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Life Safety

Life Safety. Assessing life safety of a building is a process of estimating the quality of security against fire and its effects. Life safety implies avoiding exposure to harmful levels of products of combustion. This goal is usually achieved by: controlling the fire process

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Life Safety

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  1. Life Safety • Assessing life safety of a building is a process of estimating the quality of security against fire and its effects. • Life safety implies avoiding exposure to harmful levels of products of combustion. • This goal is usually achieved by: • controlling the fire process • separating endangered individuals from the harmful effects

  2. Characteristics of Occupants: • Age is the most easily identifiable characteristic on an exposed occupant. • Very young and very old are more likely to die in a fire. • Mobility • Can be a function of age but also handicapped individuals, purpose of the occupancy (IE: hospitals, prisons, mental institutions) • Awareness • Are occupants awake and alert? Drugs and alcohol play an important role in awareness as well as age • Knowledge • Familiarity with the premises, use of drills increase a persons 'self-preservation knowledge.

  3. Density • Density is measured as the number of persons in a given area. • The greater the number of people in a given area the greater the potential loss of life. • Relationship between density and speed of movement of the occupants.

  4. Life Safety Strategies • Fire prevention, fire management, occupant management • Fire Prevention • Prevent the fire from beginning. • Attack the fire pyramid components

  5. Fire Management • Control the rate of production of smoke and heat through altering fuel and/or environment, control the combustion process through manual or automatic fire suppression, control products of combustion through venting

  6. Occupant Management • Alerting occupants of a fireEmergency egress system development and implementation. • Emergency signs. lighting, protected egress routes, etc.

  7. Behaviors • Panic Behavior • Fires resulting in multiple fatalities identify a panic behavior. • Panic is a flight or fleeing type of behavior that is not limited to one person but transmitted and adopted to a group of people.

  8. Re-entry behavior • Studies have found that people are often injured re-entering a building. • Re-entry creates 2 way movement. • Re-entry most often occurs to rescue or assist children and people.

  9. Fire fighting behavior • People want to put out the fire when there is an economic or emotional tie to the fire (Homes, assigned role as a result of training).

  10. Life Safety Codes • Life Safety Codes actually began as early as 1913 in the U.S. • In 1921, they compiled the information into the Building Exits Code.

  11. NFPA 101 Life Safety Codes • The predominant overall guides to life safety from fire in buildings in the US. • They are considered the minimum acceptable guidelines for Life Safety. • The 2009 Edition of the Life Safety Codes is broken down into 43 Chapters.

  12. Chapter Summary • 1.0 Administration - scope, purpose, application (new & existing buildings). • 2.0 Fundamental Requirements • 3.0 Definitions • 4.0 General • 5.0 Performance Based Options

  13. Chapter Summary • 6.0 Classification of Occupancy • 7.0 Means of Egress • 8.0 Features of Fire Protection • 9.0 Building service & Fire Protection Equipment • 10.0 Interior Finishes • 11.0 Special Structures and High-rises • 12.0 - 42.0 Occupancy Classifications • 43.0 Building Rehabilitation

  14. Occupancy Determination • The most important first step in using the Life Safety Codes is to make the correct determination about the occupancy classification. • Using the definitions of the occupancies, one will be able to follow the specific codes properly.

  15. Mixed Occupancies • In some situations, occupancies can be classified as a mixed occupancy. • When the exits, means of egress, construction, etc, are so intermixed, the building can be classified as mixed. • In this situation, the most stringent classification codes must be followed.

  16. Operating Features • Focuses on how individuals can augment the fixed life safety systems and other building features. • In the codes, an asterisk may follow the code number. • Presented at the end of each occupancy chapter.

  17. Life Safety Codes • Life Safety Codes actually began as early as 1913 in the U.S. • In 1921, they compiled the information into the Building Exits Code.

  18. NFPA 101 Life Safety Codes • The predominant overall guides to life safety from fire in buildings in the US. • They are considered the minimum acceptable guidelines for Life Safety.

  19. Chapter Summary • 1.0 Administration - scope, purpose, application (new & existing buildings). • 2.0 Fundamental Requirements • 3.0 Definitions • 4.0 General • 5.0 Performance Based Options

  20. Chapter Summary • 6.0 Classification of Occupancy • 7.0 Means of Egress • 8.0 Features of Fire Protection • 9.0 Building service & Fire Protection Equipment • 10.0 Interior Finishes • 11.0 Special Structures and Highrises • 12.0 - 42.0 Occupancy Classifications

  21. Occupancy Determination • The most important first step in using the Life Safety Codes is to make the correct determination about the occupancy classification. • Using the definitions of the occupancies, one will be able to follow the specific codes properly.

  22. Mixed Occupancies • In some situations, occupancies can be classified as a mixed occupancy. • When the exits, means of egress, construction, etc, are so intermixed, the building can be classified as mixed. • In this situation, the most stringent classification codes must be followed.

  23. Operating Features • Focuses on how individuals can augment the fixed life safety systems and other building features. • In the codes, an asterisk may follow the code number. • Presented at the end of each occupancy chapter.

  24. NFPA Chapter 7: Means of Egress • When applying Chapter 7, first address means of egress issues in the appropriate Occupancy Classification chapter • In many instances, the Occupancy chapter will send you to Chapter 7 for the Means of Egress requirements

  25. NFPA Chapter 7: Means of Egress • Major parts to Chapter 7 • 7.1 General Requirements • 7.2 Means of Egress Components • 7.3 Capacity of Means of Egress • 7.4 Number of Means of Egress • 7.5 Arrangement of Means of Egress

  26. NFPA Chapter 7: Means of Egress • 7.6 Measurement of Travel Distance to Exits • 7.7 Discharge from Exits • 7.8 Illumination of Means of Egress • 7.9 Emergency Lighting • 7.10 Marking of Means of Egress

  27. NFPA Chapter 7: Means of Egress • 7.11 Special Provisions for Occupancies with High Hazard Contents. • 7.12 Mechanical Equipment Rooms, Boiler Rooms, and Furnace Rooms.

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