Fire safety basics helped this fire to not spread

Bristol University Fire Reminds Us of Fire Safety Basics

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Bristol University Fire Reminds Us of Fire Safety Basics

Fire safety basics helped this fire to not spread
Photo by Avon Fire and Rescue Service posted by BBC News

England’s Bristol University had a roof-top fire that put their emergency procedures to the test. The historic Fry Building is undergoing a renovation to become the University’s new math department. On January 8th, Avon Fire and Rescue declared the fire was accidental and likely a result of the ongoing works.

BBC News reported that “the blaze caused extensive damage to the fifth floor and roof but as the fire service was alerted quickly it was able to prevent the flames from spreading to other historic buildings nearby.”

This reminds us that not only do our fire protection systems need to be kept up-to-code but our processes in the event of a fire need to be kept up-to-date as well.

3 Ways to Keep Fire Safety Basics in Mind in an Emergency

Update Life Safety Drawings
Changes to your life safety system can impact evacuation routes. If there are changes in your life safety drawings to fire-rated walls, doors or ceilings, be sure to see if they will affect emergency exits.

Educate Students
In your early 20’s, fire safety is not at the first thing on your mind in college. Keeping young adults informed of university policies and dorm room fire safety basics can help stop the spread of a fire.

Educate Staff
During an emergency evacuation, educated staff members help make the process go smoothly. Help them to become a leader in the event of a fire.

Fire emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere and can cause major damage to your facility. Even worse, it can injure or even kill building occupants. Facilities in the United States are responsible for maintaining their passive fire barrier system to keep them code compliant.

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The life safety specialists at Prevent have you covered for all of your fire barrier component service needs. Call 1-877-392-6074 to discuss your compliance or request a free quote online.

Click Here to Download our Fire Barrier Service Planner

Read BBC News’ full story

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Fire Barrier Management Plans

What Are the Benefits of Fire Barrier Management Plans?

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Fire Barrier Management Plans

What Are the Benefits of Fire Barrier Management Plans?

Maintaining components of fire barrier system might turn out to be quite challenging. This is particularly true in case you have lots of additional responsibilities. Fire barriers are of utmost use as they help to prevent toxic gases, fire and smoke from spreading throughout the facility. All components are there to help to get people out safely by delaying the spread of fire so the facility can be easily evacuated.

Various studies have shown that if there’s any fault in fire barriers, it can cost life of an innocent. Therefore, proper maintenance of your fire doors, fire dampers and fire-rated walls is very important. Plus, regular checkups keep your facility compliant.

How to Ensure Your Fire Barrier is Compliant

Creating a Maintenance Plan

Setting up a fire barrier maintenance plan can be very effective, particularly in places where there’re lots of unknown and unaddressed penetrations. It gives you the opportunity to divide the facility into sections/zones/floors and tackle them on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. This will help in keeping your facility code-compliant.

Detailed Reports and Drawings

It is important that have detailed reports available for the Joint Commission survey. On January 1, 2018, these reports now must include fire door maintenance, as well.  Upon inspection, you need to show your maintenance log and how any failed components were repaired. Additionally, it is important to note that fire code compliance is taken very seriously and facilities can face serious fines or be temporarily shut down if it’s deemed unsafe.

Benefits of a Fire Barrier Management Plan

Preparation for Inspection

Each part of fire barrier system needs to be inspection-ready per their individual requirements. For instance, fire dampers need to be inspected every 4-6 years, while fire doors are required to be done on an annual basis. A fire barrier management plan will help you to be prepared for any fire safety inspection.

Helps in Organizational Safety

A fire barrier management plan will also help you to meet your organization’s safety goals. If there is a fire emergency, you need your system working seamlessly. That includes your fire barrier, along with photoluminescent exits and signs. Once again, the main goal is the safety of everyone in the building.

Economical

Having a clear management plan allows you to budget and plan for maintenance expenses. Plus, when you sign up for multiple services, you can typically save money per service. Therefore, knowing ahead of time what you will need throughout the year can get you the best deal and times available.

In conclusion, aim to start your 2018 off the right way and create your fire barrier management plan.

