Sprinkler System Building Office Requirements
- In office buildings, sprinkler systems are put in place to quickly extinguish flames.fire alarm image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
When a fire breaks out, irreparable damage is often swift as firefighters scramble to arrive on the scene. Sprinkler systems were developed to minimize that damage. Sprinklers were first used in the early 20th century in New England textile mills. Modern sprinkler systems offer unobtrusive design, rigorous testing against false alarms and effective room-by-room activation. Their use in office buildings is outlined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as by building codes in local jurisdictions. - OSHA requires that workplace automatic sprinkler systems meet the current regulations of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Sprinklers must have a water flow pressure to provide ample coverage of the entire workplace. Employers are required to maintain the sprinklers, completing a main drain flow test annually, and at least every two years the inspector should open the system's test valve. All sprinklers must receive water supply capable of maintaining a steady flow for up to 30 minutes. If the system design allows, firefighting hoses may be connected to an element of the sprinkler system. This cannot interfere with the sprinklers operating at full capacity. The system also must accommodate full drainage after use.
- The NFPA maintains its regulations for sprinklers in NFPA 13, "Standard for the Installation of Automatic Sprinkler Systems." The regulations depend on a space's occupancy, classifying environments into light, ordinary or extra hazard occupancy types. The regulations relate to a "design area," which consists of the entire ara where the fire sprinklers are expected to activate and within which space they should contain the fire. Additionally, the code requires a set flow of water through the sprinkler system, in gallons per minute, and a set water pressure, in pounds per square inch.
- In addition to the national authority of OSHA and the NFPA, local ordinances and laws may exact additional requirements on office building sprinkler systems. For example, the municipal code of Cobb County, Georgia, notes the NFPA 13 guidelines and applies them to all buildings of four stories or higher and all hotels, dormitories and apartment buildings.
