National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 8

Electrical Room Basics, Part 2

This is the second in a series of blogs on electrical rooms. Read Part 1 here.In my previous blog, we discussed the misconception that electrical rooms are covered in 110.26 of NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code® (NEC®), when they are actually covered as an option for guarding against accidental contact with live parts in 110.27.Now, we will explore the electrical room and working space for equipment over 1,000 volts, nominal. Does 110.26 still apply to that working space within the electrical room? The answer would be no, because 110.26 is in Part II of Article 110, which covers installations under 1,000 volts, nominal.The applicable part of 110 is Part III: Over 1,000 Volts, Nominal. Specifically, 110.32, Work Space about Equipment; 110.33, Entrance to Enclosures and Access to Working Space; and 110.34, Work Space and Guarding. Coincidently, these sections have some similarities to 110.26, such as requiring:·       Height for working space of 6.5 feet, measured from floor or platform·       Working space not to be used for storage·       90-degree opening of equipment doors or hinged panels·       Equipment doors not to impede entrance to and egress from the working space·       Grade, floor, or platform to be as level as practical for the entirety of the working space·       24-inch wide by 6.5-foot high entrance to and egress from the working spaceAs you can see, the NEC correlates sections with one another when it makes sense. There are, however, a few differences among these sections, one of which is the width of the working space.Section 110.26(A)(2) allows a minimum width of 30 inches for working space, while 110.32 allows a minimum width of 36 inches for that same space. Another difference is the depth of the working space. Table 110.26(A) has varying depths from 3 to 5 feet, while Table 110.34(A) has depths ranging from 3 to 12 feet. All these distances are dependent on the specific condition and nominal voltage to ground.So, for example, for a high-voltage switchgear operating at 13,200 volts to ground, with grounded parts on the opposite side, the depth of working space would be 6 feet, measured from the front of the enclosure or exposed live parts. You will notice that higher voltages and higher hazard conditions require a greater depth of working space for worker safety.Section 110.27 covers the guarding of live parts under 1,000 volts, which in my previous blog could be considered a locked electrical room. For voltages over 1,000 volts, nominal, 110.31, Enclosures for Electrical Installations, would address the electrical room or enclosure for those installations. Some methods of enclosure could be:·       An electrical vault·       Electrical room or closet·       A specific area surrounded by a wall, screen, or fenceThese methods are designed and constructed according to the nature and degree of hazard associated with the installation. Additional protective measures are required for installations involving walls, screens, or fences that are used to deter access by unqualified persons. These measures may include additional height or barbed wire. These requirements are different from those found in 110.26 and 110.27.Typically, the electrical room or vault access doors are locked to prevent access by unqualified persons, or those doors must be under continuous observation. The doors to these areas are required to open in the direction of egress and be equipped with panic hardware or listed fire exit hardware that opens upon simple pressure. For installations over 1,000 volts, nominal, these locked or monitored rooms, enclosures, or vaults must have a warning sign on the door reading, “DANGER – HIGH VOLTAGE – KEEP OUT.”This sign must also comply with the provisions outlined in 110.21(B) around their durability to withstand exposure to the environment and specific marking requirements. Section 110.27(C) also requires a warning sign for installations of 1,000 volts or less, where there are exposed live parts. It must be placed on the door but is only required to be marked to forbid unqualified persons to enter the electrical room or other guarded area. The wording for the warning sign outside of spaces with over 1,000 volts is much stronger because of the potential exposure to high-voltage electrical hazards.Any exposed live parts adjacent to the electrical room, vault, or enclosure entrance must be suitably guarded. Other exposed parts may require additional means to prevent inadvertent contact with exposed live parts, such as screens, partitions, or fences within the electrical room.Any exposed live parts above the working space are required to be elevated at the distances found in Table 110.34(E) and have permanent ladders for access according to 110.33(B). These codes around working space and electrical rooms are for the protection of qualified persons who may be working on or in this equipment.Stay tuned to NFPA Today for Part 3 in this blog series titled Electrical Rooms, where we will explore electrical vaults. We will look at their construction and some of the requirements for electrical equipment being installed in them. 

