What should contractors do to protect themselves and when local government plans review / inspection services shut down?

• Conduct an operations assessment:
  • Classify operations into critical, essential and non-essential functions.
    • Examine exposure routes
      • Person-to-person contact
      • Fomite contact
        • Fomites are defined as any inanimate object that, when contaminated, can transfer disease to a new host.
    • Determine mitigation strategies
      • Updated cleaning schedules
      • Provide sanitizers
      • Electronic plans submittal and review protocols
      • Telecommuting / teleconference
        • E-mail or telephone
        • Meeting software (i.e., Microsoft Teams)
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Staggered workhours
      • Suspend operations
• Contact your local AHJs by email:
  • Determine if the local AHJ has provisions for electronic plans review.
  • Compile a list, by jurisdiction, of approved third-party plans review and inspection agencies.
    • Contract with them to provide services
  • Ramp-up fabrication for backlogged jobs
  • Educate installers, in fact all staff, on social distancing protocols while they are in the field
  • Minimize staffing at individual jobs

What should local government do when job sites are shut down?

The local fire code (International Fire Code or NFPA 1) NFPA 25, the Standard for Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems provides a number of options when sprinklers are impaired; one of them is to be implemented when a fire protections system is out of service for more than 10 hours in a 24-hour period. They include:

• Evacuation of the area where the sprinklers are impaired
• Provision for a fire watch
• Establishment of a program to eliminate ignition sources.
• Establishment of a program to minimize fuel packages1

At issue are three scenarios:

1. Wherein a building has been protected with sprinklers as part of the code and the incentives for sprinklers, such as lowered fire resistance ratings of corridor walls, have been taken advantage of.

• In this case, the building is not in compliance with the original building code and such steps as a fire watch are necessary, as required by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.

2. Wherein a building is being retrofitted with sprinklers, but the existing fire protection features, such as fire rated corridor walls, are still valid, if maintained.

• This is not an “impairment,” per se, and NFPA 25 would not apply.

3. It should be noted that, when buildings are under construction, NFPA 25 does not apply until the system is in service, having been tested in accordance with NFPA 13 and approved by the authority having jurisdiction.

• However, scenario #1 could occur during a retrofit when corridor walls have been compromised on individual floors. In this case, any of the listed options should be implemented on those individual floors, unless steps are taken to restore those compromised construction features.

Local Authorities Having Jurisdiction must take steps to mitigate the effects of a pandemic by:

• Classifying their operations in to critical, essential and non-essential functions.
  • Examining exposure routes
    • Person-to-person contact
    • Fomite contact
      • Fomites are defined as any inanimate object that, when contaminated, can transfer disease to a new host.
  • Determine mitigation strategies
    • Electronic plans submittal and review protocols
    • Telecommuting / teleconference
      • E-mail or telephone
      • Meeting software (i.e., Microsoft Teams)
    • Personal protective equipment
    • Staggered workhours
    • Suspend operations
• Determining and publishing approved 3rd party plans review and inspection agencies in the event the office of the local AHJ is shut down.
• Getting caught-up on any backlogged plans review
  • This can be done at home, in accordance with social distancing protocols.
• Getting or updating certifications thru on-line courses and testing.
• Getting caught-up on filing

What should property owners do?

• Contact your local AHJs by email:
  • Determine if the local AHJ has provisions for electronic plans review.
  • Compile a list, by jurisdiction, of approved third-party plans review and inspection agencies.
• Contact, by e-mail, your contractor to determine what, if anything, can be done to allow access to vacant spaces for installers.

Code requirements during construction:

The model codes have requirements for projects under construction. Jobsites and projects, especially those of combustible construction (Types III, IV, V) cannot be shuttered during COVID-19 without some completion of the undergoing fire protection system installations. Maintaining these systems during the shutdown along with fire watch and local conditions is imperative.

Chapter 33 of the International Fire Code (2018):

• Standpipes to be installed prior to construction exceeding 40 feet. (3313.1)
• Standpipes to be extended to within one floor of the construction having secured decking or flooring. (3311.1)
• Such standpipe shall be provided with fire department hose connections at accessible locations adjacent to usable stairways. (3313.1)
• Water supply for such standpipes can be either permanent or temporary in nature. (3313.3)
• Where automatic sprinklers are required, it is unlawful to occupy any portion of the building or structure until the automatic sprinkler system installation has been tested and approved. (3314.1)
• Where automatic sprinklers are required and where fire protection is being regularly turned on and off … the sprinkler control valves shall be checked at the end of each work period to ascertain that protection is in service. (3314.2)
• Where required by the fire official for building demolition or building construction during working hours that is hazardous in nature, qualified personnel shall be provided to serve as an on-site fire watch. (3304.5)
• Fire watch personnel shall be provided with one approved means of notification of the fire department and their sole duty shall be to perform constant patrols and watch for the occurrence of fire. (3304.5)

Chapter 33 of the International Building Code (2018):

• Where required by the fire code official, a fire watch shall be provided during non-working hours for construction that exceeds 40’ in height above the lowest adjacent grade. (3314.1)