What if there were a way to reduce risk and to set your next project apart from the rest? Would you like to know more about it? That article will explore a new and unique way to do both.
Landscape of Construction Safety
Anyone who has worked in construction long enough can share an example of a new product that has changed the way they do their work. They can likely also tell you about a change to the building codes that impacts the way they do things. These codes and standards change on a regularly irregular basis, and it can be difficult for everyone from the design team to the construction team and the team in the field building the structure.
What initiates the changes that impact construction? Loss is a major driving force behind the changes. Hurricane Katrina impacted flood codes. Elements of the building façade falling off buildings in New York brought local law 11. It requires regular inspection of exterior facades. The collapse of the Surfside condo in Miami has left its mark on the facilities maintenance and legal worlds.
Introducing the SAFETY Act
The attacks of September 11, 2001, saw changes to the 2012 building requiring photoluminescent stairwell markings, changes at the airports and a little-known element of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration Services, FEMA, Cybersecurity (CISA), TSA, the Coast Guard and U.S. Secret Service. DHS is also responsible for something called SAFETY Act.
SAFETY Act stands for Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act. It was created to “facilitate and promote the development and deployment of anti-terrorism technologies that will save lives.” For a building owner, having SAFETY Act protection could be achieved in a variety of ways that range from the security program to the technology such as bag scanners, active shooter detection, K9 Training and so much more. A search for organizations who are capitalizing on the risk management benefits will generate a list that includes the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, Walt Disney Parks, Related, Durst, Brookfield, PANYNJ, funeral homes, entertainment venues as well as ASIS, security firms, technology firms and so much more.
The SHIELD Protocol
Recently, The SHIELD Protocol was approved by DHS. If you work on a project where this protocol is deployed there will be some stark changes to the way your work is evaluated. On one level the work completed by the interiors team should not be all that different. The evaluation of that work, however, will be like a quality assurance/quality control (QAQC) team on steroids. Every element of passive fire protection will be reviewed. Part of that review will be seen in the specifications.
If there is a product on the market that uses a firestop device, it will be mandated over the traditional well products. This requirement will impact the trades specifications, submittals, scheduling of firestop installations as well as special firestop inspection. All the firestop devices are required to meet the rigors of their respective fire test standards, ASTM E1966 for fire rated joints and ASTM E814 for penetration firestops.
Why Firestop Devices Are Mandated
Devices for fire-rated joints can accommodate more movement than the traditional sealant or spray installations. Many of the devices for penetrations, while they may not be tested for movement, are not going to be impacted by the movement that is caused by anything from pipe hammer, the lengthening or shortening of pipes or ducts due to the coefficient of lineal thermal dynamics, the shifting of pipes, ducts, cables and other elements that often happens as the trades or facilities teams work on and around all the service elements of the building.
The other reason the devices are preferred is because they deliver a prescribed dose of firestop material. Traditional sealants and sprays rely heavily on the installer knowing and following the requirements of a listed detail. This critical life safety element requires a sharp attention to detail and a high level of knowledge of each of the different trades. When we look at who is typically doing the firestop installations, we find it is relegated to the apprentice. What is their level of training? This can vary dramatically. Are they union or non-union? What company are they working for, what level of knowledge does the management team have and a dozen other elements that can affect the quality of this critical life safety element we know as firestop and passive fire protection.
The Two Pillars of SHIELD
The SHIELD Protocol has been called a “QAQC Program on steroids.” In this case, however; the steroids are not drugs but rather training. As any athlete knows, there is a lot of hard work that goes into being the best in your sport. As any good tradesperson knows the same is true of their craft. The rules of the game are important in sport. In construction, those rules are more than just one rules book. Rather they are a combination of the building codes, industry standards, project specifications and building plans. The “field “is ever changing as the construction progresses and the building changes.
The key element to this change is two-fold. One can be found in the paperwork and one can be found in the team. The changes to the paperwork can be seen in the specifications, design and submittals. The changes to the team can be found in training, support and QC.
We can’t expect the crews in the field to simply know the changes to the codes and standards. They change on a regularly irregular basis. So, The SHIELD Protocol offers trade-specific training that will give the field team the knowledge they need to reduce the common firestop problems found on projects. This is a key element of the program.
Mitigating Risk for All Stakeholders
A building owner may decide to deploy The SHIELD Protocol on a project because they want the ability to mitigate the risk that would come from a terrorist attack. If this happens, you should know that you are about to enter the big league. If you played sports, you likely had a coach or trainer that pushed you harder than any other. They pushed you because they could see you could do better. That is what The SHIELD Protocol seeks to do. There are likely times players would say they hate the coach, and that could happen with The SHIELD Team, but in the end, your team will emerge victorious on the field, and you will be a stronger player because that coach knew the game.
But this isn’t a game, this is construction, and The SHIELD Protocol will leave you with a stronger understanding of the importance of passive fire protection and your role in the life safety of every building you work on from that project forward.
The SAFETY Act protection provided by The SHIELD Protocol will mean that if there is a terrorist attack, the owner is protected from the liability of the loss. It also means the tenants, the design team and their consultants, the build team and all the trades also are protected because of the work they did for the owner. This is a game changer for the construction industry when working on the construction of buildings that will be occupied by large groups of people.
Next Steps and Contact Information
If you would like more information on SAFETY Act you can visit www.safetyact.gov. Several law firms have articles that provide more information as well. If you would like more information on The SHIELD Protocol, you are welcome to reach out to Sharron at 201-250-4193 or [email protected].
Sharron Halpert started in the firestop industry in 1999. Since 2005, she has been on projects valued over $22 billion and covered roughly 28 million sq/ft of projects. She has been trouble-shooting firestop issues on nuclear power plants, sports stadiums, hospitals, aviation, telecommunications, hospitality, mega-resorts and more. She is a voting member of ASTM and has taught sessions for AIA, ICC and SFPE at events across the United States and as far away as Saudi Arabia. Halpert Life Safety Consulting provides services as consultant, trainer and third-party inspection of firestop as well as helping teams deploy The SHIELD Protocol to achieve SAFETY Act terrorism protection.
