I was recently asked to help settle a dispute between a life safety consultant and a health care facility regarding protection of open spaces connected to corridors in health care facilities. A consultant tasked to ensure the facility was compliant with The Joint Commission Life Safety Standard informed the facility that they were deficient in meeting the Joint [Read More]
Does a sprinkler in a LULA elevator pit mandate elevator recall?
I get this question on occasion when there is confusion over the relationship between elevators and sprinklers. The short answer is probably not. The base requirement of ASME 17.1 (2007) Sec. 2.27.3.2.1(c), which calls for fireman’s service if a sprinkler head is in the hoistway, is exempted for electric Limited Use/Limited Access (LULA) elevators by [Read More]
If I Have Sprinklers, Do I Also Need Smoke Detectors? Part 2
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In our previous blog on this subject, we addressed whether smoke detectors are required in business, healthcare and assembly occupancies if they have sprinklers installed. In this edition, we’ll look at general requirements for educational and residential occupancies, based on the IBC/IFC and NFPA 101. As mentioned in Part 1, it’s important to remember that sprinklers are [Read More]
If I Have Sprinklers, Do I Need Smoke Detectors? Part 1
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It can be hard to separate life safety code requirements. Much of it can seem redundant, leading some to over-design when they’re not sure what the requirements are. This can be especially true where sprinklers and detection are concerned. It’s important to remember that sprinklers are meant to control the spread of fire, providing occupants that [Read More]
Are Sprinklers Required Above False Ceilings?
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We’re not a sprinkler contractor, but we frequently coordinate sprinker installations with fire alarm installations. Many design professionals want a single point of contact to ask life safety questions, so I get asked a lot of questions regarding sprinkler requirements. Here’s one that I researched the answer for: Q: Are sprinklers required above false ceilings? I have read through [Read More]
Can I put more than one sprinkler valve monitor on a single point?
Physically, you can obviously put the sprinkler devices on the same addressable circuit if there’s capacity on it. If you have a non-addressable fire alarm system or want to combine a number of valves onto a single addressable module, the valves must annunciate distictly if they have a dissimilar function. In other words, if approved by [Read More]
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