How To Maintain Building and Equipment Access for the Responding Fire Department

When facility managers and building owners think of fire department access, they typically think about keeping a fire lane clear, so the responding fire department has a place to set up their equipment in case of an emergency. While this is critical to an effective response, there are many other aspects of a building that need to be properly maintained to provide appropriate fire department access to the building, as well as crucial fire and life safety equipment. Building IdentificationTo assist emergency responders in locating properties, building address numbers must be visible from the street. Premises or building identification is covered in Section 10.11 of NFPA 1, Fire Code. Address numbers can be mounted either on the building itself or, if the building is not visible from the street, on a post located on the street. The numbers should be designed to contrast the background of the building or post and be large enough to be easily seen from the street.Fire Apparatus Access RoadTo provide effective manual fire suppression operations, the fire department must be able to gain reasonable access to a building. Chapter 18 of NFPA 1 provides requirements for fire apparatus access.According to the Fire Code, access roads must be provided and maintained to allow the fire apparatus to be able to get within 50 ft (15 m) of at least one exterior door and to be within at least 150 ft (46m) of all exterior portions of the first story—this is increased to 450 ft (137 m) if the building is sprinklered.These access roads should be kept unobstructed to a width of not less than 20 ft (6.1 m) and a height of not less than 13 ft 6 in. (4.1 m). Keep in mind that these widths and heights may be altered by the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to accommodate responding apparatus. It is also important to maintain the proper turning radius needed for the responding apparatus and ensure that any required turnaround space is also kept clear. If the access road has a dead end that is greater than 150 ft (46m), a turnaround space is required.To ensure that your fire apparatus access roads are unobstructed from any parked vehicles or other obstructions, it may be a good idea to provide signs or roadway markings. This is something that may also be required by the AHJ.Access BoxesThe fire department must be able to open any doors leading into the building that may be locked. This means an access box may be required by the AHJ to give the fire department the ability to obtain keys to unlock the building during an emergency. Typically, these access boxes are located near the front entrance of the building. If these access boxes are not provided, it is likely that the first responders may need to perform some forcible entry to gain access to the building, which means doors may be damaged or destroyed.If access to the premises is secured by a locked gate, then the fire department must be provided with an approved device or system to unlock the gate. This could be done with the installation of an access box on or near the gate that contains keys to the gate, or the responding fire department can be provided with an access card or other security device.Fire HydrantsThe fire department also needs access to water. This is typically done by connecting to fire hydrants located on or near the property. All fire hydrants should be maintained so that a clear space of not less than 36 in. (914 mm) is provided all the way around the hydrant.Additionally, a clear space of 60 in. (1524 mm) needs to be provided in the front of a hydrant if it has a connection that is greater than 2 1⁄2 in. (64 mm). This clear space is provided to allow the connection and routing of hose lines. If you live in a cold climate, this means that all snow must be removed from around the hydrant after each storm.Fire Department ConnectionYour building may also have a fire department connection. This is a hose connection or series of hose connections located on the exterior of the building that connect either to a standpipe system or to the sprinkler system.Connections to standpipe systems allow the fire department to pressurize the standpipe system in the building so they can connect their hose lines to pre-installed hose connections within the building to fight the fire. Connections to the sprinkler system allow the fire department to pump additional water into the sprinkler system increasing the amount of available water and pressure within the system to control the fire.If your building has a fire department connection it is important to maintain proper access, which is outlined in Chapter 13 of NFPA 1. Most importantly, the code requires that a minimum of 36 in. (915 mm) of clear space be maintained to ensure the fire department can not only see the fire department connections but can also make use of them. This includes making sure any tree branches or vegetation are cut back and no other obstructions, such as trash cans, are present.Fire Alarm Control UnitIf your building has a fire alarm and signaling system, it is important that the fire alarm control unit (FACU)—also known as the fire alarm panel—is accessible. The FACU allows the fire department to identify which initiating devices are in alarm to help them better locate the fire.If the fire alarm system also contains an emergency voice communication system, then the fire department can also use the system to communicate with occupants in the building to give them direction. Typically, the fire alarm control unit is going to be located near a main entrance in an area such as the lobby. It is also possible that the fire alarm control unit is in a different place and a fire alarm annunciator is placed near the main entrance.This fire alarm annunciator is connected to the fire alarm control unit and allows the first responders to see all of the displays on the fire alarm control unit from a remote location. Both the fire alarm control unit and any fire alarm annunciators must be free of any obstructions and must be visible at all times. If either the fire alarm control unit or the annunciator is locked, it is important to provide the fire department with keys so they can operate the system.Emergency Command CenterIf your building is a high-rise, meaning that it’s a building where the floor of an occupiable story is greater than 75 ft (23 m) above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, then it is likely that your building has an emergency command center or a fire command center.This is a space that is separated from the remainder of the building with fire resistance–rated construction and provides a space for the fire department to set up their command if there is an emergency or fire in the building. The emergency command center may contain the following:·      The fire department communication unit·      A telephone for fire department use·      Schematic building plans detailing the floor plan, means of egress, fire protection systems, firefighting equipment, and fire department access·      A work table·      The fire alarm control unit (fire alarm panel) or annunciator·      Elevator location indicators·      Emergency and standby power indicators·      Fire pump status indicators·      Smoke control system controlsTypically, these rooms are located near the main entrance of the building or off the main lobby. It is crucial that these spaces remain accessible and are free from all storage or obstructions. Fire Pump RoomA fire pump may be required in your building to provide the required water pressure for a standpipe system or an automatic sprinkler system.Fire pumps are required to be in a room that is separated from the remainder of the building with fire resistance­–rated construction. If your building has a fire pump room, it is important that this room be properly identified and free of all storage and equipment that is not essential to the operation of the fire pump. Fire pump rooms are required to be accessed from a protected interior pathway or from an exterior door, so it is also important to ensure that the protected interior pathway or the path to the exterior door of the pump room is also free and clear of obstructions.SummaryAs you can see, there are many more aspects to fire department access than just keeping a fire lane clear.We want to make sure that the fire department and first responders can properly identify the building as well as access all of the building equipment that they may need during their response. It is important to get into a habit of regularly checking these items as you never know when you might need the fire department or first responders at your building, and in the case of an emergency, every second counts.Interested in learning more? Take a look at this video excerpt (below) from our Fire and Life Safety Operator Online Training, which goes over items that need to be maintained to assist the fire department.

