What are your recommendations for fire safety of single height storage of Lithium-ion vehicle batteries?

Currently in our warehouse, in a sprinklered covered area, we are storing 3 to 5 of these lithium-ion batteries before they are sent to dealerships. We have security guards take 1-hour temperature readings throughout the day and night but little else has been put in place and a proper fire risk assessment has not been performed. Thanks in advance.
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We have a client that is looking at building a fireworks retail store on the edge of town. The county is requiring the store to be sprinklered, but no one can give any direction on how to protect it and NFPA does not call out coverage for this type of business. 

It is an H-3 occupancy, covering roughly 10,000 sqft. 

Is there a standard that offers guidance on how to go about protecting a facility like this?

Thanks in advance.

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I'm having trouble finding a definitive code section (in IFC or NFPA 101) about prohibiting open flames in biosafety (BSC) cabinets.

I have a position paper from the Institutional Biosafety Committee which references a lot of well-known organizations (such as WHO, NIH, CDC, etc.) and some manufacturers who strongly discourage the use of open flames in biosafety cabinets saying there are better alternatives to sanitize biological samples. 

I've also seen many college ESH references saying the same thing. 

The hazard is catching the HEPA filter on fire and in general I've read that an open flame is not good for maintaining the laminar air flow through the cabinet. However, finding something in code or selwhere prohibiting the use has proven elusive.

Anyone have any thoughts or references that would help here?

Unfortunately, it may take something directly from code to get the practice prohibited at my place of work.

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If a building has an NFPA 13R system and the building is now being converted to a commercial building and does not require a sprinkler system for new construction, can you remove the system?

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When 20 or fewer sprinklers are involved in a modification, codes and standards suggest new hydraulic calculations are not required.

What is the scientific or engineering basis for the "20-sprinkler" number?

Is there some study or analysis that found this to be a reasonable breakpoint?

I'm researching whether we should require full plans for less than 20 sprinklers. Thanks!

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I'm looking at requirements for hose valves (FHV) at exit passageways and I'm a little confused.

The code states that a hose connection is required: "in every exit passageway at the entrance from the exit passageway to the other areas of a building.

Exception: Where floor areas adjacent to an exit passageway are reachable from exit stairway hose connections by a 30-foot (9144 mm) hose stream from a nozzle attached to 100 feet (30 480 mm) of hose, a hose connection shall not be required at the entrance from the exit passageway to other areas of the building."

What is the rationale behind locating a hose valve at the entry of the exit passageway?

Is this for fighting fires outside?

I have been told it is so that the fire department can quickly locate the hose valve, but I can't imagine they would want to run their hose 130-feet in the passageway just to then have another connection in the stairwell. My passageway is about 100-feet long and it connects to a stairwell that does have a fire hose valve located at the main landing.

Why would I need a fire hose valve at the entry of the exit passageway also, which is 100-ft away?

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I have a fire hydrant in a planter curb, and we will have some trash enclosures nearby.

What is the required minimum clearance for a trash enclosure wall from the hydrant itself?

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The International Fire Code (IFC) Section 6004 for highly toxic and toxic gases states the following for exhausted enclosures:

6004.1.3(1) The average ventilation velocity at the face of the enclosure shall not be less than 200 feet per minute with not less than 150 feet per minute.

However, in the same section for gas cabinets (Section 6004.1.2(1)), the words "at any point of the access port or window" are added after "150 feet per minute."

Doe anyone know if this was an oversight by the authors of this section? Did they miss a few words in the requirement for exhausted enclosures?

I don't understand why the 150 feet per minute would be for gas cabinets but not exhausted enclosures (albeit without referencing where the 150 feet per minute measurement is to be taken). This issue is coming up at my work as we have several exhausted enclosures and gas cabinets and some of the exhausted enclosures have ports/windows which are sealed shut. Thanks in advance!

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We're under the International Fire Code, Section 903.2.11.5. This section allows fire sprinklers to be installed in commercial hood/duct systems.

Is this intended to be in the ductwork only, or also protecting the cooking equipment?

I've never seen this before, but it seems to go against everything we're taught about cooking and grease fires (don't put water on them)! Thanks in advance.

