As fire safety, facility and maintenance professionals, it’s amazing how much time we spend trying to decipher building codes. Their anything-but-direct language  can leave a person easily stumped.  We find ourselves looking for straight-forward codes – the ones that are in black and white that clearly say “you must do this” or ” you don’t have to do that”. Unfortunately, building codes just aren’t that easy.  In the end, despite how the reader might interpret their meaning, the interpretation and enforcement of building codes is ultimately up to your Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).  We get a lot of calls about the requirements for fire damper inspections, fire door inspections and firestopping here at LSS. Luckily, the portion of the codes that require our damper inspection services are relatively straight forward. In regards to fire and smoke damper inspections the NFPA , International Building Code (IBC) and International Fire Code (IFC) state quite frankly [that]: 1.) fire and smoke dampers must be inspection either every four or six years 2) documentation must be kept, and  3) repairs must be made. Pretty straight forward, huh?

While reading through the Fire and Smoke Protection Features Chapter of the IBC, I also ran across another pretty straight-forward portion of the code for dampers that I want to remind you about.  Chapter 716.4 of the 2009 IBC states, :

“Access points shall be permanently identified on the exterior by a label having letters not less than 1/2 inch (12.7mm) in height reading: FIRE/SMOKE DAMPER, SMOKE DAMPER, or FIRE DAMPER.”

This is an important note to make about access doors.  The codes states that fire and smoke dampers shall be provided with an approved means of access (typically an access door).  If you are contracting with a company to perform these inspections for you, make sure to remind them that your state has adopted and is following the 2009 IBC so they can make sure to follow this requirement.

Here is a list of states that have adopted the 2009 IBC :

• Alabama
• California
• Colorado
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin

Don’t forget! Just because your state isn’t on this list doesn’t mean your city isn’t following the code. Be sure to check with your local AHJ for requirements!

Through use of fire rated walls, ceilings and floors in combination with firestopping materials, fire and smoke dampers and fire and smoke doors , the passive fire protection system allows the fire to be contained so fire fighters can concentrate on a fire before it has the ability to spread to other areas of the building.  In essence, your facility is only fully protected from the risk of fire when these two systems are working together, if one is working and not the other, your facility is at risk.

A plethora of building codes, such as the 2006 and 2009 International Building Code, as well as the International Fire Code and NFPA, require the maintenance of fire-rated barriers and serve as a reminder that all openings made within these barriers for the passage of pipes, electrical conduit, wires, ducts, air transfer openings, and holes should be protected. Maintaining the integrity of a facility’s passive fire protection system made the Joint Commission’s most recent list of “Top Ten” frequently cited standards and occurred in more than 50% of the hospitals surveyed for accreditation. According to the list, The Joint Commission seems to be noticing more and more unsealed penetrations in fire rated walls and barriers. In many cases, barriers had been filled but with inappropriate firestop material.

Often times due to budget constraints, many facilities challenge themselves with maintaining fire rated barriers and choose to tackle applying firestop material in-house. This is proving to be an unfortunate mistake as some of the most common penetration deficiencies in hospitals range from improper installation of firestop material and the use of incorrect UL Systems for the barrier at task. Many maintenance engineers do not realize that choosing the correct firestop system is often a complex and difficult task and education and training is required to determine the correct certified UL system that brings a rated barrier back to its original rating once compromised. The inability to dedicate staff to education on firestopping and training limitations seem to be making an already troublesome problem in hospitals even bigger.

NFPA Statistics

I ran across some alarming statistics on the NFPA website this week and wanted to take a minute to share what I found.  NFPA states that between 2005 and 2009, there was an estimated average of 6.260 structural fires annually in educational properties. Statistics show that 85 civilian fire injuries and over $112 million in property damage occurred as a result of these fires.  These statistics have me thinking about all sorts of things:  maintenance budgets being cut as a result of fiscal boundaries, little to no resources (both human and financial) and most importantly, our children’s safety should a fire strike in their school.

LSS’ statistics show that approximately 22% of the fire dampers and smoke dampers fail as a result of a mechanical issue*.  If the dampers don’t work in a facility, what happens? The facility is vulnerable to fire.  Located in ductwork, mechanical rooms, wall chases and above drop ceilings, fire and smoke dampers are perhaps the most overlooked element of building’s passive fire protection system.  These dampers, often forgot about because they aren’t easily in our line of vision, sit waiting to operate and to stop the fire and smoke from spreading through the building’s HVAC system.  Unfortunately, with the exception of hospitals that have The Joint Commission mandating the inspection of dampers, many facilities do not inspect their dampers every four years as required by NFPA 80 and NFPA 105.  Furthermore, top damper manufacturers, increased testing should extend the life of the damper and lessen the need to replace the dampers thus saving money and making buildings safer at the same time.