2022: A Year of Challenges and Progress in Fire Safety

With the holiday season upon us and we near the end of the year, I can’t help but think about the tragedies that ushered us into 2022. The tragic fires in Philadelphia and the Bronx in early January, coupled with the barrage of wildfires, made national headlines. Throughout the year, there were many other incidents that received less mass attention yet take their tolls. Each and every one underscore the safety challenges we face in our communities and our calls to action. Reflecting on the year, 2022 was also a year of events that were central to our efforts to answer those calls and pave the way forward. They reflect the core of what NFPA does so well – bring together a wide range of people and organizations to solve problems.Throughout the year, there was also no shortage of insightful innovation. This particularly holds true for those who attended the Outthink Wildfire™ summit in May. This two-day event in Sacramento, California brought together more than 50 representatives from across the US to focus on the complex problem of wildfire risk to existing properties and communities. Participants collaboratively worked to identify the most critically important areas needing national focus and the recommendations for addressing them. A recently released summit report summarizes next steps that dozens of experts agree will help overcome the challenges the nation faces in ending wildfire disasters. I’m pleased to say work is already underway on these tasks. We saw first-hand at NFPA’s Conference & Expo in June what happens when fire, life, and electrical safety professionals gather in person. Nearly 7,000 of them, including more than 280 exhibitors attended, all engaging in thought-provoking discussions, sharing viewpoints, solutions, and services with one another. After a bit of a hiatus from in-person meetings, it was inspiring to hear participants agreed, telling me they came away from this event with a renewed sense of purpose and energy and returned to their communities armed with the kind of information and knowledge they needed to help them succeed. The growing number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries that power e-bikes and e-scooters prompted the FDNY Foundation, UL, and NFPA to co-sponsor a symposium in September to address these challenges. Visual demonstrations highlight the need for more public education associated with these devices and how people can protect themselves and their property. In response, NFPA launched an educational campaign, creating free resources for stakeholders to use and share with consumers. This project is a real-life example of how new technologies not only demand we be vigilant in how we respond to these emerging issues but how we collectively address risk to first responders, workers, and the public.In October, NFPA celebrated the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week™. The century milestone of the longest running public health observance in the country takes on new urgency for prevention as today’s fire problem lays squarely in homes. According to NFPA research, you are more likely to die in a home fire now than you were in 1980 driven by modern construction and contents in houses. Together with thousands of fire departments, safety advocates, and business groups, NFPA promoted this year’s theme, “Fire Won’t Wait. Plan Your Escape.™,” reinforcing the critical importance of developing a home escape plan with all members of the household and practicing it regularly. Through hard work, enthusiasm, and creativity, the campaign came to life and actively engaged thousands of communities in home fire safety and prevention. As part of the 100th anniversary of FPW recognition, we also joined with the US Fire Administration and the entire fire service community for the first of its kind US Fire Administration Fire Prevention and Control Summit. Undoubtedly, this historic event will continue to be a catalyst for progress against the most pressing fire issues of the times. With the calendar turning to the new year, I’m counting on all of you to harness the energy and excitement that was evident at all these events. We must turn great insights into great action. We must continue to work together to connect the dots on safety. Together is how we can further our work to help save lives and reduce loss.Thank you for the significant role you play by joining with us to make the world safer from fire and other hazards. On behalf of NFPA, I wish you and your family a safe holiday season and a happy new year.

