By Robert Trotter, CBO, CFM, MCP - Manager, Sr. Life Safety Specialist
Automatic fire sprinkler systems are the most widely recognized fire protection feature for building protection and life safety. Sprinklers have been in existence since 1874 and today all new health care occupancies are required to be sprinklered. The reasons sprinklers fail to operate can easily be controlled procedurally, which will also ensure proper inspection, testing and maintenance. According to a 2009 report Experience with Sprinklers and other Automatic Fire Extinguishing Equipment, John R. Hall, Jr. of the National Fire Protection Association categorized five reasons why sprinklers fail to operate. The chart seen here identifies those reasons and compares health care occupancies to all structures. While it is recognized that there are times when sprinklers are shut down (such as during construction), limiting the affected area and firewatch may be helpful to reduce the statistic for when the system is shut off before the fire. Lack of maintenance is one of the easiest categories to get under control. To reduce risks, liability, and responsibility for contributing to property damage and the cause of death and injury proper maintenance is essential.
Inappropriate systems for a fire generally come into consideration when something changes, like using a room designed for light hazard operations for large storage of combustibles. In health care, manual intervention defeating the system is the leading cause of sprinkler failures. Health care managers must keep an accurate and continuous account of the status of systems and be on alert for inoperable systems. Damaged components may include valves, piping and sprinkler heads - all of which may affect water reaching the hazard or affect the distribution pattern.
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