The Official RJWestmore Blog

New Codes for High-Rise Buildings

New Codes Announced To Improve High-Rise Occupant Safety

Although we are all concerned about safety, in the property management and ownership business, it’s our top priority. No doubt you already know about building codes and the vital role they have in establishing construction and equipment standards. While these codes are often written in a dry and complex manner, they really are life savers.

Ensure the continued safety of your occupants by reviewing these announced guidelines from the International Code Council that affect the International Building Code (IBC). All of the guidelines are safety related, and are intended for buildings that fit the classification as “high rises.” According to the code, these buildings are defined as “… buildings “with an occupied floor located more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.”

Remember, codes protect not only your occupants but also investment and insurance premiums. Following them will help you avoid property damage and loss, and, more importantly, save lives.

Structural Integrity of Exit Enclosures and Elevator Hoistway Enclosures:

• The IBC recommends impact-resistant walls be used to protect from possible blasts or projectiles that might result from a fire. The new code ensures the integrity of these exits, and provides extra protection for occupants during an emergency.

Sprinkler Systems: New requirements concentrate on extra redundancies to the sprinkler risers – now each zone is required to be supplied by at least two risers.

• A minimum of two water mains must be connected to the fire pump water supply

Emergency Systems:

• Smoke removal requirements for buildings that have experienced a fire and are now in the cleanup phase
• Electrically-powered fire pumps must be under an emergency power load

Means of Egress and Evacuation:

• Requirements are designed to aid the movement of occupants out of the building – decreasing the risk of injuries
• New rules have been established regarding the distance required between exit stairway enclosures
• During an emergency, official personnel need to use stairways, so there are new guidelines for additional exit stairways to accommodate this extra capacity
• Luminous egress path markings requirements will ensure that your occupants know exactly where to go, which can decrease confusion in cases of emergency

Elevators:

• New requirement for a fire service access elevator which gives firefighting personnel a safe and fast way to reach staging areas. Implementation will allow fires to be controlled more quickly.
• Occupant elevators can be used for evacuation provided the new specific requirements are met.
• Completion of the requirements may provide exemption from the additional stairway requirement mentioned earlier

Be sure to review the specific requirements before implementing changes. Visit the International Code Council website for more information.

RJ Westmore Inc. is a credible source for property managers and owners to learn about many building-related issues. Refer your colleagues to our blog so they can also stay informed about the latest industry trends. And BE SAFE.

Make sure your smoke alarm is operational.

At RJWestmore Inc., nothing is a more important than safety and disaster prevention. That is why we were pleased to hear that a recent study, conducted by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has found effective ways to prevent fire-deaths and injuries.

Over the past few decades, several nations have made dramatic improvements to their fire safety programs, such as incorporating routine safety checks to homes, starting with those in areas with the highest-risk.

Canada and England are among the countries to have adopted these methods. Residents of these nations are offered smoke-alarm tests, installation of smoke alarms, and also one-on-one safety messages from line-firefighters. Small improvements like these have led to a 40%-50% drop in residential fire-deaths for these countries.

For the United States, FireSafety.gov offers four simple tips for reducing the potential risk of fire.

1. Escape Plans

• Make an escape plan and practice it with your eyes closed, crawling low to the floor.
• Plan two ways of escape for each room.
• Choose a place to meet once the family has escaped.
• Check windows to make sure none of them stick.

2. Smoke Alarm Installation

• Keep a smoke alarm on every floor of your home.
• Test the alarms monthly.
• Never disable a smoke alarm.
• Keep smoke alarms clean.

3. The “Get out, Stay out” Rule

• Remind your children, and yourself, that no belonging is worth taking the time to collect in the event of a fire.
• Teach your children not to hide in the event of a fire, but to run for an exit.
• Call for help only after you’ve escaped from your home.
• If you discover that you left something behind, ask a firefighter to retrieve it.

4. Home Fire Sprinklers

• Include fire sprinklers in your plans when building a home.
• If possible, install sprinklers in your existing home.
• Though the initial cost of fire sprinkler installation may be off-putting, weigh it against the cost of replacing all of your belongings.

Since a residential fire claims one life every three hours, and a fire-related injury occurs every half hour, taking even the smallest steps toward fire-safety can make a big difference. Fires are the third-leading cause of fatal home injury in the United States. Following the fire-safety tips and visiting the CDC’s website are good ways to BE SAFE!

Take time to protect your cyber security.

October marked National Cyber Security Awareness Month. So why are we bringing it up in November? Because cyber security’s importance means it’s a topic that deserves your attention all year.

In our digitally-connected times, cyber security efforts are important for all businesses and individuals. Action or inaction in dealing with security measures can impact an exponential number of other entities. Similar to stopping the spread of infectious diseases, good practices by everyone can help contain cyber threats and collectively save money.

A recent study sponsored by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) reports that small businesses’ “cyber security policies and actions are not adequate enough to ensure the safety of their employees, intellectual property and customer data.”

The study also says, “Only 28 percent of U.S. small businesses have formal Internet security policies and just 35 percent provide ANY training to employees about Internet safety and security.”

The Department of Homeland Security offers some recommended tips for cyber security:

• Make sure that you have anti-virus software and firewalls installed, properly configured, and up-to-date. New threats are discovered every day. And keeping your software updated is one of the easier ways you can protect yourself from an attack. Set your computer to automatically update for you.

• Update your operating system and critical program software. Software updates offer the latest protection against malicious activities. Turn on automatic updating if that feature is available.

• Back up key files. If you have important files stored on your computer, copy them onto a removable disc and store it in a safe place.

Share this downloadable PDF from www.staysafeonline.info that explains what businesses can do to operate safely.

RJ Westmore Inc. encourages property managers and owners to think about cyber security. Check back with us for frequent updates about cyber security and other safety issues. We hope these tips will help you to BE SAFE.