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I was looking through the International Building Code and have not found a requirement for a fire sprinkler riser room to be enclosed by a fire-rated wall.

Are there any requirements other than clearances to service the equipment for this room?

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We are designing a residential building that will have a manual wet standpipe in a fully-sprinklered building. The building itself is less than 75-feet high.

I need to calculate the wet manual standpipe but would like to check my approach. 

Do I need to calculate the remote standpipe at the two most remote hose valves at 100 psi, 250 gpm each, plus one more hose valve closer to the source at 250 gpm all the way back from a supply at the fire truck?

​Thanks in advance for any feedback.

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I have a question regarding the need to provide electrical classification for a building using Class 1A flammable liquids.

For this building, 4 gallons could be out in use (located anywhere in the building). The MAQ is 10 gallons. I have discussed this with NFPA 30 committee, the manufacturer, and the AHJ (who is a knowledgeable FPE). They have all determined that even if the MAQ is not exceeded, electrical classification is required if a flammable/explosive mixture could be present.

The NFPA 30 staff directed me to a provision in NFPA 497, Section 5.5, that if the materials will not reach 25% of the lower flammable limit (LFL), this could be utilized to justify not providing classified electrical fixtures.

Does anyone know how to do this calculation, or know of firms that can be hired to do this?

I am an FPE and do not know how to perform it, and I have spoken with other FPE’s who also are not aware. The gentleman I spoke with at NFPA 30 agreed it would be by an industrial hygienist or a chemical engineer and not an FPE.

But does anyone know any that can be hired for a one-off calculation, or have a place where I could learn how to perform it myself (NFPA reference, SFPE article, course, etc.?).

Thank you!

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We have an existing building were the highest occupied floor is less than 30'-0 above fire vehicle access. This building is being renovated.

Part of the renovation involves the construction of a new building to be connect to the existing building. The new building is higher than 30'-0 above fire vehicle access. The exit stairwells in the new building need a standpipe system.

Does the existing building need a standpipe system since it is connected even though the existing building stairways and floors are not higher than 30'-0 above fire vehicle access?​

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Have a project at a local grocery store that has an end cap kiosk with a Class 1 commercial kitchen hood. The kiosk is 6-foot wide by 8-foot long and has one means of egress out of the kiosk. The kiosk is used for cooking demonstrations and to hand out food samples to the customers.

​The predicaments we (AHJ, owner, designer of record, and contractor) are having is the location of the manual release station. There are no structural columns or architectural surfaces that are within the minimum distance of 10 feet or a maximum of 20 feet from the cooking surface to mount the manual release stations that are within the means of egress.

Any thoughts or suggestions on where to mount the manual release station?

Thanks in advance.

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At our site I'm dealing with personnel wanting to park small vehicles (Gem carts and forklifts) inside the building.

I know this is clearly not allowed in an egress corridor (where it was) but I'm having trouble finding parts of the code addressing storage in mechanical rooms or similar space. I know NFPA 101 has rules for high hazard contents but not sure if I can make that argument for the vehicles.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

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Has anyone seen the International Fire Code Chapters 53 and 58 applied to natural gas installations in addition to the Fuel Gas Code?

IFC Chapter 53 is Compressed Gasses and Chapter 58 is Flammable Gasses.

It's technically a gas at standard temperature and pressure with a boiling point below 68 deg F at 14.7 psi and flammable range of 5% to 17% by volume in air. Natural gas appears to be subject to these requirements, but I've never seen it this way in practice. 

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We have a closed ammonia refrigeration system for a large cooler/freezer. The refrigeration equipment is located in a separate mechanical room. Total amount of ammonia is less than 10,000 lbs.

My question is explosion control per Section 911 of the International Fire Code required for the refrigeration mechanical room?

I am reading different interpretations on whether ammonia is considered a flammable gas, most say it is technically not a flammable gas but can burn and/or explode.

I'm interested in hearing everyone's take. Thanks.

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I'm an AHJ and I know many plan reviewers and inspectors in my area are new to the trade. 

Does anyone have recommendation(s) for good plan review checklists or tools for plan review that would be helpful to rookie and intermediate-level plan reviewers?

Thanks in advance.