Need help? Prevent has you covered! Call 1-877-392-6074 to speak to a compliance specialist or request a free quote online.

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Life Safety Plans

The Importance of Life Safety Plans in Any Healthcare Facility

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Life Safety PlansThe Importance of Life Safety Plans in Any Healthcare Facility

An important part of a well-maintained healthcare facility includes accurate life safety plans. Not only are they required by CMS, but they can save you a significant amount of money on your fire barrier maintenance services.

What are Life Safety Plans?

Life safety plans are floorplans that indicate a facility’s fire barrier details and emergency exits. They show the fire rating of all doors, walls and ceilings. Additionally, it shows the compartmentalization of smoke during a fire.

Having a good set of life safety plans created is a worth-while investment. They not only help you to maintain your facility’s fire barrier but also helps you to plan for it as well. Additionally, when contractors come in to perform any kind of maintenance, there won’t be any surprises if they know where to locate all the items they are servicing.

For example, when Prevent is hired to inspect fire dampers, we would use your plans to locate each damper. Without accurate life safety plans, we are having to looking for them. This adds much more time to the project as well as increases the cost of the job.

Aside from monetary impacts, life safety plans can help you to protect your patients in the event of a fire. It can help you to determine any defend-in-place areas by indicating the fire rating on walls and ceilings.

How to Create a Life Safety Plan

The best way to get a great set of plans is to outsource it to a professional. Companies that specialize in these types of plans have software that allows them to accurately indicate where each door, damper and wall is located with its rating.

It’s not to say you cannot create these maps in-house, however, these companies custom-make each map and tailor it to the type of facility you have. They make sure it’s up to the CMS standards and have the capabilities of adding on to them down the line when there are changes to the facility.

While the cost of these plans may be on the high side, it’s a very good investment to save your facility money in the future and keep occupants protected.

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The life safety specialists at Prevent have you covered for all of your fire barrier component service needs. Call 1-877-392-6074 to discuss your compliance or request a free quote online.

Click Here to Download our Fire Barrier Service Planner

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Fire and Smoke Door Annual Testing

CMS Fire and Smoke Door Annual Testing Requirements Update Memo

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Fire and Smoke Door Annual TestingCMS Fire and Smoke Door Annual Testing Requirements Update Memo

On Friday, July 28th the Center for Medicare & Medical Services (CMS) released a memo addressing some of the confusion about the new codes that went in to effect July 5, 2016. Just over a year later, questions were still surrounding the new requirements.

Prevent responded to the memo with the following that went out to all customers about the fire and smoke door annual testing:

At first, our Prevent sales representatives were flooded with questions about finding a qualified person to inspect and repair their fire doors. We were able to answer your questions in our blog post, How to Choose a Qualified Fire Door Inspector.

More recently the question that we have been receiving is regarding which doors fall under the new code. Last week’s CMS memo offers the following clarification:

In health care occupancies, annual inspection and testing in accordance with the 2010 NFPA 80 is required for all fire door assemblies. Non-rated doors, including corridor doors to patient care rooms and smoke barrier doors, are not subject to the annual inspection and testing requirements of either NFPA 80 or NFPA 105. But, non-rated doors should be routinely inspected as part of the facility maintenance program as all required life safety features and systems must be maintained in proper working order. LSC deficiencies associated with the annual inspection and testing of fire doors should be cited under K211 – Means of Egress – General.

Fire door assemblies will need to be inspected and tested annually with the documentation to support it (See The No. 1 Reason Fire Doors Fail Inspection). However, all other doors should be on a regular maintenance schedule to ensure that each one is working properly. They will be spot-checked when the Joint Commission comes in to survey your facility and if there are too many doors that are not latching and closing, you can be cited.

Of course, deficiencies can be avoided with a proper maintenance plan. Prevent Life Safety has you covered every step of the way. Due to the overwhelming confusion of the new requirements, the CMS has extended the compliance date to January 1, 2018, so now is the time to get a good plan in place. Our Fire Barrier Management programs are custom-made for each facility’s needs.

