Information about Life Safety Code
Administered copyrighted and published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Life Safety Code, known as NFPA 101® is the registered trademark of an American consensus standard.
which, like many NFPA documents is systematically revised on a three year cycle.
The standard - despite its title - is not a legal code, it is not published as an instrument of law and has no statutory authority unless adopted by the authority having jurisdiction. The standard, widely adopted in the United States, is however deliberately crafted with language suitable for mandatory application to facilitate adoption into law by those empowered to do so.
The bulk of the standard addresses "those construction, protection, and occupancy features necessary to minimize danger to life from fire, including smoke, fumes, or panic”. The standard does not address the “General fire prevention or building construction features that are normally a function of fire prevention codes and building codes”'[1]
In 1921 the Committee on Safety to Life expanded and the publication they generated in 1927 became known as the Building Exits Code. New editions were published in 1929, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1942 and 1946.
After a disastrous series of fires between 1942 and 1946, including the Cocoanut Grove Night Club fire in Boston, which claimed the lives of 492 people and the Winecoff hotel in Atlanta which claimed 119 lives, the Building Exits Code began to be utilized as potential legal legislation. The verbiage of the code, however, was intended for building contractors and not legal statues, so the NFPA decided to re-edit the Code and some revisions appeared in the 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1952 publications. The editions published in 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1963 refined the verbiage and presentation even further.
In 1955 the NPFA101 was broken into three separate documents, NFPA101B (covering nursing homes) and NFPA101C (covering interior finishes). NFPA101C was revised once in 1956 before both publications were withdrawn and pertinent passages re-incorporated back into the main body.
The Committee on Safety to Life was restructured in 1963 and the first publication in 1966 was a complete revision. The title was changed from Building Exits Code to Code for Safety to Life from Fire in Buildings and Structures. The final revision to all "code language" (legalese) was made and it was decided that the Code would be revised and republished on a three-year schedule. New editions were subsequently published in 1967, 1970, 1973 and 1976.
The Committee was reorganized again in 1977 and the 1981 edition of the Code featured major editorial and structural changes that reflect the organization of the modern Code.
All or part of a code may be adopted as regulations in a jurisdiction and enforced by an inspector, zoning board, fire marshal, or other officials. In particular, the Life Safety Code deals with hazards in buildings, public conveyances and occupations, and are coordinated with other codes and standards such as electrical, fuel-gas, mechanical, plumbing, energy, and residential. Regardless of official adoption as regulations, life safety code provides a valuable source for determination of liability in accidents, and many codes and related standards are sponsored by insurance companies.
Although life safety codes deal mainly with hazards in buildings, they also cover other emergencies that are similar to fire and are applied to vehicles, vessels and other transports since these objects are treated as buildings for life safety purposes.
The Life safety Code is coordinated with other building codes and standards such as electrical (National Electric Code NFPA70), fuel-gas, mechanical, plumbing, energy, and residential.
Normally, the Life Safety Code is used by architects and designers of vehicles and vessels. Since the Life Safety Code is a valuable source for determining liability in accidents, it is also used by insurance companies to evaluate risks and set rates.
In the United States, the words Life Safety Code are a registered trademark of NFPA. All or part of the NFPA's Life Safety Code are adopted as local regulations throughout the country. The compliance with the Code is enforced by inspectors from local zoning boards, fire departments, or other bodies having jurisdiction.
Case Histories: Fires Influencing the Life Safety Code Fire Alarm Systems Sprinkler Systems Fire Tests
The standard - despite its title - is not a legal code, it is not published as an instrument of law and has no statutory authority unless adopted by the authority having jurisdiction. The standard, widely adopted in the United States, is however deliberately crafted with language suitable for mandatory application to facilitate adoption into law by those empowered to do so.
The bulk of the standard addresses "those construction, protection, and occupancy features necessary to minimize danger to life from fire, including smoke, fumes, or panic”. The standard does not address the “General fire prevention or building construction features that are normally a function of fire prevention codes and building codes”'[1]
History
The Life Safety Code was originated in 1913 by the Committee on Safety to Life (one of the NFPA's more than 200 committees). As noted in the 1991 Life Safety Code Handbook; "...the Committee devoted its attention to a study of notable fires involving loss of life and to analyzing the causes of that loss of life. This work led to the preparation of standards for the construction of stairways, fire escapes, and similar structures; for fire drills in various occupancies and for the construction and arrangement of exit facilities for factories, schools and other occupancies, which form the basis of the present Code."[2] This study became the basis for two early NFPA publications, "Outside Stairs for Fire Exits" (1916) and "Safeguarding Factory Workers from Fire" (1918).In 1921 the Committee on Safety to Life expanded and the publication they generated in 1927 became known as the Building Exits Code. New editions were published in 1929, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1942 and 1946.