Need more information about passive fire protection or fire and smoke damper inspections? Contact LSS Life Safety Services at 888.675.4519 or visit www.LifeSafetyServices.com

*Based on LSS’ inspection data.

I love when our technicians send me pictures from the field.  It seems like that past couple of weeks have been really “hot” for deficiencies out there.  We are finding all sorts of alarming trends – from pipes and pieces of metal holding dampers open to fire doors literally falling apart, the passive fire protection systems in the majority of the facilities we inspect, in general, could use a little maintenance. Check out some of these pictures from recent damper testing, fire door inspections and firestop surveys:

I’m sharing this last picture simply because it’s appalling that it was actually taken in a hospital.

Please feel free to make observations or leave comments. I’m curious as to what you have to say about these!

-LSS Life Safety Services

I recently ran across a newspaper article where a fire marshal openly admitted that fire inspections are not being completed in a good majority of commercial facilities due to the lack of resources.  We, of course, knew this based on the data we collect from the field, but to actually hear it admitted by a fire professional really sends the message home. With Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ’s) such as the Joint Commission over the health care arena, we obviously see a much more active inspection and maintenance plan in place for health care facilities in regards to fire damper testing and smoke damper inspections. With no equivalent AHJ in place for non-health care facilities, we find a resounding number of facilities that are completely vulnerable to loss of life from fire because of lack of inspection and maintenance. In fact, according to the deficiencies we have compiled from our inspection data, approximately 8 out of 10 non-health care facilities have not inspected their dampers.  When we are able to convince them of the importance of the inspections, we find quite an array of deficiencies, ranging from inoperable actuators to dampers being completely rusted shut due to the length of time since they were last exercised.  Here, take a look at our list of Top 10 Fire and and Smoke Damper Deficiencies for Non-Health Care Facilities* :

1.  Inoperable actuator

2.  No power to actuator

3.  No power wired to actuator

4. No air to actuator

5. No airline to actuator

6.  Not enough air to actuator

7.  Screw in track

8.  Linkage out of alignment or broken

9. Bout in tracks (racking)

10. Damper rusted

What’s even more concerning is that we have found that approximately 10% of dampers fail during a fire and smoke damper inspection – quite a resounding number when you consider that the average facility has one damper per every 1000 square feet of space.  So, the next time you are in your local convention center for a concert, staying in a hotel, on a cruise ship or sitting where you are right now – in an office building that you consider a safe place, question when the last time the passive fire protection system in place was inspected. It might even be a good idea to know your means of egress out of the building like the back of your hand because, chances are, the dampers are not being maintained and they will likely not work correctly in the event of a fire because of it.

-LSS Life Safety Services

*Deficiencies compiled from Based on LSS Life Safety Services’ data.

We all know by now that it is sometimes an exercise in futility to create – and stick to – New Year’s Resolutions.  Of all the resolutions you made this year, make one stick: fire safety in your facility.  Sure, you have the fire alarms inspected, the sprinklers checked, you do what the Joint Commission or your Fire Marshal requires you to do. But what about the fire doors? The fire barriers? Have you had your facility recently surveyed to determine if it needs firestopping to maintain the integrity of the barrier? Remember that there are NFPA codes in place that require the maintenance of both active and passive fire protection systems.  We are impressed with your diligence in maintaining the fire and smoke dampers in your facility by having routine fire damper testing completed – we hope to see the same diligence in 2012 when it comes to the other elements of your passive fire protection system.

So, what should you pay attention to?

• Fire doors - NFPA 80 requires annual inspections of fire doors
• Firestopping - Several Building Codes (ICC, ICBO, SBCCI, BOCA) require firestop -  as well as NFPA 101 and 70.
• One Year Damper Inspection – NFPA 80 and 105 both require fire dampers and smoke dampers to be tested one year after installation.
• Periodic inspection of Fire and Smoke Dampers – That’s every six years for healthcare, four years for everyone else!
• If it is broken or not working, fix it! – NFPA requires repairs to begin without delay in all of these instances

Don’t forget to visit our website for additional FAQ’s about maintaining your passive fire protection system. As always, we are here as a resource for you so allow us to answer any questions you might have. Let us help YOU keep your New Year Resolution!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

LSS Life Safety Services

By now most healthcare facilities are aware that Fire and Smoke Dampers  are to be inspected every six years per code.   Those of you who who are working hard to maintain compliance with National Building Codes outside of the healthcare arena are becoming more familiar with the testing requirements of passive fire protection systems as more education becomes available on the subject. With that said, we thought it would be a good idea to put a few tid bits of information about damper inspections out there to help you.