Growth in Codes and Standards is Essential to Safety within Cannabis Oil Extraction Facilities

Both the cannabis plant and the industry itself have been growing quite a bit over the past decade. In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize recreational use of cannabis. Many other states followed suit. As of November 2022, a total of 21 states, and the District of Columbia, had approved the use of cannabis for recreational purposes.Legalization provided many people with an opportunity to use cannabis to treat conditions such as pain, migraines, depression, and anxiety, among other things, while remaining law-abiding citizens. With the increase in demand came a need for an increase in supply.Facilities of all shapes and sizes began popping up in states where cannabis was legalized to be manufactured. While cannabis is commonly smoked by many users, other forms of cannabis products include gummies, oils, supplements, and extracts. These products are manufactured by extracting cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from the plant itself.What are the safety concerns?The extraction of cannabis oil can pose many safety issues, including the risk of fire and explosion. In many cases, the extraction process itself creates a hazardous location due to the use of flammable solvents such as butane, pentane, hexane, propane, and ethanol, which can all be released during the processing and extraction of plant oils. Proper installation, maintenance, and use of the extraction equipment employed as part of the processing of oils from cannabis will go a long way in achieving overall safety within these types of facilities. RELATED • Listen to an NFPA podcast about regulating the cannabis industry• Read, “The New Face of Pot,” published in the July/August 2018 NFPA Journal  What does the NEC say? The 2023 edition of NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code® (NEC®), made significant strides toward helping achieve electrical safety in facilities that perform cannabis oil extraction by adding Article 512, Cannabis Oil Equipment and Cannabis Oil Systems Using Flammable Materials. This new article provides electrical requirements for cannabis oil preparatory equipment, extraction equipment, booths, post-processing equipment, and systems using flammable materials (flammable gas, flammable liquid–produced vapor, combustible liquid–produced vapor) in commercial and industrial facilities. A public input that was submitted for the 2023 NEC as part of the NFPA standards development process, PI-2285, supported creating a new article that would “elevate the level of safety” within the cannabis industry. The substantiation of PI-2285 provided examples of real-life explosion incidents within cannabis facilities, some of which required more than 200 firefighters to battle the blaze and left large numbers of firefighters injured. In an industry that has processes and procedures unfamiliar to many authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) and that continues to see tremendous growth, it is crucial to provide safety requirements around installations that can be verified at the time of inspection. While it is likely that we will see new Article 512 expand within future NEC cycles to provide more guidance, the initial content contained within the 2023 NEC begins to provide some of the necessary requirements for designers, installers, and AHJs to achieve electrical safety around cannabis equipment and systems. Article 512 is broken down into three parts: Part I: General; Part II: Wiring; and Part III: Equipment. Section 512.3 is a key component for installations as it provides the requirements for how cannabis oil equipment and systems that can release flammable materials during operation must be classified. The section is broken down into Part A, which covers installations outside of booths, and Part B, which covers installations within booths. Each of these areas are then further broken down into installations where flammable gases and vapors are released and installations where flammable gases and vapors are not released. Having the area classified properly is an important initial step as we move into Parts II and III of Article 512 to determine how wiring and equipment installations must be performed in and around the hazardous locations. Part III, in particular, includes requirements for the equipment and systems to be listed and marked. It also provides guidance on when gas detection is required.While the new Article 512 within the 2023 NEC is a great starting point for beginning to provide electrical safety requirements within cannabis facilities, as can be expected, safety needs don’t stop there.A new, dedicated cannabis standardCurrently, NFPA is in the development stages of NFPA 420, Standard on Fire Protection of Cannabis Growing and Processing Facilities. The overall goal of NFPA 420 is to address the protection of facilities where cannabis is being grown or processed from fire and related hazards. Initial meeting minutes found at the NFPA 420 document information page reflect committee task groups working to develop preliminary chapters that provide information pertaining to fundamentals, indoor growing, drying/processing, and extraction. Provided that the draft development progresses at the technical committee level, and approval to do so is provided by the NFPA Standards Council, the goal is to have an initial NFPA 420 document available for public input sometime in 2024.The growth of the cannabis industry does not show any signs of slowing down. A recent article in Forbes stated that market research firm BDSA is forecasting cannabis sales in the United States to grow from $25 billion in 2021 to $40 billion in 2026. More facilities, more processing, and more workers lead to an increased need for safety within the cannabis industry. Continued development of codes and standards that provide knowledge for those designing, performing, and inspecting these installations is paramount to achieving a high level of safety within cannabis growing and processing facilities.

