REGULATIONS> SUPPRESSION & ANSUL REGS

NFPA NAFED OSHA UL

Fire Suppression & Ansul Regulations The following are some important fire suppression system regulations: Kitchen Suppression Systems UL 300 In 1994, Underwriters Laboratory (UL) issued a new standard, UL 300, for the fire testing of fire suppression systems protecting commercial cooking operations. The two changes in commercial food preparation techniques that had the biggest impact on revising the fire test standard were the change from animal fats for frying foods to the use of vegetable oils, and the introduction of "energy efficient" cooking appliances. Vegetable oils burn at a higher temperature than animal fats and energy efficient cooking appliances, like those found in "high-efficiency" fryers, help keep fires hotter for a longer period of time. Commercial cooking fires had gotten more difficult to extinguish over time. UL redesigned its test standard to better reflect current cooking conditions and to reflect "worst case" fire suppression scenarios. As a result, no fire suppression system manufacturers submitted their older, Dry Chemical Kitchen Systems for testing under the UL 300 standard. Since 1994, most of these manufacturers have withdrawn their support of Dry Chemical Kitchen Systems, resulting in a lack of repair parts, proper recharge chemical and technical support. All kitchen fire suppression systems manufactured after 1994 must comply with the UL 300 Standard. To meet that standard, system manufacturers have increased the amount of wet chemical agent applied to cooking appliances to reinforce the cooling effect of Wet Chemical Kitchen Systems - an important tool in extinguishing modern cooking fires. If any of the following is true of your restaurant cooking area it is time to upgrade your fire protection system: If your restaurant cooking area fire protection system was manufactured after November 21, 1994 ; OR Any changes are made to the original installation of cooking appliances and the hoods/ducts within the protection area, or the addition of cooking appliances required protection, or a change to vegetable-based cooking oils; OR The manufacturer of the restaurant cooking area fire protection system or another fire protection expert recommends upgrading the system; OR The local enforcement authorities, insurance company, or other authority requires or recommends upgrading the system. Sprinkler Systems NFPA 25 - Standard for Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water Based Fire Protection Systems The three basic requirements for compliance are: • Inspection of the System and Components • Testing and Maintenance at Prescribed Intervals • Record Keeping Special Hazard Suppression • NFPA 12 - CO2 Systems • NFPA 12A - Halon 1301 Systems • NFPA 17 - Dry Chemical Systems • NFPA 2001 - Clean Agent Systems • NFPA 72 - National Fire Alarm Code The four basic requirements for compliance are: 1. Monthly System and Component Inspection 2. Annual Testing and Maintenance 3. Record Keeping 4. Training and Education for Personnel OSHA REGS on SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS 1910.159 Automatic sprinkler systems. 1. Scope and application. This section contains the minimum requirements for design, installation and maintenance of sprinkler systems that are needed for employee safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is aware of the fact that the National Board of Fire Underwriters is no longer an active organization, however, sprinkler systems still exist that were designed and installed in accordance with that organization's standards. Therefore, OSHA will recognize sprinkler systems designed to, and maintained in accordance with, NBFU and earlier NFPA standards. 2. Exemptions. In an effort to assure that employers will continue to use automatic sprinkler systems as the primary fire protection system in workplaces, OSHA is exempting from coverage those systems not required by a particular OSHA standard and which have been installed in workplaces solely for the purpose of protecting property. Many of these types of systems are installed in areas or buildings with little or no employee exposure. An example is those warehouses where employees may enter occasionally to take inventory or move stock. Some employers may choose to shut down those systems which are not specifically required by OSHA rather than upgrade them to comply with the standards. OSHA does not intend to regulate such systems. OSHA only intends to regulate those systems which are installed to comply with a particular OSHA standard. 3. Design. There are two basic types of sprinkler system design. Pipe schedule designed systems are based on pipe schedule tables developed to protect hazards with standard sized pipe, number of sprinklers, and pipe lengths. Hydraulic designed systems are based on an engineered design of pipe size which will produce a given water density or flow rate at any particular point in the system. Either design can be used to comply with this standard. The National Fire Protection Association's Standard No. 13, "Automatic Sprinkler Systems," contains the tables needed to design and install either type of system. Minimum water supplies, densities, and pipe sizes are given for all types of occupancies. The employer may check with a reputable fire protection engineering consultant or sprinkler design company when evaluating existing systems or designing a new installation. With the advent of new construction materials for the manufacture of sprinkler pipe, materials, other than steel have been approved for use as sprinkler pipe. Selection of pipe material should be made on the basis of the type of installation and the acceptability of the material to local fire and building officials where such systems may serve more than one purpose. Before new sprinkler systems are placed into service, an acceptance test is to be conducted. The employer should invite the installer, designer, insurance representative, and a local fire official to witness the test. Problems found during the test are to be corrected before the system is placed into service. 