Millions of people all over the world have lost their lives in fire accidents. Humans have no control over natural disasters, but they can minimize fire accidents by taking precautionary measures. Fire stopping has become critical in commercial buildings to limit the spread of fire. It saves people’s lives and reduces property damage during a fire.
The process of installing the Firestop system is very exacting. It means the zero-tolerance is required during the Firestop system installation. If you are going to construct a new commercial building, make sure that you have installed the fire stopping system to prevent fire accidents.
Fire stopping system to prevent damages:
Fire stopping is the processing in which different materials such as pipes and ducts etc. are used to limit the spread of flames and gases etc. The owners who do not install the fire stopping system and leave the joints, gaps, and walls exposed put the lives of the people at stake. It is pretty obvious that a building with the fire-stopping system has fewer chances of fire accidents than that of without the fire stop system.
It is a fact that many people have lost their lives in fire accidents. The risk of spread fire and smoke can be minimized by installing the fire stopping system in the buildings, so why not install it. Since fire stopping is a critical area of fire protection, the NYC Department of Buildings has made amendments in its new 2014 code. These new ASTM Firestop inspection standards protect the liability of general contractors as well as the special inspection agency.
Fire stooping has become the high need of the time, and that is why the building owners and managers now install it to prevent fire damages.
Fire stopping inspection standards:
The International building code has described some standards to increase the efficiency of fire stop systems and inspection. To comply with these rules and standards, you should understand the requirements of material, documents, schedules, and procedures. You should be aware of the procedure and what documents you need to submit. The Firestop inspector is required to submit the approved documents at least ten days before the inspection.
Inspection Process:
Since you should know the process of fire stop installation and inspection here is how they do it:
- Inspection for penetration system E 2174:
Fire stop inspection for the penetration system is visually done onsite during installation. They randomly inspect 10% of each type of fire stop system being installed. Then in the post-installation inspection, they witness the destructive fire stop and repair.
- Inspection for Joint Systems (E 2393):
In the inspection for joint system, they do a minimum of 5% of onsite inspection. One the other hand, in the destructive inspection, they check the minimum one sampling of each type of joint system per 500 linear feet.
Conclusion:
It is highly important to install the fire stop system in every commercial building to prevent fire damages. You might have heard about the building owners who do not pay attention and leave the joints, and gasps unsealed/open. As a result, the risk of spreading fire in the building increases.
It is high time for such building managers and owners to realize the severity of the situation and take steps to save the lives of people. By installing fire stop systems, you can prevent fire damages. Abide by the laws and Firestop systems regulations to save yourself from many legal troubles.
