design of fire pumps (off of a private supply) and booster pumps (off of a public supply – city water). Fire protection engineers use this detailed…
Read MoreNFPA 13 is the most important standard for the design of automatic sprinkler systems. Fire protection engineers use this detailed standard to determine the design of an automatic sprinkler system. There are many factors that…
Read More515,000 structure fires, decrease of 2.9% from 2007 Of these structure fires, 403,000 or 78%, were residential fires A fire department responded to a fire somewhere in the U.S. every 22 sec. 3,320 civilian deaths…
Read MoreThis Data Sheet provides a detailed description of the components necessary to guard against earthquakes for a water-based fire protection system. The fire protection system can include sprinkler systems, water spray systems, foam-water systems, fire…
Read MoreChoosing the correct roofing system for your facility may not be easy. There are many factors that should be taken into consideration based on the geographic location and other conditions of your facility. Protection against…
Read MoreThe National Fire Codes (NFPA 25) and the GM Global (FM) Data Sheets (2-81) have both had substantial fire protection system updates in 2007. This would be an opportune time to see if your program…
Read MoreThe standard commonly used in the United States for sprinkler system testing and maintenance is NFPA 25, “Standard for the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems.” In Europe, the common standard is…
Read MoreThe use of fire pumps for fire protection is certainly not new – the initial NFPA Technical committee to establish uniform guidelines for proper and effective installation of fire pumps dates back to 1899. Over…
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