7 Deadly Violations

by Aaron Johnson From Massachusetts, to Mississippi, to Rhode Island, nightclubs lead the nation in large loss of life res. In 1942 it was at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub where re broke out resulting in 492 deaths. A re at the Rhythm Club dance hall in 1940 left 207 people dead. At The Station nightclub in 2003, 100 patrons lost their lives. Subsequent investigations of these res revealed common factors that contributed to the start of the re, the spread of the re, and the large loss of life. Those factors include such things as highly ammable and combustible decorations and wall coverings, insufcient number of exits, no lighting to direct patrons to the exits, re sprinklers and alarm systems either not present or not maintained in proper operating condition, and a lack of properly trained employees. This short report will assist you in identifying the seven deadliest violations in your establishment, and give you guidance on how to prevent tragedy from occurring, and ensure the longevity of your business. 1." Systems remains accessible at all times (no storage piled around), and that nothing is placed within 18 of a sprinkler head. Fire alarm systems are essential to the early detection of smoke/re, and the rapid notication to the building occupants. Monitoring contracts must remain in effect. Regular inspections are to be conducted quarterly and annually. Like, the sprinkler systems, the re alarm panel is to be tagged on each annual inspection, and a report given to the tenant. There should always be a log book located in close proximity to the re alarm panel, the log book should contain a log of any work or inspections conducted on the system, a map of the various alarm devices and their zones, and copies of all inspection reports. Any noted deciencies should be corrected as soon as possible. Any inspections or work

The most critical component of any re/life safety plan or strategy is the re suppression/detection systems. These systems include re sprinklers, re alarms, re suppression systems, and re extinguishers. Fire sprinklers must be current on all required inspections and maintenance. Regular inspections should be conducted quarterly and annually (there are also semi-annual, and ve year inspections as well). These inspections are to be conducted by a licensed re sprinkler contractor. The inspector will place a tag on the system and provide the building tenant with a copy of the inspection report. Any deciencies noted on the report need to be corrected as soon as possible. It is important that the re sprinkler system

done to the alarm system can only be conducted by properly licensed personnel. If your facility has a kitchen, then you should also have a re suppression system. The suppression system is an integral part of extinguishing cooking and range res that may occur. These systems are to be inspected and tagged semi-annually (by properly licensed personnel). The hood lters should be cleaned nightly by the employees, and the entire hood system (including roof vent, and all duct work) should be cleaned annually (at a minimum) by a properly certied/trained person. It is important that the cooking appliances not be moved, as these systems are specically installed in accordance with the setup of the the appliances. If appliance locations need to be moved, the system will need to be adjusted or recongured. A class K re extinguisher should be mounted near the cooking area. Fire extinguishers are invaluable for extinguishing small res that may occur. Fire extinguishers are to be serviced and tagged annually by a properly licensed contractor. The re extinguisher should also be inspected monthly by the tenant. The monthly inspection is simply to ensure that the re extinguisher is where it is supposed to be, in good condition, and has not been discharged. All employees should be trained in the proper and safe usage and handling of re extinguishers.

the square footage and exit capacity of the facility. The properly calculated number of persons permitted should be prominently displayed near the main entrance. If the total occupant load of your facility exceeds 250 people then a crowd manager is required. A ratio of 1 trained crowd manager per every 250 permitted occupants shall be maintained at all times. These crowd managers should be properly trained in crowd management techniques and proper emergency procedures that should be followed. 3. Exiting and Egress

All exits doors and paths leading to exits are to remain clear, accessible, and visible. The exit door itself should be clearly marked and the door cannot be covered or disguised. It is important to make sure that all illuminated exit signs, and emergency lighting are functional. The code requires that these items be tested, by the building tenant, every 30 days to ensure proper operation. Prior to each days opening for business an inspection is to be conducted by the building tenant to ensure that all exits are free of obstructions, and that all exit doors are fully functional. If there are any deciencies found they need to be corrected prior to opening. The date, time, and any issues discovered are to be clearly documented. 4. Interior Finish

2.

