• EC: – NFPA & Life Safety: Hold the Door: Protection requirements for wall openings [REF: E&M, JCSC, SFT] EC News December 2012, Vol 15, #12, Pg 9  [®]

Do you know the difference between a Fire Protection Rating and a Fire Resistance Rating?  Do you know what an ‘Opening Protective’ is?  How about Fire or Smoke Door Assemblies?  Those responsible for your organization’s fire safety should know.  This is an article they should read (in addition to this review) about the protection that needs to be in place for both horizontal (e.g., doors in walls) and vertical (e.g., enclosures for laundry chutes) openings.  The nature and rating of that protection depends on a combination of factors such as occupancy type, hazard level and presence/absence of automatic sprinklers.  It should be noted that while any doors used as part of an exit enclosure require ratings, not all doors do.  Neither do all walls. This article contains definitions, and answers to the questions posed above. There are also a couple of tables (e.g., Ratings & Protection Measures for Hospitals) and a chart showing the temperature-time curve used to establish ratings in fire tests of door assemblies.

TIP:  Fire safety staff and JCCAP candidates should read the full article for the definitions and examples provided.