After a disastrous series of fires between 1942 and 1946, including the Cocoanut Grove Night Club fire in Boston, which claimed the lives of 492 people and the Winecoff hotel in Atlanta which claimed 119 lives, the Building Exits Code began to be utilized as potential legal legislation. The verbiage of the code, however, was intended for building contractors and not legal statues, so the NFPA decided to re-edit the Code and some revisions appeared in the 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1952 publications. The editions published in 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1963 refined the verbiage and presentation even further.
In 1955 the NPFA101 was broken into three separate documents, NFPA101B (covering nursing homes) and NFPA101C (covering interior finishes). NFPA101C was revised once in 1956 before both publications were withdrawn and pertinent passages re-incorporated back into the main body.
The Committee on Safety to Life was restructured in 1963 and the first publication in 1966 was a complete revision. The title was changed from Building Exits Code to Code for Safety to Life from Fire in Buildings and Structures. The final revision to all "code language" (legalese) was made and it was decided that the Code would be revised and republished on a three-year schedule. New editions were subsequently published in 1967, 1970, 1973 and 1976.
The Committee was reorganized again in 1977 and the 1981 edition of the Code featured major editorial and structural changes that reflect the organization of the modern Code.
Current Code
The Life Safety Code is unique among most codes in that it applies to existing structures as well as new structures. When a Code revision is adopted into local law, existing structures have a grace period before they must comply, but all structures must comply with code.All or part of a code may be adopted as regulations in a jurisdiction and enforced by an inspector, zoning board, fire marshal, or other officials. In particular, the Life Safety Code deals with hazards in buildings, public conveyances and occupations, and are coordinated with other codes and standards such as electrical, fuel-gas, mechanical, plumbing, energy, and residential. Regardless of official adoption as regulations, life safety code provides a valuable source for determination of liability in accidents, and many codes and related standards are sponsored by insurance companies.
Although life safety codes deal mainly with hazards in buildings, they also cover other emergencies that are similar to fire and are applied to vehicles, vessels and other transports since these objects are treated as buildings for life safety purposes.
The Life safety Code is coordinated with other building codes and standards such as electrical (National Electric Code NFPA70), fuel-gas, mechanical, plumbing, energy, and residential.
Normally, the Life Safety Code is used by architects and designers of vehicles and vessels. Since the Life Safety Code is a valuable source for determining liability in accidents, it is also used by insurance companies to evaluate risks and set rates.
In the United States, the words Life Safety Code are a registered trademark of NFPA. All or part of the NFPA's Life Safety Code are adopted as local regulations throughout the country. The compliance with the Code is enforced by inspectors from local zoning boards, fire departments, or other bodies having jurisdiction.
Sample Sections
This listing of chapters from the 1991 edition shows the scope of the Code.- 1. Administration
- 2. Fundamental Requirements
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Classification of Occupancy and Hazard of Contents
- 5. Means of Egress
- 6. Features of Fire Protection
- 7. Building Service and Fire Protection Equipment
- 8. New Assembly Occupancies
- 9. Existing Assembly Occupancies
- 10. New Educational Occupancies
- 11. Existing Educational Occupancies
- 12. New Health Care Occupancies
- 13. Existing Health Care Occupancies
- 14. New Detention and Correctional Occupancies
- 15. Existing Detention and Correctional Occupancies
- 16. New Hotels and Dormitories
- 17. Existing Hotels and Dormitories
- 18. New Apartment Buildings
- 19. Existing Apartment Buildings
- 20. Lodging or Rooming Houses
- 21. One- and Two-Family Dwellings
- 22. New Residential Board and Care Occupancies
- 23. Existing Residential Board and Care Occupancies
- 24. New Mercantile Occupancies
- 25. Existing Mercantile Occupancies
- 26. New Business Occupancies
- 27. Existing Business Occupancies
- 28. Industrial Occupancies
- 29. Storage Occupancies
- 30. Special Structures and High Rise Buildings
- 31. Operating Features
- 32. References
Case Histories: Fires Influencing the Life Safety Code Fire Alarm Systems Sprinkler Systems Fire Tests
See also
- Building code
- Fire code
- Fire Safety Equivalency System
- Sanitation code
- OSHA
- Electrical code
References
1. ^ NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code® 2006 edition NFPA
2. ^ Life Safety Code Handbook, National Fire Protection Association, 1991. Lathrop, James K. Ed. NFPA
2. ^ Life Safety Code Handbook, National Fire Protection Association, 1991. Lathrop, James K. Ed. NFPA
External links
The National Fire Protection Association (established 1896) is an independent, voluntary-membership, nonprofit (tax-exempt) organization. Incorporated in 1930 under laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, NFPA’s mission is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other
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standardization or standardisation can have several meanings depending on its context. Common use of the word standard implies that it is a universally agreed-upon set of guidelines for interoperability.