NFPA Releases New Edition of Guide to Assist People with Disabilities

NFPA has released a new edition of a guide that helps the disabled community prepare for emergency evacuation.As I mentioned briefly in a blog post earlier this year, NFPA had been working with several stakeholders to publish an update to this important resource, which is written by the NFPA Disability Access Review and Advisory Committee (DARAC) with assistance from NFPA staff and others. In November, NFPA published the third edition of the Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide for People with Disabilities. The main purpose of the guide is to provide building occupants, as well as building managers in non-residential buildings, guidance on how to develop an emergency evacuation plan that is inclusive of people with disabilities. For the new edition, the guide has been reimagined and redesigned from the ground up. It utilizes a simplified layout, with content arranged in four unique parts. Part I: Preparing an Emergency EvacuationFirst, the user is presented with helpful steps in order to create and implement an emergency evacuation plan. This section is critical as it establishes planning team resources and considerations, including who should be on the planning team. (Hint: Occupants who self-identity as having a disability are essential!) Additionally, plan logistics, such as developing, practicing, and updating plans, is covered in greater detail. Part II: Stages of an Emergency EvacuationIn this section, the user is guided through the five stages of emergency evacuation. Practical considerations are reviewed, along with the use of visual images to assist the user with specific concepts, such as what emergency announcements they might hear and what exit signs they might see.  While references to specific NFPA documents, such as NFPA 72®, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code®, and NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, are provided, expertise with these documents is not necessary to be able to utilize the contents of the guide.The concepts provided in this section will also assist planning teams in a review of their facilities emergency readiness.Part III: Checklist for Emergency Evacuation Planning In this section of the guide, users are able to answer questions in a detailed checklist, which is organized based on the stages of an emergency evacuation outlined in Part II. There are more than a dozen questions, such as Does the alarm system include verbal instructions for all occupants? and Does evacuation require the use of exit stairs? Answering these questions will assist the user, as well as the planning team, in uncovering any obstacles or gaps that can be addressed for all occupants. Part IV: NFPA Publications and Other ResourcesLastly, the guide provides users with a list of resources from NFPA and other organizations for further review. Embedded links within the document are provided to assist the user in quickly locating the resources provided. The Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide for People with Disabilities is available as a free download. It is important to note that all or portions of the guide may be reproduced, displayed, or distributed for personal or non-commercial purposes. Commercial reproduction, display, or distribution, however, may only be done with the permission of NFPA.We hope that you find the guide to be a useful tool to assist you with emergency evacuation planning. Please contact your authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) for information regarding your responsibilities in your jurisdiction. If you have questions or comments about the guide, NFPA would appreciate hearing from you. Contact Kevin Carr at kcarr@nfpa.org. Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay inclusive.

