Fire Safety – How Do I Know if My Facility is Compliant with NFPA Code 80?

Fire safety is extremely important. If your goal is to run a business or provide public services, you need a space to do so in. That space must be fire safety-compliant. Compliance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Code 80 and other statutes is therefore extremely important.

Although it may seem like fire regulations are complex, there are definitely easy ways to determine whether or not your facility meets minimum standards. The first step is always self-education.

NFPA Code 80, like other safety rules, applies to specific parts of your facilities, namely its fire doors and other protective openings. Code 80 regulates a number of different safety features that must be included in all fire openings. It also stipulates details concerning basic factors such as:

• Material construction, including glazing panels, openers and hinges

• Care and maintenance, such as approved safety check intervals

• Different requirements for sliding doors, hinged doors, rolling doors and other types of opening

• Specifications for fire shutters, glass block constructions and fire curtains

• Placement of door hardware or fixtures and their material construction

These regulations are only the tip of the iceberg, but it’s important that building owners are at least familiar with all the safety areas they cover. It’s all too easy to miss something important. By learning about the different stipulations included in NFPA Code 80, however, you stand a better chance of keeping your facilities up to standard.

Of course, it’s not enough to simply know the codes. You also have to make corrections when your building doesn’t adhere to them. Unfortunately, if you’re anything like most building owners, entrepreneurs and facilities managers, you’re far too busy to deal with compliance.

That’s why working with a fire safety company that knows the rules is the best way to determine if your facility becomes compliant if it isn’t already. Certified firms make their livings by staying up to date with relevant codes and they also possess the skill to make sure your facilities don’t fall behind either. By letting a fire company come and inspect your facility on a regular basis, you can ensure that you’re completely compliant with NFPA Code 80, regardless how complicated the rule may seem.