Here are 5 things to know about Fire and Smoke Damper Inspections:

1.  NFPA 80 and 105 require Healthcare facilities to inspect their dampers every 6 years and Non-Healthcare Facilities every 4 years.  (No, I didn’t get them mixed up – this is really what the code requires)

2.  During a damper inspection the fusible link is removed and the damper is dropped to make sure that it fully closes.  If you are using a contractor to perform these inspections, be sure the contractor takes before and after pictures of the damper to ensure it was indeed dropped.

3.  When testing pneumatic smoke dampers, the airline is removed from the actuator to allow the smoke damper to close.  The armature is then checked to make sure that the damper fully closes, and the airline is plugged during testing to prevent the airline from bleeding out the system.

4.  Not all damper inspection companies inspect electric smoke dampers because the circuit is broke to actuator allowing the damper to close (if operable). (LSS has inspected many, many electric smoke dampers!)

5.  The code specifically states that only compromised/damaged links need to be changed when inspecting dampers.  There is no expiration date on links; only links that are compromised need to be changed.

For more information about fire and smoke damper inspections, contact us at 888.675.4519 or visit us on the web, www.lifesafetyservices.com.

8 OUT OF 10 NON-HEALTHCARE FACILITIES HAVE NOT INSPECTED THEIR DAMPERS*

Do you know what the code is for damper testing and damper repair?

NFPA 80 states that:

19.4.1          Each damper shall be tested and inspected 1 year after installation

19.4.1.1.     The test and inspection frequency shall then be every 4 years except in hospitals where the frequency shall then be every six years

NFPA 105 states that:

6.5.1          Smoke dampers for dedicated and non-dedicated smoke control systems shall be inspected and tested in accordance with NFPA 92A, Standard for Smoke-Control Systems Utilizing Barriers and Pressure Differences

6.5.2 Each damper shall be tested and inspected one year after installation.  The test and inspection frequency shall then be every 4 years, except in hospitals where the frequency shall be every 6 years.

Check out our list of top 10 deficiencies within the healthcare arena.

NFPA Code has very specific, detailed inspection and reporting requirements.

To learn more about the testing requirements for fire damper testing, smoke damper testing and fire and smoke damper repair, please visit our website, www.LifeSafetyServices.com or contact LSS Life Safety Services directly, 1.888.675.4519.

LSS Life Safety Services is hosting a webinar on November 3, 2011 from 10:00 – 11:30 for Texas Fire Marshals and Code Officials to discuss Passive Fire Protection.  We will cover:

• Components of PFP (Compartmentalization)
• Code Requirements: Inspection and Maintenance and Problems Found – fire and smoke damper inspections, fire door inspections, firestopping
• Deficiencies Impact of Negligence: Dangers to First Responders
• What to look for during an Inspection

Interested? Sign up to attend! E-mail info@lifesafetyservices.com to request a reservation.

As a professional in the marketing industry, I spend a good majority of my time researching different aspects of the passive fire protection industry on-line.  I subscribe to a plethora of different newsletters, RSS feeds and websites that are centered around and dedicated to fire safety.  From the NFPA to individual blogs and magazine websites, I follow the industry looking for news to share and stories to tell in hopes of emphasizing the importance of passive fire protection inspections, such as fire damper inspections, fire door inspections and firestopping.  With the rising popularity of social media in our industry, Facebook and Twitter are making it easier than ever for me to receive the latest news and, in turn, pay it forward by sharing it with our followers like you.

However, in the days of electronic media, PDF’s, e-news and zipped white papers, I find myself, more than ever, pining for the smell of pages in a magazine.  Sure, the internet has made my job much, much easier, but there is nothing quite like the way colors “pop” in a magazine, the sounds of the paper crunching as you flip from one story to the next and the ability to dog ear a page.  Admit it, you kind of miss magazines and journals, too, don’t you?  So, if you are looking to “fill the void” and hold a real, tangible piece of media, why not check out these magazine and do a little reading this weekend.

• NFPA Journal
• Doors & Hardware Magazine
• H & HN (Hospitals and Health Networks)
• Building Operations Management
• BOMA
• IFMA Journal
• Fire & Life Safety Magazine
• Firehouse Magazine

Now, of course, these publications are going to be a big snooze to you if you aren’t as into building maintenance, fire safety and code compliance and fire protection as I am, but I have a pretty good notion to think that if you are reading this blog, you definitely are.  Oh, and if I have missed anything good and you have something to recommend, be sure to leave a message to share with others. Have a great weekend – and happy reading!