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Today, we’re discussing an essential topic, Warehouse Life Safety By Design. In other words, siting a new warehouse with a focus on risk management, and especially, life safety. Ensuring a facility is designed to protect employees, property, and the surrounding community requires compliance with many recognized codes and standards.
One of the most critical tools in this process is the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code. This nationally recognized consensus standard is developed by industry experts, government officials, users of the NFPA Code, and involves public input. In that regard it serves as an ANSI Standard. It also serves as a key reference for numerous other fire, building, and safety codes, standards, ordinances and regulations.
What Is Life Safety?
The term “Life Safety” is best explained as “Measures designed to protect people from fire, smoke, and other hazards within buildings and areas.” These protections are most commonly outlined in nationally recognized codes and standards that, for example, guide warehouse design and operation. They also guide life safety design in many other occupancies.
The NFPA Life Safety Code® comprises 43 chapters, covering essential provisions such as means of egress and specific occupancy types. These range from high-rise buildings to assembly, residential, educational, dormitory, industrial, and storage facilities.
Anyone involved in Warehouse Life Safety By Design should be well-versed in the Code’s requirements. Fortunately, numerous educational programs offer training and guidance on its application.
Lessons from Real-World Warehouse Fires
One example involved a multi-million dollar warehouse fire loss that occurred on May 27, 1987. The flammable liquid warehouse, designed by engineers and HPR insurers, had robust fire protection that included:
Despite meeting high "HPR" insurance standards of the time, the warehouse still suffered significant loss due to outdated codes and standards. Code gaps and significant inadequacies existed in 1980’s era codes and standards for the protection of flammable liquids and aerosol products. Codes and standards that were lacking adequate safety and protection schemes involved:
The tragic warehouse loss triggered large-scale fire research at national and international fire research laboratories throughout the United States, and beyond. Other warehouse fire losses, such as the Sandoz Chemical Company’s chemical warehouse fire of November 1, 1986 and Kmart’s warehouse loss of April 8, 1987 led to major updates in today’s fire and building codes.
Top Warehouse Life Safety By Design Considerations
Here are 10 example life safety lessons learned through real-world experience:
1. Evaluating Means of Egress
Warehouse egress planning should consider:
Each of these factors impacts fire risk, travel distances, and evacuation times, and are essential for Warehouse Safety By Design.
2. Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
Hazardous material warehouses must have fire detection and alarm systems. Most other warehouses are likely required to have NFPA 72 compliant systems as well. Additionally, NFPA 101 should be referenced for special occupancy provisions and requirements. OSHA requires workplaces to have emergency notification systems to alert occupants for safe egress, making both NFPA 101 and NFPA 72 essential references for compliance. There are also code and occupancy-specific requirements that may be found in the “ICC” (Industrial Code Council) series of codes, as well as within NFPA industry-specific codes such as NFPA 30, 30B, 35, etc.
3. Optimizing Exit Travel in New Warehouses
Warehouse Life Safety By Design involving new construction provides a valuable opportunity to design safe exit routes by:
4. Emergency Lighting Considerations
Warehouses should install standby or online inverters for emergency lighting. These systems extend illumination beyond the required 90 minutes, making maintenance easier and more reliable than traditional battery pack ("bugeye") units.
5. Panic Hardware for Emergency Exits
Warehouse Life Safety By Design means that warehouses storing hazardous materials will have panic hardware on exit doors. These devices are also required in:
"Safety by design" also means installing panic hardware as a best practice within nearly any storage occupancy. [See NFPA 101 Life Safety Code]
6. Enhancing Safe Egress with Visual Cues
Multiple visual systems support emergency egress, including:
7. Photoluminescent Floor Tapes for Power Outages
Photoluminescent floor tapes improve visibility during power failures. However, jurisdictional requirements may dictate brightness levels - especially in stairwells.
8. Employee Training in Emergency Preparedness
Employees must be trained in:
9. Conducting Regular Evacuation Drills
Warehouses should conduct evacuation drills at least once per year - ideally twice.
10. Leadership Sets the Tone for Safety
For emergency planning to be effective, leadership must "walk the walk" and "talk the talk." Safety should be a priority at all levels of management, reinforcing a strong safety culture.
Final Thoughts
We hope this Warehouse Life Safety By Design discussion provided valuable insights into warehouse siting and life safety design and construction considerations.
For more safety solutions, visit MightyLineTape.com to explore:
Stay safe!