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The life safety specialists at Prevent have you covered for all of your fire barrier component service needs. Call 1-877-392-6074 to discuss your compliance or request a free quote online.

Click Here to Download our Fire Barrier Service Planner

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Defend-In-place facilities

A Beginner’s Guide to Defend-in-Place Facilities

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A Beginner’s Guide to Defend-in-Place Facilities

Defend-In-place facilities

Lately, we have received inquiries asking about defend-in-place facilities. It’s a great topic to discuss as it is one of the main reasons we provide so much training to our technicians.

Since fires can take place anytime, it is important that you have solid procedures and that all staff understand them.

Sufficient Exit Routes

All routes should be easy to understand and easy to get to from where you are in the building. Most facilities have photoluminescent exits installed where there is a clear, lit path to an exit.

Fire Drills

It is important you conduct regular fire drills so your employees are aware of the measures to take in case of a fire. This includes not only how to evacuate patients but also how to keep them safe within the building.

Defend-in-Place

Evacuation depends on the circumstances, whether you can even access the exit or if the occupants of the building are even mobile.

Imagine being a nurse in a hospital, you’re making your rounds and suddenly, fire alarms start going off. Standard evacuation procedures begin but one of your patients is critical and unresponsive and cannot be moved. How will they be protected from the fire?

In cases like this, the only way to protect them is through defend-in-place. When the insides of a building may be burning but the occupants aren’t physically capable of moving, we rely heavily on the fire barrier.  This is why hospitals and other such places (e.g., ships) are designed with alternative accommodations. The compartments here are smoke-resistant and protect the occupants from fire injuries. This is also one of the reason there is so much emphasis on maintaining the components of your fire barrier.

There are three different types of defend-in-place fire protection methods of evacuation within one building at the time of a fire spread:

Progressive: This is the most direct way of protecting potential victims. Those occupants who are physically immobile and are directly threatened by the fire are immediately evacuated out of that intense situation and transported to a safer zone.

Defense: This is for those occupants who are in danger but not immediately under threat. These occupants are moved behind protective doors within the building until the fire is extinguished.

Evacuate: This is valid for those occupants who are near exit tunnels. They are forced to empty the building, spontaneously.

Fires are scary and can be deadly. Ensuring that your fire safety system is in working order is vital to defend in place.

Prevent Life Safety takes pride in the maintenance we provide for fire barriers of all sizes. Defend-in-Place facilities rely on us to keep them safe. We take that very seriously. All of our technicians have extensive training in servicing fire doors, fire dampers and firestopping for fire-rated walls. We’ve inspected hundreds of thousands of barrier components and have the experience to make sure your occupants safe. Call 1-877-392-6074 or request an online quote today to ensure your fire barrier is in working order.

Click Here to Download our Fire Barrier Service Planner

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Understanding ICRA

Understanding Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) 

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Understanding Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA)

Understanding ICRAInfection prevention programs lay the foundation for eradicating an infection from their roots in a designated facility or environment, specifically after occupants suffering from a disease have vacated the place. This program consists of:

  • Eradicating or, at least, significantly reducing the chances of viral spreads from the infected environment.
  • Waves of facility planning, designing, construction, renovation, and maintenance.
  • Correlating and analyzing knowledge about infection, infectious agents, looking after the environment, and allowing the organization to foresee the possible result.

Before you seek out an Infection control assessment, you must go through the ICRA elements listed in Chapter 1.5 of the AIA Guild lines that were released in 2006. In 2006, a new edition of the ICRA elements was released where each was divided into a separate area i.e., process for design, construction and mitigation.

Design

This is an area of ICRA that requires a long term vision for planning purposes. Whether a new building is being constructed or an older one is being fully renovated, ICRA’s design ads a new component “finishes and surfaces” that enhances and increases the life of the facility. Determinants include:

  • The number, location, and the kind of airborne infection precautions and the environment rooms for shielding.
  • Identification and allotment of the specific filtration and ventilation in the building that may include the waiting area or the emergency department.
  • Ventilation and air handling to be used in airborne infection isolation and shielding environment rooms, local exhaust systems for poisonous agents, surgical services, laboratories and other areas.
  • Water regulation systems to limit Legionella sp. and other waterborne opportunistic pathogens
  • The surfaces and finishes.