The Vital Role of Fire Inspectors and Fire Inspector Certification

According to the latest “Fire Loss in the United States” report, published by NFPA in September 2022, there were roughly 1.35 million fires in the United States in 2021, causing a reported 3,800 civilian fire deaths and 14,700 civilian injuries. The property damage caused by these fires was nearly $15.9 billion.Although the number of fires has decreased over the last few years, it is still way too high, and we are seeing too high a cost in human lives lost and property damage. Clearly, this is a problem that needs to be addressed. So how do we fix it?Looking at this problem through the lens of the NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem™, it will take all of us working together to create positive change to improve those numbers. The Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem is defined as “a framework that identifies the components that must work together to minimize risk and help prevent loss, injuries, and death from fire, electrical, and other hazards.”A critical part of reducing the loss of life, injuries, and property damage from these hazards is fire prevention. Having been in the fire service for many years, I can tell you that part of our basic priorities was always what we called LIP—life safety, incident stabilization, and property conservation. And what is one of the best ways to help accomplish these priorities? Through dedicated prevention programs. An important cog in the Ecosystem and one that can too often be overlooked and under-resourced is code compliance. In other words, getting out into your jurisdictions on inspection details to assist the community in complying with their safety codes and standards.Typically, across the US, the lion’s share of the fire protection budgets of our communities is focused on fire suppression and other response assets and, in some cases, justifiably so. It’s worth noting that I absolutely believe we will always require brave women and men to staff department apparatus and respond to emergencies 365/24/7. But if we focused just a bit more on the front end—preventing those emergencies—it will be more cost (lives and property) effective at the end of the day.The good news is that according to the Fifth Needs Assessment of the US Fire Service, published by NFPA in December 2021, approximately 77 percent of departments surveyed perform some form of fire prevention. Yet of those same departments, only 37 percent engage in code enforcement. Now that’s not to say it isn’t being done. Many smaller communities, mainly the ones serving a population of 10,000 or less, rely on building or other officials to take on the code enforcement duties. But even in the larger jurisdictions, there just is not the budget available to conduct fire and life safety inspections in all of the buildings that require them.Investing in certified fire inspectors is one of the best ways communities can help close this gap.What is a fire inspector?Unlike health inspectors or even code inspectors, a lot of people likely haven’t heard the term fire inspector before. So what do fire inspectors do?In some circles, the term fire inspector is one title for a specific type of code official. A code official is a qualified person who enforces a particular code or codes under the authority of a jurisdiction that uses those codes. The code or law might vary depending on the jurisdiction.A fire inspector is often a qualified person working under a fire marshal authorized by law to enforce a specific code, such as NFPA 1, Fire Code, or NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®. Some jurisdictions will use these codes but create specific amendments to suit the specific needs of that community. Fire inspectors not only conduct inspections, but they can also review and approve aspects of construction plans and issue permits; however, this also varies by jurisdiction. In some smaller communities, the building official is also the fire marshal. So it really varies from community to community.Do fire inspectors need to be certified?It depends again on the jurisdiction, but in most cases where they are enforcing an applicable code or codes, they would need to have not only jurisdictional authority but also special training that leads to proven competency, such as a certification that requires upkeep or continual training.Fire inspectors require training on the code or codes that they will be enforcing and how to conduct an inspection. They need to understand building construction, fire protection systems, fire dynamics, and human behavior, to mention a few subjects. They need to understand certain case law that guides how they operate and how to review and interpret construction plans.How do they get certified?There are a number of options for fire inspector certification. Certification involves a multi-step process of education built around fire dynamics, fire protection systems, specific occupancies, accredited standards, a certification exam, and practicum. NFPA offers a comprehensive learning path to help candidates prepare to become certified fire inspectors.Simply taking a class isn’t enough. Ultimately, a good training class is only part of a pathway to certification. Though having some background in fire protection is helpful when becoming a certified fire inspector, it’s not entirely required. A good fire inspection certification program will provide a basic knowledge of fire dynamics as well as fire protection.Another important piece is ensuring that the program is written to proven consensus-based and accredited standards. NFPA 1031, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Inspector and Plan Examiner, is one such standard that is accredited as a standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Pro Board. The standard provides job performance requirements (JPRs) for fire inspectors and plan examiners. Most good certification programs will build their curriculum to meet these JPRs.Once a candidate successfully passes the certification exam, they will also need to successfully complete a practicum that includes showing competence by conducting, under supervision, a number of inspections. And when that has been completed successfully, the candidate becomes certified.NFPA has just the program to take you through that certification pathway and provide you with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to successfully attain Certified Inspector 1 status. The Certified Fire Inspector 1 program includes 10 self-paced, online modules that can be taken as a bundle or individually. This program, which has been recently updated to cover the most up-to-date codes and standards, received a gold medal in the Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Awards in 2021.Fire inspectors play a vital role in our drive to make our homes, businesses, and our communities safer from fire, electrical, and other hazards. One of the many ways that we can strive to reduce the loss of life, injuries, and damage to property is to invest in a strong fire prevention plan that includes code enforcement. The inspectors who perform these duties need to be trained and certified, and they can accomplish that with the NFPA Certified Fire Inspector 1 Learning Pathway. 