4. Maintenance. It is important that any sprinkler system maintenance be done only when there is minimal employee exposure to the fire hazard. For example, if repairs or changes to the system are to be made, they should be made during those hours when employees are not working or are not occupying that portion of the workplace protected by the portion of the system which has been shut down. The procedures for performing a flow test via a main drain test or by the use of an inspector's test valve can be obtained from the employer's fire insurance company or from the National Fire Protection Association's Standard No. 13A, "Sprinkler System, Maintenance." 5. Water supplies. The water supply to a sprinkler system is one of the most important factors an employer should consider when evaluating a system. Obviously, if there is no water supply, the system is useless. Water supplies can be lost for various reasons such as improperly closed valves, excessive demand, broken water mains, and broken fire pumps. The employer must be able to determine if or when this type of condition exists either by performing a main drain test or visual inspection. Another problem may be an inadequate water supply. For example, a light hazard occupancy may, through rehabilitation or change in tenants, become an ordinary or high hazard occupancy. In such cases, the existing water supply may not be able to provide the pressure or duration necessary for proper protection. Employers must assure that proper design and tests have been made to assure an adequate water supply. These tests can be arranged through the employer's fire insurance carrier or through a local sprinkler maintenance company or through the local fire prevention organization. Anytime the employer must shut down the primary water supply for a sprinkler system, the standard requires that equivalent protection be provided. Equivalent protection may include a fire watch with extinguishers or hose lines in place and manned, or a secondary water supply such as a tank truck and pump, or a tank or fire pond with fire pumps, to protect the areas where the primary water supply is limited or shut down. The employer may also require evacuation of the workplace and have an emergency action plan which specifies such action. 6. Protection of piping. Piping which is exposed to corrosive atmospheres, either chemical or natural, can become defective to the extent that it is useless. Employers must assure that piping is protected from corrosion by its material of construction, e.g., stainless steel, or by a protective coating, e.g., paint. 7. Sprinklers. When an employer finds it necessary to replace sprinkler system components or otherwise change a sprinkler's design, employer should make a complete fire protection engineering survey of that part of the system being changed. This review should assure that the changes to the system will not alter the effectiveness of the system as it is presently designed. Water supplies, densities and flow characteristics should be maintained. 8. Protection of sprinklers. All components of the system must be protected from mechanical impact damage. This can be achieved with the use of mechanical guards or screens or by locating components in areas where physical contact is impossible or limited. 9. Sprinkler alarms. The most recognized sprinkler alarm is the water motor gong or bell that sounds when water begins to flow through the system. This is not however, the only type of acceptable water flow alarm. Any alarm that gives an indication that water is flowing through the system is acceptable. For example, a siren, a whistle, a flashing light, or similar alerting device which can transmit a signal to the necessary persons would be acceptable. The purpose of the alarm is to alert persons that the system is operating, and that some type of planned action is necessary. 10. Sprinkler spacing. For a sprinkler system to be effective there must be an adequate discharge of water spray from the sprinkler head. Any obstructions which hinder the designed density or spray pattern of the water may create unprotected areas which can cause fire to spread. There are some sprinklers that, because of the system's design, are deflected to specific areas. This type of obstruction is acceptable if the system's design takes it into consideration in providing adequate coverage. 1910.160 Fixed extinguishing systems, general. 1. Scope and application. This section contains the general requirements that are applicable to all fixed extinguishing systems installed to meet OSHA standards. It also applies to those fixed extinguishing systems, generally total flooding, which are not required by OSHA, but which, because of the agent's discharge, may expose employees to hazardous concentrations of extinguishing agents or combustion by-products. Employees who work around fixed extinguishing systems must be warned of the possible hazards associated with the system and its agent. For example, fixed dry chemical extinguishing systems may generate a large enough cloud of dry chemical particles that employees may become visually disoriented. Certain gaseous agents can expose employees to hazardous by-products of combustion when the agent comes into contact with hot metal or other hot surface. Some gaseous agents may be present in hazardous concentrations when the system has totally discharged because an extra rich concentration is necessary to extinguish deep-seated fires. Certain local application systems may be designed to discharge onto the flaming surface of a liquid, and it is possible that the liquid can splatter when hit with the discharging agent. All of these hazards must be determined before the system is placed into operation, and must be discussed with employees. Based on the known toxicological effects of agents such as carbon tetrachloride and chlorobromomethane, OSHA is not permitting the use of these agents in areas where employees can be exposed to the agent or its side effects. However, chlorobromomethane has been accepted and may be used as an explosion suppression agent in unoccupied spaces. OSHA is permitting the use of this agent only in areas where employees will not be exposed. 