Construction

While construction is an integral part of the ICRA, here are the factors taken into consideration due to the anticipation of the building being affected:

  • Acknowledgement of locations at risk
  • Assessment of the specific dangers and protection levels for each
  • Results of disrupting vital services to employee and patients
  • Allotment of patients by the vulnerability to infections and the definition of stakes for each
  • Impact of potential light-out or emergency scenarios on the patients and the measures for ensuring patient protection taken during an unplanned or a planned outage. Furthermore, movement of remnants, cleanup, flow of traffic, testing and certifying after verdict.
  • Evaluation of internal as well as external activities
“The more people who become educated on topics dealing with Infection Control Risk Assessment – the less healthcare related construction and renovation hospital acquired illnesses, and the safer hospital systems in the US will remain.” Amy Walker, CEO, ICRA Solutions, LLC.

Infection Control Risk Mitigation

ICRA panel’s mitigation area recommends the following:

  • Ensuring measures of prevention from demolition
  • Relocation and placing patients in safe zones
  • Ensuring the complete training of hospital staff, construction panels and giving instructions to visitors as well.
  • Complete steps to be taken to ensure maximum protection for patients who are vulnerable to airborne pollutants and the adjacent areas
  • Replacement of heavy machinery with temporary ventilators, heaters, coolers and water supplies.

In the end, ICRA is responsible for supervising infection control measures and to provide assistance in regulating the efficiency of the workers throughout the program. It is important to retain some ICRA training before getting your property assessed for infection.

View the ICRA Matrix

Prevent Life Safety understand the importance of infection prevent. We protect patients by using mobile HEPA-filtered containment units from SolutionContainment when we perform fire barrier maintenance in sensitive areas.

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Finding a qualified fire door inspector

How to Choose a Qualified Fire Door Inspector

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How to Choose a Qualified Fire Door Inspector

Choosing a Qualified Fire Door Inspector

Accidents happen, and while we can’t predict them, we can be prepared for them as best as possible. If you’re managing a facility there is a risk of dangerous fire spreads. Fire codes are put in place for these reasons. However, if you want to ensure your building occupants and colleagues are well protected, you need to keep your fire doors – and other fire barrier components – up to code with a qualified fire door inspector.

The Importance of Fire Doors

A fire door is the most basic method of protection against fire spread. Fire doors are a manifestation of several elements that combine together to form a door-set. The door is made from fire-resistant material and engineered to ensure maximum safety. The intumescent strips expand when subjected to heat and seal the gaps in between the door’s edge and the door frame. The spread of both fire and smoke are significantly slowed, giving people time to evacuate the building.

As of July 1, 2016, CMS’s adoption of the 2012 NFPA 101 codes made it mandatory for fire doors to be inspected annually by a qualified fire door inspector and have the proper documentation.

How to Choose a Qualified Fire Door Inspector

Experience and qualifications

When it comes to fire door inspection companies, experience counts. Facilities are subject to fines if their doors are not up-to-code. The fire door inspector should be properly trained and know fire doors inside and out. Choosing a company with experience and qualified fire door inspections is vital to staying compliant.

Look for License and Insurance

A reputable and reliable fire barrier inspection company will always be licensed and insured. If anything happens on-site, you want to make sure you are covered. The company should also be able to show a contractor’s license in every state they perform work in, when required. Many states also require their license number to be displayed on vehicles. Doing a little research will go a long way.

Repairs & Recertification

Many inspections lead to needing repairs done to make the door compliant. Be sure to only hire a company that is also qualified to complete any repairs that need to be made.  Furthermore, the company you choose should also be qualified for fire door recertification.

Reports from a qualified fire door inspectorReporting

When the Joint Commission or AHJs arrive to check that your fire doors are up-to-code, they will require a complete report that shows a log of each door in the facility along with life safety maps indicating where they are located. This report counts just as much as having a qualified fire door inspector to look at your fire doors. It is recommended that you ask any company you are considering to show you a sample of their reporting.