Twitter HQ Investigation Highlights Importance of Catching Changes of Occupancy

Elon Musk has found himself in hot water with the city of San Francisco after reports surfaced that the newly minted Twitter owner had arranged for sleeping quarters to be added to the social media company’s San Francisco headquarters. The San Francisco Department of Buildings Inspection said on December 7 that it would launch an investigation into the reported renovations. In a tweet, Musk called the investigation an “attack” and questioned the city’s priorities. Coming to his aid, some Twitter users then urged the billionaire entrepreneur, who also owns Tesla and SpaceX, to move Twitter’s main offices out of California. So city of SF attacks companies providing beds for tired employees instead of making sure kids are safe from fentanyl. Where are your priorities @LondonBreed!?https://t.co/M7QJWP7u0N— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 6, 2022But experts say the reality is that, in essentially any jurisdiction, if a change of occupancy occurs, codes and standards are in place to ensure that the fire and life safety features of a building also change to appropriately protect the new occupancy. And for good reason—deviating from a building’s intended occupancy classification has resulted in deadly consequences in past instances. What is ‘change of occupancy’? A change of occupancy is defined by NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, as a “change in the occupancy classification of a structure or portion of a structure.” It’s important to note that change of occupancy differs from change of use. “The reality is if a change of occupancy occurs, codes and standards are in place to ensure that the fire and life safety features of a building also change to appropriately protect the new occupancy In a blog published in September, Robin Zevotek, a principal fire protection engineer at NFPA, explained it by saying, “If the work being done creates a change to the occupancy classification it is a change of occupancy, if not, it is a change of use.” In other words, adding flammable liquids to an area of a storage warehouse not intended to store flammable liquids would be change of use; turning that warehouse into an Airbnb would be change of occupancy.RELATED  Read more about occupancy classifications in codes When either a change of occupancy or a change of use occurs, a review must take place to determine the fire protection systems or other life safety features that might now be required. An assembly occupancy like a nightclub, for instance, will have different code requirements than a hotel. In the case of Twitter’s offices, a change from an office building to something more akin to a lodging or rooming house occupancy classification could require additional smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that an office space might not. “When the building, fire, and life safety systems were designed and installed, it was under the assumption that people would use this building as a normal office building and that people wouldn’t sleep there,” said Brian O’Connor, a fire protection engineer at NFPA. Codes and standards even account for the way people behave in different occupancy types. “In a business occupancy, for instance, we expect a certain level of awareness and responsiveness from occupants since they are alert and awake,” said Valeria Ziavras, a fire protection engineer at NFPA. “Additionally, we would expect them to have some familiarity with the building and how to get out in the event of an emergency. Compare that to an occupancy like a lodging and rooming house, where we expect occupants to be sleeping, at least part of the time, which drastically affects the level of awareness and how quickly they can respond to an emergency situation. They may or may not be familiar with the building and how to get out.” A spokesman for the San Francisco Department of Buildings Inspection echoed these points in a statement sent to CBS News. “We need to make sure the building is being used as intended,” said Patrick Hannan, the department’s communications director. “There are different building code requirements for residential buildings, including those being used for short-term stays. These codes make sure people are using spaces safely.” Unregulated changes of occupancy can have potentially devastating consequences. Perhaps no example illustrates this better than the Ghost Ship warehouse fire that killed 36 people in Oakland in December 2016. Dozens of people had been illegally living and working in the abandoned warehouse prior to the fire. At the time, the warehouse hadn’t been inspected in three decades, city records showed, and few seemed to know what was actually going on inside.   “If changes in occupancy or use occur with disregard to the code implications, this could put people’s lives at risk, result in the loss of the property, and have a negative impact on either the local or global economy,” said O’Connor. “Sometimes, we take it for granted when we assume that the lives of the occupants were taken into consideration when changes to the building are made. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, so if you see a change in occupancy or a major change in use occur, be sure to notify your local fire department.”Top photograph: MatthewKeys via Wikipedia

A Better Understanding of NFPA 70E: Setting Up an Electrical Safety Program (Part 9 – Safety Planning)

