The codes, personnel, and terms related to the commissioning process for health care may seem to leave room for confusion. The authors delineate the differences for you here because, especially when it comes to these settings, no such room exists.
Life safety design on campus is hardly an academic exercise, but systems built to comply with older codes often get stuck in a senior slump. Execute a smart assessment to identify your upgrade options.
Atrium smoke control systems built during the 1980s and ’90s are commonly found in buildings at colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Cooking over a wood flame is hardly a novel concept, but as a popular trend in restaurants, it causes headaches and occasionally much worse from a life safety perspective. Survey a range of incidents and get reminded why creosote is a key enemy in this environment. Then finish with a look at what manufacturers, designers, and owners are (or should be) doing to win a new duel with an old fuel.
Before we get into the status of modern fire suppression and the special risks of solid-fuel cooking, let’s look at several real-world commercial kitchen events and the patterns that emerge.
Hospitals in the U.S., already facing daunting challenges from evolving health care reimbursement models, now have another item on their to-do list: prepare for increased health care demands and weather disasters caused by climate change.
Will my smoke control system work properly during a fire? That is the question all building owners/operators should ask themselves. Smoke control systems are unique in that they often sit dormant (sometimes for years) and problems that can affect their operation may not be identified until it is too late. To ensure the right answer when you need it, catch up on device monitoring, commissioning, and why the self-test concept has received a bad rap.
The codes and standards aren’t what they used to be when it comes to ventilation requirements. It might also be time to reconsider real-life occupancies with regard to design demands. Is there room to tighten up and boost efficiencies while maintaining adequate airflows?
This month, a consultant and NFPA committee chairman looks at the major items involved in a hospital’s life safety design. Like the fire risks themselves, the assorted relevant codes are evolving with regard to specifics like smoke dampers. HVAC wall penetrations, alarm zoning, and response plans are just three other aspects to consider in this demanding design environment.