Finding a qualified fire door inspector is pertinent to keeping your fire doors compliant. Remember, never hesitate to ask questions and get qualifications prior to hire. Call 1-877-392-6074 today to see if your fire doors are compliant.

 

Click Here to Download our Fire Barrier Service Planner

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Firestop FAQ

Firestop FAQ – What You Need to Know

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Firestop FAQ – What You Need to Know

Firestop FAQYour facility has recently undergone some IT changes, which means penetrations and wires are running through walls that hadn’t previously. Now you face the challenge of figuring out how to go about firestopping these penetrations, or even if it’s really that important. If you’re stumped on your next move, we’ve put together some questions you might have and went ahead with answering them.

Q: What is firestop?

A: Firestop is a life safety system that is designed to protect the integrity of fire-rated barriers and floors by filling in any penetrating voids that have been caused by new construction of reconfiguration in a facility.

Q: How does firestop work?

A: All buildings are designed to compartmentalize smoke and flame when a fire occurs. The compartmentation allows for the fire and smoke to be contained in the room of origin to allow safe evacuation of the rest of the building. However, this will not work if there are penetrations in fire-rated barriers because even the smallest of holes can allow smoke or flame into the adjoining room.

Q: Who regulates firestopping in my building?

A: Firestop is regulated by The Joint Commission (TJC) and Firestop Contractors of America (FCIA). Other Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AJH) may also regulate firestopping.

Q: What are different types of firestop?

A: Firestop products range from caulks or putties, intumescent collars and pillows. However, there are over 3,000 UL system options, which can vary depending on the type of penetration.

Q: Can I use any kind of caulk or putty?

A: No. Caulks and putties used in firestopping must be fire-rated and follow UL specifications.

Q: What is “intumescent?”

A: Material that is classified as intumescent indicates that the material has an expanding capability when exposed to fire or heat. Intumescent sealants are used on penetrating materials that could burn or melt away during a fire. When exposed to heat or fire, intumescent pillows or collars expand to fill the void that is created by the melting penetrant to seal off the spread of smoke or fire.

Q: Is firestop needed if a sprinkler system is already in place?

A: Sprinkler systems are a great form of active fire safety, however sprinklers only put out the flame. Spinklers are unable to stop smoke or toxic gas from spreading during a fire. Firestopping is needed to contain the fire, while also preventing smoke from travelling through the facility. Considering that smoke inhalation is the leading cause of death in fires, it’s vital to keep the smoke from spreading and inhibiting occupants from reaching the exit.

Q: What product should I use for my facility?

A: Choosing a firestop system for your facility could be dependent on a few things such as: construction of the barrier, size of the penetration, and size and material of the penetrating item. After you’ve determined the penetration and collected the necessary information, you can consult the UL Fire Resistance Directory to determine with UL system is appropriate for the penetration.

Q: Why is firestop important?

A: Firestopping is mandatory by building code, and more importantly, it can protect your facility and occupants in a fire. Firestopping aids in preventing the travel of smoke from room-to-room, which is the number one cause of fire-related deaths. Even a pencil-sized hole can allow smoke to fill the adjacent room in less than 4 minutes. With proper firestopping, injuries and fatalities could be prevented.

Q: Can I do firestopping myself?

A: In-house firestop maintenance is possibly in most facilities. However, hiring an outside contractor will eliminate the chance of using the wrong products, and ensure the job is done correctly and timely. Firestopping contractors are more familiar with codes and UL systems, and can easily determine which system is acceptable for your facility. A facility employee may not be as educated in UL systems, and it can take a lot of time and resources to figure out which one works for the situation.

Fire-Barrier Maintenance Saves Lives

The most important thing to remember when it comes to firestopping is that protection it adds to the facility and occupants. Preventing the spread of smoke throughout a building with proper firestopping could be the difference of life or death. It is important for facility managers to know what is going on in their building, and to keep an eye out for any changes in fire-rated barriers that may lessen the integrity or inhibit their ability to protect during a fire.

