Apples and Oranges. A building can be deemed Hazardous because of non-fire related hazards (like H-4 for corrosive, toxic, or highly toxic materials). The IBC and NFPA 13 are two different codes with very different ways of classifying the hazards. One is for the building, the other is for the sprinkler system. While the NFPA 13 standard is looking at addressing a fire hazard [quantity and combustibility of contents, etc.] the IBC standard is classifying the occupancy based on many other factors related to human safety in general. The number of occupants, the age of occupants, the ability of occupants to evacuate during an emergency, whether people sleep there, the duration people stay in the building, the quantity and nature of buildings contents, etc.
When I get an engineer who completes our Fire Sprinkler System Specification Sheet form [http://www.llr.state.sc.us/FMARSHAL/EngServices/index.asp?file=forms.ht m] with an IBC occupancy class even though we have purposely labeled the form section as "NFPA Hazard Classification", it is a BIG RED FLAG that the engineer may be practicing outside their area of expertise... If the plans they have either sealed or certified compliant also show evidence of practicing outside their area of expertise it can require us to refer them to the Engineering Board. We are a general practice state with regards to engineers so we can't require they pass a specific PE test like fire protection to demonstrate competence and we don't require a resume of experience becuase the assumption is they will know and obey their licensing law. PEs licensed in SC are required by SC to self-regulate and not practice outside their area of expertise. Unfortunately, that is enough slack rope for some to hang themselves with by taking on projects that they are not sufficiently competent for... I've not yet encountered a licensed sprinkler contractor with a NICET IV completing our form [per 40-10-250(B) of http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t40c010.htm] who has caused me to issue a similar competence referral [under their licensing statute]. David W. S. Blackwell, II, PE, CFI-I, CFPE Engineering ---------------------------------------------------------------- Office of State Fire Marshal 141 Monticello Trail Columbia, SC 29203 Phone: 803.896.9833 Fax: 803.896.9806 Email: [email protected] OSFM Website: http://www.llr.state.sc.us/firemarshal.asp ---------------------------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Fletcher, Ron Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 4:53 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Occupancy vs Hazard Is there a correlation between the IBC occupancy and NFPA #13 Hazard? I have a set of plans where the building occupancy classification is H-1 and the EOR has specified OH-II for the sprinkler system. I have always thought (maybe mistakenly) that any H occupancy would be EH-I minimum. Ron Fletcher Aero Automatic Phoenix, AZ _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[email protected] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[email protected] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