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A legal code is a body of law written and enforced by a state. In addition to a body of substantive law, a legal code also specifies certain court procedures and rules of evidence.
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Fire safety is a component of building safety. It concerns safety measures to prevent the effects of fires and is the result of proper use of fire protection measures.
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A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures.
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Regulation can be considered as legal restrictions promulgated by government authority. One can consider at least two levels in democracies -- legislative acts, and implementing specifications of conduct imposed by administrative agencies through rulemaking supported by a threat of
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jurisdiction (from the Latin ius, iuris meaning "law" and dicere meaning "to speak") is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to
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Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts.
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Police
Inspector is a rank in many police forces. However, it is not the same (equivalent) rank in each...... Click the link for more information.
A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures.
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Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another. The term is derived from the Latin trans ("across") and portare ("to carry").
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Occupational safety and health (OSH) is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. As a secondary effect, OSH may also protect co-workers, family members, employers, customers, suppliers, nearby
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An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure.
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Fuel is any material that is burnt or altered in order to obtain energy.[1] Fuel releases its energy either through chemical means, such as combustion, or nuclear means, such as nuclear fission or nuclear fusion.
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A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking) water, sewage, drainage, venting, heating and air-conditioning, or industrial process plant piping.
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This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling.
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This article has been tagged since August 2007.
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A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures.
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Vehicles are non-living means of transport. They are most often man-made (e.g. bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, and aircraft), although some other means of transport which are not made by man can also be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks.
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ship is a large watercraft capable of offshore navigation. Ships may be operated by:
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Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another. The term is derived from the Latin trans ("across") and portare ("to carry").
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building may refer to one of the following:
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- Any man-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy, or
- An act of construction.
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A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures.
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An architect is a person who is involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a building's construction. The word "architect" (Latin: architectus) derives from the Greek arkhitekton (arkhi (chief) + tekton (builder))")[1]
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Vehicles are non-living means of transport. They are most often man-made (e.g. bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, and aircraft), although some other means of transport which are not made by man can also be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks.
..... Click the link for more information.
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ship is a large watercraft capable of offshore navigation. Ships may be operated by:
..... Click the link for more information.
- Governments (military, rescue, research, transportation)
- Private companies and institutions (transportation, offshore resources, research)
- Individuals (large yachts, research).
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This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling.
You can assist by [ editing it] now. A how-to guide is available, as is general .
This article has been tagged since August 2007.
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You can assist by [ editing it] now. A how-to guide is available, as is general .
This article has been tagged since August 2007.
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Regulation can be considered as legal restrictions promulgated by government authority. One can consider at least two levels in democracies -- legislative acts, and implementing specifications of conduct imposed by administrative agencies through rulemaking supported by a threat of
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts.
..... Click the link for more information.
Police
Inspector is a rank in many police forces. However, it is not the same (equivalent) rank in each...... Click the link for more information.
A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Fire safety is a component of building safety. It concerns safety measures to prevent the effects of fires and is the result of proper use of fire protection measures.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
The Fire Safety Equivalency System (FSES) is a system used in the United States to evaluate the overall level of a buildings fire safety. Taking into account that different types of occupancies have different risks associated, separate FSES forms are used for different occupancies.
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