Because of the robustness of the environmental safety units in academia we place this title in the middle of our stack of priorities. Laboratory safety units are generally very well financed because of the significance of the revenue stream they produce. We place higher priority on standby power systems to the equipment and, in many cases, the subjects (frequently animals)
Chemical laboratory, Paris. 1760
We were advocating #TotalCostofOwnership concepts in this document before our work was interrupted by the October 2016 reorganization (See ABOUT). Some of that work was lost so it may be wise to simply start fresh again, ahead of today’s monthly teleconference on laboratory safety codes and standards. The scope of NFPA 45 Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals is very large and articulated so we direct you to its home page.
Suffice to say that the conditions under which NFPA 45 may be applied is present in many schools, colleges and universities — both for instructional as well as academic research purposes. Some areas of interest:
Laboratory Unit Hazard Classification
Laboratory Unit Design and Construction
Laboratory Ventilating Systems and Hood Requirements
Educational and Instructional Laboratory Operations
We find considerable interaction with consensus documents produced by the ICC, ASHRAE and NSF International.
It is noteworthy that there are many user-interest technical committee members on this committee from the State University of New York, the University of Kentucky, West Virginia University, the University of Texas, University of California Berkeley and the University of Texas San Antonio; thereby making it one of only a few ANSI accredited standards with a strong user-interest voice from the education. Most of them are conformance/inspection interest — i.e. less interested in cost reduction — but they are present nonetheless. We pick our battles.
The 2023 revision is in an advanced stage of development and on the agenda of the June 2023 Technical Standards Agenda. It will likely be approved for release to the public later this year.
We always encourage direct participation. You may communicate directly with Sarah Caldwell or Laura Moreno at the National Fire Protection Association, One Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169-7471 United States. TEL: 1 800 344-3555 (U.S. & Canada); +1 617 770-3000 (International)
This standard is on the standing agenda of our periodic Laboratory standards teleconference. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to anyone.
Today we examine best practice literature for education building structures developed by accredited and consortia standards developers such as ASCE, ACI, AISC, ASTM, AWS, CRSI, ICC, NFPA and IEEE. The US education industry among the top three largest building construction markets; with annual new and renovated building construction running close to $100 billion annually.
We limit our coverage to low-risk regions in the US, such as areas with minimal seismic activity, low risk of flooding and moderate weather conditions. Another huge topic which we will likely break up into separate modules in the fullness of time. For now, we sweep through the basics:
Foundation
Site Analysis:
Conduct soil testing to determine its bearing capacity and composition.
Ensure the site is properly graded and drained to prevent water accumulation.
Foundation Type:
Slab-on-Grade: Common in residential buildings. A concrete slab is poured directly on the ground.
Basement: Provides additional living space and storage, common in residential buildings.
Design and Preparation:
Use rebar reinforcement to strengthen the concrete.
Install vapor barriers to prevent moisture from seeping through the foundation.
Properly compact the soil to prevent settling and shifting.
Elevators rely on electricity to function, and when there’s a power outage, the main source of power is disrupted. Modern elevators often have backup power systems, such as generators or battery packs, to lower the cab to the nearest floor and open the doors, but these systems may not work optimally, or be connected to all elevators or may not exist in older or less well-maintained buildings.
Today we start with getting the source of power right; leaving complicating factors such as alarms, reset and restart sequences. NFPA 110 is the parent standard which references NFPA 70.
Following the ICC Group A revision cycle public consultation on the 2024 International Fire Code will begin. The ICC will announce the development schedule sometime in 2022.
We limit our resources simply tracking the proposals that run through Group E (Educational) and Group I (Institutional) occupancies in the Group A suite with closer attention to the state they are adopted whole cloth or with local exceptions. In many cases, IFC adoption by state and local authorities is delayed by one or more previous code revisions. This delay in adoption may be necessary in order for jurisdictions to evaluate the impact of changes upon the region under their authority.
Public safety budgets historically support the local and state fire marshal and his or her staff. The revenue stream of many trade associations originates from membership, conference attendance, training and certification enterprises that service the public sector stakeholder. Manufacturer sponsorship of trade association conferences is noteworthy.
Unless there is an idea, or proposed regulation that has run off the rails (either in terms of rigor or cost increase) — we place fire safety in the middle of our ranking of priorities. With gathering pace, we find many fires safety goals being met with electrotechnologies where we place our highest priority.
Click on image for more information. The map is updated by expert agencies frequently so we recommend a web search for an update.
Significant code changes rarely happen within a 3-year cycle so it is wise to follow ideas as they travel through the agendas of technical committees through several cycles as administered by the Fire Code Action Committee.
The ICC posts the transcripts of public proposals, technical committee responses to public proposals, public response to the technical committee response and the final balloting in a fair and reasonable fashion as can be seen in the transcripts linked below:
A search on the terms “classroom” or “school” in any of the documents above offers granular insight into the trend of current thinking. We find fire extinguishers placement a perennial concern across several standards suites. You will note the careful consideration of proposals for use of the mass notification systems, now integrated into fire alarm systems and their deployment in active shooter situations.
The transcripts reveal detailed understanding and subtlety.
