june 2023

FSM December 2022

Inside the June Issue

 

 

Does Your Facility’s Fire and Life Safety Systems Comply with the NFPA 4 Standard for Integrated Testing?
BY DAVID LEBLANC, PE, FSFPE

Today’s buildings are becoming greener, smarter and more complex as they incorporate new design approaches. At the same time, fire and life safety system integrations are also becoming increasingly complex. While the main focus of greener/smarter systems is energy or utility savings, a holistic
approach is at the center of fire and life safety integrations. Fire and life safety systems need to be designed, coordinated, installed, programmed, tested, and integrated to protect an entire building’s life safety ecosystem.

NFPA 4 Standard for Integrated Testing
Requirements for testing of integrated fire and life safety systems are found in NFPA 4, Standard for Integrated Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems Testing. NFPA 4 is applicable where the 2018 or 2021 editions of the International Building Code, International Fire Code, NFPA 101® Life Safety Code®, or NFPA 1 Fire Code have been adopted. Integrated testing is already a requirement for many jurisdictions through locally adopted building or fire codes. Locations that have not adopted the standard will likely do so in the near future.

In the event of a fire or other emergency, more complex buildings (e.g., hospitals or prisons) may rely on staff
response, passive fire protection features (e.g., fire or smoke barriers) and increasingly complex active fire protection systems (e.g., sprinklers, fire alarms, doors closing, smoke control). Other systems that may interface with fire and life safety systems include security, audio/visual, access control, building management system/ building automation system, lighting controls, and elevator controls, to name a few. When interfaced with fire and life safety systems, these become subject to NFPA 4 integrated testing requirements.

The purpose of integrated testing, as required by NFPA 4, is not to retest all the individual systems in the building but test the interfaces between the systems. Testing is done to verify and document that systems are coordinated with each other, function properly, and respond or work as intended within the overall holistic fire protection approach. This is called end-to-end testing, as the various systems are tested to see how they interact.

The NFPA 4 standard provides minimum requirements for testing the integration of fire and life safety systems in both new and existing buildings. When a local, city, county, or state jurisdiction adopts one of the above codes requiring NFPA 4 for new buildings, they must also implement integrated testing for existing buildings. NFPA 4 allows five years from the adoption of the standard to develop an integrated testing plan for existing buildings and five years or the number of years as identified by the Integrated Testing Agent to perform the integrated testing.

Role of the Integrated Testing Agent
NFPA 4 has identified the Integrated Testing Agent (ITa) as a
new role to be held by a qualified individual who can help lead
the team through the complexities of the integrated testing process. Ultimately, facilities do not have a one-size-fits-all approach to fire and life safety. Full story »

 

today's News

Cal/OSHA Reminds Employers to Protect Workers from Heat Illness during High Temperatures

FSM Staff | 06.02.23

SACRAMENTO -- Cal/OSHA is reminding all employers to protect workers from heat illness as high temperatures are forecast in the next few days.

Full article »

Honeywell Recognized For Exceptional Design With Prestigious Red Dot and If Design Awards

FSM Staff | 06.02.23

ATLANTA -- Honeywell announced it was selected as a winner of 10 product design awards, marking recognition for the company by two of the largest and most industry-recognized award programs, the Red Dot Design Awards and the International Forum (iF) Design Awards.

Full article »

Applications Open for the J. J. Keller® Safety Professional of the Year (SPOTY) Awards

FSM Staff | 06.01.23

NEENAH, WI -- J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. is now accepting applications for the 2023 J. J. Keller Safety Professional of the Year (SPOTY) Awards. The annual awards recognize environmental health and safety professionals who go above and beyond their daily duties to build a culture and vision for safety and achieve excellence in safety for their companies.

Full article »

Norfolk Southern Appoints Atkins Nuclear Secured to Lead Independent Safety Review

FSM Staff | 06.01.23

ATLANTA -- Norfolk Southern Corporation announced the appointment of Atkins Nuclear Secured (ANS), a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, to conduct an independent review of the company's safety-first culture.

Full article »

Altus Fire and Life Safety Acquires Crime Intervention Alarm

FSM Staff | 05.31.23

NEW YORK -- Altus Fire and Life Safety ("Altus"), a full-service fire and life safety platform, announced it has acquired Crime Intervention Alarm ("CIA" or the "Company"), a provider of installation, monitoring, inspection and service for security and surveillance systems, access control and fire systems.

Full article »

 

 


Safety Rail