Technological Advances Continue to Help Spread NFPA Mission
It has been NFPA’s mission since 1896 to save lives and protect property. At the recent NFPA conference in Chicago, President Jim Shannon addressed the General Assembly regarding how technological advances help the organization…
Three Strategies to Minimize Loss from Industrial Oven and Dryer Fires
Last month, fire broke out in a production oven processing a rubber product at American National Rubber Co., located in Ceredo, West Virginia. No injuries were reported in the incident. The fire ignited inside the oven,…
Fire Hazards and Fire Code Pitfalls When Increasing Your Occupancy Load
As an architect, you want to design a building that meets the owner’s needs and allows you to be creative at the same time. The balancing act can be difficult when you are wedged between the extensive fire code requirements for…
Five Lessons Learned from Combustible Dust Flash Fire Fatality
State officials are investigating a recent combustible dust flash fire that killed one employee and injured two others at Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies (AERT) in Springdale, Arkansas. Although the cause of the…
How We Prepped New Fire Protection Engineers for the 2013 NFPA Conference & Expo – Industry Conferences Are a Training Opportunity
I was a junior studying fire protection engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) when, in 1976, I was taken to my first annual National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Conference & Expo in Boston. Bob…
Do Your Building Renovation Projects Require Creative Fire Code Solutions?
A recent project triggered a number of problem areas and required we employ our creativity and deep knowledge of fire protection to succeed. The client wanted to renovate an existing facility that had been built in the early…
Is Egress Analysis Impacted during Your Incremental Build Projects?
Travel distance and means of egress have become increasingly popular concerns. As owners expand buildings, they often increase the distance to the nearest exit to the point of violating code requirements. We recently consulted…
Fire Code Requirements for Rack Storage and Atriums
Did the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) over your project recently reject your design due to improper smoke control in your building? Do you need to calculate proper exhaust and convince the AHJ your structure will meet or…
Cost-Effective Fire Hazard Mitigation
Fire protection engineering is normally understood by its technical appliances like sprinklers, fire alarms, and fire hazard warning signs. Although these tools are extremely effective at reducing risk and dealing with…
How Fire Protection Engineers Advocate for You with Your Industrial/Commercial Insurance Carrier
The world of a fire protection engineer is moving more quickly than ever before. Property insurance carriers are upgrading their compliance standards constantly. This affects everyone attached to commercial and industrial…
How to Negotiate with Insurers on Fire Hazards
An insurance company’s success is partially due to their ability to reduce its exposure to risk. Fire hazards are one of the risks that a building owner would want insured. To provide a building owner with insurance in cases of…
Fire Protection Engineering Standards for Welding and Hot Work Hazards
Hot appliances and open flames are a proven source of danger for maintenance and repair crews. Between 1990 and 2010, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) identified over 60 fatalities resulting from…
Structure Fire Hazard in the Home: Children Playing with Fire
“Little rascal” isn’t quite accurate. Most people do not realize that children can pose a significant fire hazard in the home. According to a report by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an average of 56,300 fires…
Fire Hazards in Nightclubs: What Architects Can Learn from Brazil and Rhode Island
Earlier this year, a nightclub in Brazil caught fire and caused over 240 fatalities. Most of the victims were college students who had come for a Federal University of Santa Maria event. The party featured a band and…