By Healthcare Facilities Today

In a recent, Q&A on the FacilityCare website, advice for navigating the Life Safety Code on sprinkler placement for water curtains was offered.

According to the author, Brad Keyes, CHSP, NFPA 13 (1999 edition) is the standard for the installation of water-based sprinklers referenced by the 2000 edition of the LSC. 

Rules on how to install sprinklers include:

• The maximum distance a sprinkler can be installed below a ceiling is 12 inches (with some exceptions).

• The minimum distance a sprinkler can be installed below a ceiling is 1 inch.

• The maximum spacing between two sprinklers is determined by the rating on the sprinkler head (usually 15 feet, but there are other spacing distances, depending on the manufacturer).

• The minimum spacing between two sprinklers is 6 feet.

• The maximum distance a sprinkler can be installed from a wall is half the maximum spacing between two sprinklers.

• The minimum distance a sprinkler can be installed from a wall is 4 inches.

According to the article, there are many individual factors about installing sprinklers that have to be considered in order to design a fire protection system. The bottom line: This is a job for a professional engineer.

The best way to learn about the LSC is to experience it on a daily basis, the article said, recommending having a person in the organization that actively works for compliance with the LSC, such as a safety officer or a facility manager. Keyes suggests looking for LSC Boot Camp seminars taught by ASHE, NFPA and Joint Commission Resources.

Read the article.