“The Country School” | Winslow Homer
There are many issues affecting the safety and sustainability of the education facility industry. We add value to the industry because of our cross-cutting perspective on the hundreds of “silos”created by the competition (and sometimes cooperation) among accredited, consortia and open-source standards developers. We have the door open every day at 11 AM Eastern time to enlighten understanding of them all. We also host a breakout teleconference every month to drill into the specifics of standards action on fire safety for the real assets of school districts, colleges and universities. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.
Finally, we persist in encouraging education industry facility managers (especially those with operations and maintenance data) to participate in the ICC code development process. You may do so by CLICKING HERE.
The ICC Group B Code Meetings will be hosted soon and open to the public:
The Group B tranche is largely focused on energy, structural, residential and existing building concepts but all of the titles cross-reference the IFC in some way so it is wise to follow how the concepts re-arrange and cross-reference themselves with each cycle.
Issue: [16-169]
Category: Architectural, Facility Asset Management, Space Planning
Abstract: The amount of the electrical energy used for the interior lighting of medium and large buildings is generally considerable. The European Standard EN15193 was devised to establish conventions and procedures for the estimation of energy requirements of lighting in buildings by an energy performance numeric indicator. This methodology is based on the three derating factors that consider the influence of the daylight exploitation, the occupancy behavior and, if present, of a constant illuminance sensor. The factors are evaluated by a statistical approach on the basis of general reference data tabulated by the same Standard, not considering more detailed parameters of the control system that can impact severely in the effective energy savings. The Standard methodology appears extremely useful for a preliminary evaluation. For a more accurate evaluation, this paper suggests an improvement of the procedure that considers the effective operation time and occupancy behavior, the type of control and lamps, the number of control groups, the technique of modulation (dimming or switching), and the delay in turning off. The suggested procedure is compared with the Standard one to highlight the improvements.
After athletic arena life safety obligations are met (governed legally by NFPA 70, NFPA 101, NFPA 110, the International Building Code and possibly other state adaptations of those consensus documents incorporated by reference into public safety law) business objective standards come into play. The illumination of the competitive venue itself figures heavily into the quality of digital media visual experience and value.
For almost all athletic facilities, the consensus documents of the Illumination Engineering Society[1], the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers[2][3] provide the first principles for life safety. For business purposes, the documents distributed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association inform the standard of care for individual athletic arenas so that swiftly moving media production companies have some consistency in power sources and illumination as they move from site to site. Sometimes concepts to meet both life safety and business objectives merge.
The NCAA is not a consensus standard developer but it does maintain a library of recommended practice documents for lighting the venues for typical competition and competition that is televised.
It welcomes feedback from subject matter experts and front line facility managers.
Our own monthly walk-through of athletic and recreation facility codes and standards workgroup meets monthly. See our CALENDAR for the next Sport or Lighting teleconferences; open to everyone.
Often called “The Big House” Michigan Stadium is the largest football stadium in the world.
Today we examine best practice literature for timekeeping in educational settlements, with special interest in metering the academic “day” and timekeeping in athletic competition. Time is the most measured quantity on earth; its significance worthy of a “periodic” revisit at the beginning of every semester, at the usual hour.
Schools, Colleges, and Universities
Structured Learning: Educational settlement rely on timekeeping to ensure that classes and activities start and end punctually. This structure – deadlines, for example — maintains a consistent learning environment.
Scheduling: Timely adherence to schedules allows for the efficient use of resources, such as classrooms, laboratories, and libraries, ensuring that these are available when needed.
Examinations: Accurate timekeeping is essential for starting and ending examinations on time, which helps in maintaining fairness and integrity.
Coordination: Timekeeping helps in coordinating various activities, such as extracurricular events, sports, and meetings, ensuring that they do not clash and that participants can attend multiple activities without conflict.
Patient Care: Timekeeping is vital in hospitals to ensure that patients receive timely medical attention, medications, and treatments, which can be critical for their recovery and health outcomes.
Shift Management: Accurate timekeeping is essential for managing staff shifts, ensuring that there is always adequate medical and support staff available to attend to patients.
Appointments: Punctuality in scheduling and maintaining appointments helps in reducing wait times and improving the overall patient experience.
Emergency Response: Timekeeping is crucial in emergency situations where every second counts. It helps in tracking response times and improving the efficiency of emergency services.
Medical Procedures: Many medical procedures and tests are time-sensitive. Accurate timekeeping ensures that these are performed correctly and within the required timeframes.
Measurement of Performance: Timekeeping technology provides precise and accurate measurements of athletes’ performance. This is essential for determining winners, setting records, and assessing personal bests.
Consistency: High-quality timekeeping technology ensures consistent measurements across different events and competitions, which is vital for maintaining the integrity of the sport.
Accurate Judging: In events where timing is crucial, such as track and field, swimming, and cycling, accurate timekeeping ensures that the correct winners are declared and that records are recognized legitimately.
Close Finishes: Advanced timekeeping technology, such as photo-finish cameras, can distinguish between competitors in extremely close races, providing clear and indisputable results.
Regulatory Requirements: Many sports have strict regulations regarding timing equipment and procedures. Compliance with these standards ensures that competitions are conducted fairly and uniformly across different levels and regions.
Timing standards, particularly the definition of the second and the maintenance of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), do not change very much. Changes in measuring technology and synchronization do change and are managed through national and international weights and measures consortia.
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
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