Occupant Loads The National Fire Protection Association has clear guidelines for the class of interior nish for assembly occupancies. All wall, ceiling, oor coverings, and drapes must meet the interior nish

Your occupant load is the total amount of people that are capable of being in, or are permitted to be in your facility at any one time. This number is calculated based on

requirements laid out in the re code. Assembly type of occupancies requires class A or B rated interior nish. If the fabrics or materials provided do not meet this classication they must be coated with a ame retardant spray. All documentation stating the class of interior nish should be kept on le. If a spray application is used, details and instructions for brand of spray should be kept available. 5. Electric

requirements for pyrotechnics have been met. Two codes that will be enforced when pyrotechnics or ames are used include: NFPA 1126, Standard for the Use of Pyrotechnics Before a Proximate Audience NFPA 160, Standard for Flame Effects Before an Audience 7. Emergency Plan A written plan should be in place that accounts for re and other emergencies. Employees should be trained on their specic role in case of an emergency, and their role should be clearly identied in the emergency plan. Drills should be regularly performed so that employees are well familiar with what actions they should take to affect orderly exiting in case of re or panic. Under some conditions a life safety evaluation may be required. The life safety evaluation must be conducted by a person knowledgeable in life safety practices. This evaluation should include an assessment of the building re systems and management features. The life safety evaluation should include an assessment of the facility, potential emergencies, and appropriate safety measures. The evaluations should include an overview of the venue and types of events held there, access, exiting and crowd problems, medical and re emergencies and hazards, structural systems, severe weather conditions and earthquakes, civil disturbances, and hazardous materials incidents. It is also important to note that relationships between the facility

Extension cords are not permitted to be run through the ceiling or walls, or attached to the building. They are only permitted for portable objects, and not intended for use as permanent wiring. Any extension cords being used shall be in good condition, free of any defects, cuts, or splices. Extension cords are not to be overloaded or interconnected. Surge protectors should be plugged in directly to an outlet (not to an extension cord). All wiring should be in proper conduit. Any outlets, switches, or junction boxes should have proper covers in place. 6. Pyrotechnics

Whenever pyrotechnics or ame effects are to be used (whether on stage or table side) it must be approved by your local re marshals ofce. Typically this will involve obtaining a permit for the event. The local re marshal will check to ensure that all your interior furnishings are properly ame retardant, that any candles are securely supported and away from combustibles, and that the code

management, the community, and emergency responders should be well established and there roles and expectation related to the facility, and any emergencies that may occur be clearly identied.

Referenced Codes and Helpful Websites NFPA 101, Life Safety Code : http://bit.ly/rFslHj NFPA 1126, Standard for the Use of Pyrotechnics Before a Proximate Audience: http://bit.ly/vn3aDT NFPA 160, Standard for the Use of Flame Effects Before an Audience: http://bit.ly/upCAry Nightclub Safety Information from the National Fire Protection Association: http://bit.ly/rPrgQk How To Comply With Your Annual Fire Inspection from, Buildings.com: http://bit.ly/tiSeEg

Aaron Johnson is a veteran in the eld of re protection. His experience includes, re inspections, plan review, re investigations, and public education. He blogs about re prevention issues at thecodecoach.com. He provides a wide array of re/life safety services including speaking, employee training, and consulting

Work with Aaron Seminars/Training Aaron is an experienced public speaker, available to keynote your event, seminar, or conference. Aaron is also available to provide re/life safety training. Training topics can include re escapes planning, systems familiarity, crowd management, and re extinguisher usage, CPR, and rst aid. A program can be tailored to your specic business and needs. Consulting Aaron is also provides consulting services. His list of services include plan review, re/life safety evaluations, code consulting, and incident recovery. For more information, or a complete list of training and services visit www.thecodecoach.com.