Section 110.5(I) in NFPA 70E®, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace® requires that an electrical safety program (ESP) include that both a job safety plan and job briefing be completed before a task is performed. A safety plan will vary by task and equipment. The briefing will vary based on the plan. An employee should not be directed to follow NFPA 70E when conducting the planning and briefing. NFPA 70E addresses what is required to be addressed but does not detail what is necessary for a specific task. The ESP will contain specifics on what is necessary in a facility.A job safety plan must be completed by a qualified person. The ESP will detail the qualification and training necessary to complete the documented plan. A plan must include details of the equipment and task, results of the risk assessments, and the documented procedures and the equipment necessary to conduct the task. The job planning procedure should address if the person planning the job is solely responsible or if other employees will provide information needed to complete the plan. The plan should identify who and what qualifications are necessary to conduct the proposed task. The plan will identify other employees possibly affected by the work. The documented planning procedure must address other concerns specific to the facility, task, and equipment.The ESP must require that a job briefing be held before the task begins. The documented procedure should address when and if the employee conducting the task may conduct their own briefing. Perhaps, a lead employee is responsible for giving the briefing for any task under their purview regardless of the one assigned the task. The ESP should address whether the person conducting the briefing has the authority to alter the plan or if the person who set the plan needs to approve it. How are safety concerns raised during the briefing addressed and documented? If anything changes once the task has begun, the procedure must address how a change in scope must halt work until the planning and briefing address the change. It is the documented procedure not NFPA 70E that will provide these necessary details.A well-developed procedure for job safety planning and briefing is crucial. These are typically the last opportunities for anyone to address safety before a task has begun. Planning and briefing may not only expose shortcomings but also introduce improvements for the planning procedure or the assigned task. Make sure your ESP contains the details necessary to protect employees from electrical hazards.

Fire Protection Research Foundation will host a free webinar on “Long COVID: A Unique Fire Service Perspective”

The Fire Protection Research Foundation will be hosting its final webinar of its 2022 Annual Webinar Series on Thursday, December 8 on “Long COVID: A Unique Fire Service Perspective”.The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the national fire service, fire departments, and individual firefighters. While a huge number of individuals have experienced COVID-19 and are eager to “move on,” there is a significant number of individuals who continue to be plagued with unresolved symptoms—including shortness of breath, brain fog, fatigue, and cardiovascular complications. This webinar will discuss the fire service occupational specific concerns about the long-term effects of COVID (known as “long COVID”) and how the fire service can better recognize, understand, and manage these challenges to protect firefighter health and safety. The webinar will provide an update on what is known from the scientific literature about long COVID, and the initial findings from data collected from members of the fire service about their experiences with long COVID.Dr. Denise Smith, Skidmore College, Dr. Sara Jahnke, Center for Fire, Rescue and EMS Health Research, and Katie Rusk, San Diego Firefighter’s Regional Wellness Program will lead this webinar discussion. Webinar registration is free and required to attend live; register by clicking the direct link here or by visiting www.nfpa.org/webinars and watch on-demand archived FPRF webinars. This webinar is supported by the Research Foundation 2022 Webinar Series Sponsors: American Wood Council, AXA XL Risk Consulting, Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc., Telgian Engineering and Consulting, The Zurich Services Corporation.

Attention students and faculty advisors: Fire Protection Research Foundation student projects are now available

The Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) has an ongoing Student Project Initiative, with a goal to provide students an opportunity to work on projects that address timely issues of the fire protection and safety community.This is an announcement about FPRF’s available student projects for 2022. If there is a student (or a group of students) at an institution who is interested and a faculty member willing to supervise and be the principal investigator of the project, then we would proceed. Student projects are not subject to the FPRF’s normal competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process, rather they are considered based on receiving a request for specific available project and faculty advisor’s qualification to guide the requested project. Thus, we are asking for a project qualification statement from the faculty advisor along with submitting the project request. Please review the Request for Qualification document for more details.We currently have funding for three projects, which we will preferably allocate to three different academic institutions. The list of available projects with project description can be accessed at the FPRF’s Student Project Initiative webpage.To request a project, the faculty advisors should send an email to foundation@nfpa.org no later than 5 PM US Eastern Time on December 16, 2022 with the following information: (a) Project name from the available list requested; (b) Faculty advisor/s name; (c) Student name(s) (if already identified); (d) Statement to demonstrate qualification of faculty advisor to guide the requested project as an attachment in the email.