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Working with a 10,500 square foot building that is primarily a wood shop (as the AHJ, fire official). In this building they basically saw cut raw lumber on a large gasoline powered (vented) saw mill inside of the building (this is an issue I question as well). This is a two-part question, at the least!

The occupants claim they are a E occupancy (based on the 2012 IBC/IFC) and that they fall under the 12,000 square feet for automatic fire sprinkler requirements in chapter 9.

I look at this as a woodworking facility over 2,500 square feet per 903.2.4.1, that would require automatic fire sprinklers.

The organization is not a school, but rather consider themselves as a vocational school that serves students working on their G.E.D. along with troubled students needing extra guidance, and they pay these students. They teach life/work skills and help with job placement.

I feel this would either fall under a B-Occupancy for training and skill development not within a school or academic program, or an F-1.

Thoughts on this part?

Next, even if we would call this an E-Occupancy, would sprinklers be required since it is under the 12,000 square feet? I would think yes because of section 903.2.4.1, however the organization says no because they believe they are an E.

​I know where I am leaning on this issue, but would welcome any other input. ​I am all about helping this organization out, but also need to take safety and property preservation into account. This place keeps me up at night with all of the students and hazards present.

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I am a municipal fire inspector. We have a new high school, fully sprinklered, that has residential stoves in a classroom. These are protected with UL300A hoods.

Are these hoods required to be connected to the fire alarm?

Common sense would indicate that if there was a fire hot enough to release the UL300A system, that the building occupants could be in danger and the fire alarms should activate, however, I cannot find a code reference for this. The architect is saying the stoves are residential so only residential requirements apply.

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Is there a standard spacing for private fire hydrants?

No applicable code for this project, but looking for guidance in what would be common under NFPA 24, NFPA 1 / 101, and/or the IBC. Thanks in advance.

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A building owner has an existing mixed-use building which has approximately 6,000 sqft of storage space (S-1 Occupancy) and offices (larger than 6,000 sqft). The offices and storage appear to have a rated separation (steel studs, 2x gypsum on at least one side of the wall) in-between them.

The owner is looking to store new product in the warehouse, but would like for it to be sprinkler protected. This building, if new, would be under the 2015 International Building Code. 

As the building currently stands, it is a code-compliant mixed-use separated, non-sprinklered occupancy. 

Can the owner voluntarily provide a sprinkler system above code, but only for the warehouse portion?

If so, does anything with the fire barrier between the warehouse and office need to change?

As this is only a voluntary improvement to the property and life safety systems, I could see it being an alternative design method and seek approval from the AHJ under IBC Section 104.11 as a partially-protected building - I just wasn't sure if it even needed to come to that. Would be interested in other opinions, thank you in advance!

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We are working on an 8-unit, 4-story apartment building in the City of Chicago. It's an NFPA 13R system, with two units on each floor level. The entire building (all floor levels combined) is about 14,000 sqft.

Are floor-level control valves required?

Under NFPA 13R there doesn't appear to be a requirement for floor-level control valves like there is in an NFPA 13 system (NFPA 13-2016 8.2.4.3). Even still, in NFPA 13 still allows a single control valve and flow switch when the entire building is less than the system limits of 8.2.1 (52,000 sqft for a Light Hazard system). 

Chicago has a Chicago Fire Prevention Code that requires "each floor and level of a building" with a separate control valve (15-16-400), but this and several other sections within the Fire Prevention Code apply only to NFPA 13 systems, not 13R systems.

Might be a shot in the dark but was curious if anyone has ran into this before. Thanks in advance.

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An existing F1 occupancy with no high-piled storage is getting an addition, resulting in the total square footage for the entire F-1 area (all open) being over 50,000 ft sq, thus requiring smoke and heat vents per the 2012 IBC and IFC.

The question was asked if smoke and heat vents can just be added to the new addition and install a draft curtain to separate the existing from new, so smoke and heat vents will not be required in the existing space.

My question is, would a draft curtain be sufficient for creating a divided area in this regard?

There is no true definition of a divided area in either the building or fire codes. I wouldn’t think it would necessarily need to have a fire barrier or partition. I would assume a properly sized trap curtain would be sufficient?

Does anybody have any experience with this unique type of issue, or have any comments or suggestions?

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