Fire Stopping
Fire stopping saves lives
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Trust our certified members to properly install life-preserving fire stopping insulation.
Local 41 Heat and Frost Insulators provide customers with peace of mind by expertly crafting and properly installing the most modern fire-protection technology available. We are a strong proponent of enforcing building codes that greatly reflect fire-stopping capabilities with proper insulation. Industry wide, Local 41 Heat and Frost Insulators are at the forefront of properly installing fire stopping insulation materials through standardized and proper design, installation, inspection and maintenance. Our members are properly trained and certified to install fire stopping insulation. |
The importance of fire stopping examined
At its core, fire stopping is part of effective compartmentation: “Boxes” built within a building or other structure keep fire from spreading from the room of origin to other parts of the building or other structures.
Compartmentation is complete when doors, hardware and glass are fire and smoke resistance-rated; penetrations, head-of-wall and perimeter and expansion joints are sealed with firestopping; and ductwork has fire, smoke or fire-smoke dampers installed in walls.
Most importantly, compartmentation protects people who cannot move quickly (or at all) in buildings. It saves lives by allowing time for people to get out of a structure or give safety forces time to go in and rescue a person before they become trapped.
Compartmentation is complete when doors, hardware and glass are fire and smoke resistance-rated; penetrations, head-of-wall and perimeter and expansion joints are sealed with firestopping; and ductwork has fire, smoke or fire-smoke dampers installed in walls.
Most importantly, compartmentation protects people who cannot move quickly (or at all) in buildings. It saves lives by allowing time for people to get out of a structure or give safety forces time to go in and rescue a person before they become trapped.
A true disaster: The Station Nightclub fire
In February 2003, a fire broke out at Station Nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. One hundred people died — most from fire injury, smoke inhalation or being trampled. Many news stories at the time reported that the acoustical insulation caught fire from the band’s pyrotechnics, and the fire spread so quickly that it left patrons no time to escape.
The subsequent investigation revealed that the soundproofing consisted of exposed foam insulation containing no flame retardants. Was this simply a case of some construction manager not reading the fine print on a box of foam insulation? Why did this happen when there are codes and standards to address this sort of thing? According to Fire Safety and Thermal Insulation: Sorting Out the Details,” the National Insulation Association believes that if the soundproofing insulation at the Station Nightclub had met the building code requirements, the fire likely would have spread more slowly or not at all, giving everyone inside time to escape.
The subsequent investigation revealed that the soundproofing consisted of exposed foam insulation containing no flame retardants. Was this simply a case of some construction manager not reading the fine print on a box of foam insulation? Why did this happen when there are codes and standards to address this sort of thing? According to Fire Safety and Thermal Insulation: Sorting Out the Details,” the National Insulation Association believes that if the soundproofing insulation at the Station Nightclub had met the building code requirements, the fire likely would have spread more slowly or not at all, giving everyone inside time to escape.