Monday, January 19, 2015

Fire Stopping


Life Safety Systems in a building are critical systems. There are many elements of the systems that provide safety to the occupants and assets that are not just limited to sprinkler or alarm systems. One of the areas is Fire / Smoke Stopping.  This is the most misunderstood element by contractors, facility managers and in-house maintenance staff along with having products misapplied. In a regulated healthcare environment fire and smoke barriers are scrutinized by various Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) and maintained at a high level. Conversely in commercial buildings and other occupancies these are not given much attention.

Fire stopping’s purpose is to compartmentalize and prevent the spread of flame and smoke through a structure during a fire. The major misconception is that sealing a penetration in a rated wall or floor is as simple as taking a fire stopping product and sealing the penetration, which just simply is not the case. In most cases the fire stop material is installed by untrained field personnel, not following the proper procedures and requirements. Usually each trade is responsible for fire stopping their penetrations.  If the product is not properly selected based on numerous variables such as the item being fire stopped, wall or floor construction material and rating, annular space around the item, the installation may not perform properly in a fire.

Manufacturers submit their product and solutions for independent testing and certification.  There are four third-party testing laboratories that test products according to two standards American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL).  The Approved Assemblies are compiled in the manufacturer’s technical libraries. These provide all the information required to an installer to properly seal the penetration.

Various AHJ staff that are responsible for inspecting facilities are receiving more in-depth training. They are not simply looking for unsealed penetrations; they are reviewing fire barrier management documentation showing what Approved Assemblies were followed as well as installer qualifications.

Training is available from all the major manufacturers. You should partner with your vendor and manufacturer to utilize the resources and training they have available. Key facility management along with operations staff should receive training.  Once a clear understanding of the requirements is obtained, a survey of the facility can be conducted for compliance and fire barrier management plans can be formulated and implemented.
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