With so many things to consider, deciding on how to manage your fire barriers could be overwhelming. Contacting a specialty firestop contractor will help you decide on which of the 3,000 UL system choices is right for your facility. PREVENT Life Safety has over 18 years of experience in selecting the proper UL system and applying it in facilities across the nation. Call us at 1-877-392-6074 to discuss your fire barrier compliance or get a free quote online.

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Commercial building professionals can access their fire barrier and duct cleaning reports 24/7 on Prevent Life Safety's new customer portal.

Prevent’s Customer Portal Makes Reports Accessible 24/7

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Commercial building professionals can access their fire barrier and duct cleaning reports 24/7 on Prevent Life Safety's new customer portal.Prevent’s Customer Portal Makes Reports Accessible 24/7

Prevent Life Safety’s new customer portal is our newest service feature, helping customers access their reports whenever they need them. Imagine having an AHJ arriving at your facility to inspect your fire dampers and you can’t seem to find your report from six years ago (or there’s a page missing), what do you do? We get phone calls for missing reports quite frequently. Of course we are happy to locate it, however, many times the report is too big to be e-mailed. Our new portal solves this problem.

Prevent Customer Portal features

  • Easy to use – Prevent Life Safety’s customer portal allows you to easily view and download your reports as needed.
  • Files can be viewed on any device – Your reports can be viewed from your computer, tablet, phone from anywhere in your facility that has Wi-Fi.
  • Large file-friendly – Send or receive your maps and reports without size restriction.
  • Makes files available to access 24/7 – The secure portal allows access to your files any time, day or night.
  • View Prevent’s promotions – View current promotions on fire barrier maintenance services.
  • Paperless reporting option – The digital portal is an opportunity to use less paper and preserve our trees.

The new portal is an automatic, free service feature for all new projects. Each facility will have their reports in one place, categorized by service.

Additionally, we are happy to be able to offer an environmentally-friendly option for our reporting.

Ready to experience the Prevent difference? Get your free quote today.

Already a Prevent Life Safety customer?
Request portal access with all of your past reports.

PREVENT Life Safety is your source for complete fire barrier maintenance. Our certified technicians keep you up-to-code. Learn more about our NFPA-compliant fire damper inspection & repairs; fire door inspection repair & re-certification; and firestopping services. Contact us today for a free quote.

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Fire damper inspection and repair

Is Tech Making Fire Damper Inspections Better or Worse

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Is Tech Making Fire Damper Inspections Better or Worse

Technology has given us immense convenience and flexibility. However, in the case of fire dampers that are installed in facilities such as hospitals, colleges and universities, and company offices, there are mixed reviews. While advances in technology have led to improved manufacturing and process efficiency capabilities, it has still not resulted in highly efficient fire damper systems that are capable of preventing fires in all instances.

How Technology Has Improved Fire Damper Inspections

Fire damper inspections form part of NFPA building regulations and policies. Failing to conform to these standards can result in major fines and penalties. To meet these standards, The Joint Commission uses various means of technology to improve the efficiency of their inspections.

Software tools enable facility managers to draw and mark dampers on maps with incredible accuracy to ensure it does not interfere with the structural integrity of the building, thereby conform to NFPA codes and regulations.

How Technology Has Made Fire Damper Inspections Worse

Fire dampers inspections have not become ideal either through the use of technology. The failure rate of fire dampers is still high and technology has still not enabled building managers to ensure impeccable performance. Fire dampers are still subject to failure because of foreign objects. We have found dampers that were stuck in the open position with bricks, wood blocks, etc. For this reason, fire damper inspections have to be carried out on a routine basis to ensure all components work smoothly and without any issues.

Another reason how technology has contributed to poor inspections is because of faulty actuators. These are controlled electronically to operate dampers upon detection of smoke of fire. Actuators, however, fail to function properly due to a lack of air in the actuators and in worse cases, cease functioning altogether in a power outage. There was a major recall many years ago and we still find the ineffective dampers during inspection.

In conclusion, technology has been useful in carrying out fire damper inspections.

PREVENT Life Safety is a certified fire damper inspection & repair company. Contact us today for a free quote.

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