2. Distinctive alarm signals. A distinctive alarm signal is required to indicate that a fixed system is discharging. Such a signal is necessary on those systems where it is not immediately apparent that the system is discharging. For example, certain gaseous agents make a loud noise when they discharge. In this case no alarm signal is necessary. However, where systems are located in remote locations or away from the general work area and where it is possible that a system could discharge without anyone knowing that it is doing so, then a distinctive alarm is necessary to warn employees of the hazards that may exist. The alarm can be a bell, gong, whistle, horn, flashing light, or any combination of signals as long as it is identifiable as a discharge alarm. 3. Maintenance. The employer is responsible for the maintenance of all fixed systems, but this responsibility does not preclude the use of outside contractors to do such work. New systems should be subjected to an acceptance test before placed in service. The employer should invite the installer, designer, insurance representative and others to witness the test. Problems found during the test need to be corrected before the system is considered operational. 4. Manual discharge stations. There are instances, such as for mechanical reasons and others, where the standards call for a manual back-up activation device. While the location of this device is not specified in the standard, the employer should assume that the device should be located where employees can easily reach it. It could, for example, be located along the main means of egress from the protected area so that employees could activate the system as they evacuate the work area. 5. Personal protective equipment. The employer is required to provide the necessary personal protective equipment to rescue employees who may be trapped in a totally flooded environment which may be hazardous to their health. This equipment would normally include a positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus and any necessary first aid equipment. In cases where the employer can assure the prompt arrival of the local fire department or plant emergency personnel which can provide the equipment, this can be considered as complying with the standards. 1910.161 Fixed extinguishing systems, dry chemical. 1. Scope and application. The requirements of this section apply only to dry chemical systems. These requirements are to be used in conjunction with the requirements of 1910.160. 2. Maintenance. The employer is responsible for assuring that dry chemical systems will operate effectively. To do this, periodic maintenance is necessary. One test that must be conducted during the maintenance check is one which will determine if the agent has remained free of moisture. If an agent absorbs any moisture, it may tend to cake and thereby clog the system. An easy test for acceptable moisture content is to take a lump of dry chemical from the container and drop it from a height of four inches. If the lump crumbles into fine particles, the agent is acceptable. 1910.162 Fixed extinguishing systems, gaseous agent. 1. Scope and application. This section applies only to those systems which use gaseous agents. The requirements of 1910.160 also apply to the gaseous agent systems covered in this section. 2. Design concentrations. Total flooding gaseous systems are based on the volume of gas which must be discharged in order to produce a certain designed concentration of gas in an enclosed area. The concentration needed to extinguish a fire depends on several factors including the type of fire hazard and the amount of gas expected to leak away from the area during discharge. At times it is necessary to "super-saturate" a work area to provide for expected leakage from the enclosed area. In such cases, employers must assure that the flooded area has been ventilated before employees are permitted to reenter the work area without protective clothing and respirators. 3. Toxic decomposition. Certain halogenated hydrocarbons will break down or decompose when they are combined with high temperatures found in the fire environment. The products of the decomposition can include toxic elements or compounds. For example, when Halon 1211 is placed into contact with hot metal it will break down and form bromide or fluoride fumes. The employer must find out which toxic products may result from decomposition of a particular agent from the manufacturer, and take the necessary precautions to prevent employee exposure to the hazard. 1910.163 Fixed extinguishing systems, water spray and foam. 1. Scope and application. This section applies to those systems that use water spray or foam. The requirements of 1910.160 also apply to this type of system. 2. Characteristics of foams. When selecting the type of foam for a specific hazard, the employer should consider the following limitations of some foams. a. Some foams are not acceptable for use on fires involving flammable gases and liquefied gases with boiling points below ambient workplace temperatures. Other foams are not effective when used on fires involving polar solvent liquids. b. Any agent using water as part of the mixture should not be used on fire involving combustible metals unless it is applied under proper conditions to reduce the temperature of burning metal below the ignition temperature. The employer should use only those foams that have been tested and accepted for this application by a recognized independent testing laboratory. c. Certain types of foams may be incompatible and break down when they are mixed together. d. For fires involving water miscible solvents, employers should use only those foams tested and approved for such use. Regular protein foams may not be effective on such solvents. Whenever employers provide a foam or water spray system, drainage facilities must be provided to carry contaminated water or foam overflow away from the employee work areas and egress routes. This drainage system should drain to a central impounding area where it can be collected and disposed of properly. Other government agencies may have regulations concerning environmental considerations. CONTACT US to request a free evaluation of your building or to learn more about how we can help your business.