Wheelock

A Practical Guide for Fire Alarm Notication

UL/ADA/NFPA/ANSI

Meeting Your Needs for Fire Alarm Notification

Achieving a Common Goal

Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the importance of notication appliances has become more evident to everyone involved in the design, installation, and operation of re alarm systems. Initially, one of ADAs major requirements was to notify hearing impaired persons. Concern, however, was soon expressed to the ADAs Access Board by the people with photosensitive epilepsy. As a result, a coalition was formed with members from the Epilepsy Foundation of America, Self Help for the Hard of Hearing, and the National Association of the Deaf, along with Underwriters Laboratories and manufacturers of re alarm systems and products. The coalition participated actively in the process of changing the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), as well as industry codes and standards. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became fully applicable January 26, 1993 for building managers, building owners, owners or principals of businesses and/ or organizations who provide a place of public accommodation. This includes, but is not limited to, retail stores, factories, showrooms, sales ofces, places of entertainment and recreation. ADA is the law of the land and anyone who disobeys it can be subject to legal action! ADAAG specically addresses visible signaling appliances and audible emergency alarms used in re alarm systems. It is a Federal Civil Rights Law, not a building code. NFPA 72 and ANSI A117.1 are standards which are incorporated as regulations in many regional, state, local and model building codes. The signaling requirements in the latest version of the ANSI Standards and the new version of ADAAG are now harmonized with NFPA 72 requirements. Audible notication appliances intended for operation in the public mode shall have a sound level of not less than 15 dB above the average ambient sound level or 5 dB above the maximum sound level having a duration of at least 60 seconds, whichever is greater, measured 5 ft. above the oor. The chart below shows you the ambient noise levels for a variety of occupancy types - Table A.7.4.2 NFPA 72 (2007).
Average Ambient Sound Level 55dBA 45dBA 80dBA 50dBA 40dBA 85dBA 40dBA 55dBA 35dBA 30dBA 70dBA 55dBA 40dBA 35dBA 40dBA 50dBA

Review of the ADA Guidelines Compared to Codes and Standards

Audible Appliances

Locations Business Occupancies Educational Occupancies Industrial Occupancies Institutional Occupancies Mercantile Occupancies Mechanical Rooms Piers & Water Surrounded Structures Places of Assembly Residential Occupancies Storage Occupancies Thoroughfares, High Density Urban Thoroughfares, Medium Density Urban Thoroughfares, Rural and Suburban Tower Occupancies
Underground Structures & Windowless Buildings

Vehicles & Vessels

Harmonized Requirements
TYPICAL AMBIENT NOISE LEVELS
Threshold of Pain

140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10

These changes have harmonized NFPA, UL, ANSI, and ADA requirements for re alarm signaling and have allowed a unied approach to the design, installation and enforcement of strobe appliances in re alarm systems. The harmonized requirements in NFPA 72 and ANSI A117.1 cover audible and visual appliances, mounting height, spacing allocation, sleeping rooms, ash rate limits, synchronized strobe ashing and the pending revisions to the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) are consistent with NFPA, UL, and ANSI. The new ADAAG and the new ANSI A117.1 were published in 2004. Each of these documents reference NFPA 72 for re alarm signaling requirements. The complete harmonization of these documents benets the re alarm industry by eliminating the confusion of multiple code requirements and results in more consistent code enforcement.

Background for Achieving Harmonization

0 Threshold of Hearing

UL Research: ULs testing showed that over 92% of people were alerted by indirect viewing (reected light) with a 15 candela strobe in a 20 x 20 room. NFPA requirements call for increasing the strobe intensity as the protected area increases in size. This is done to maintain the proper level of indirect viewing illumination for adequate warning. Sleeping areas require much higher intensity appliances. ULs research showed that 110 candela strobes were at least 92% effective in awakening a person. And ULs smoke tests showed smoke layers (smoke stratication) could form at the ceiling blocking almost half of the strobes intensity - therefore 177 candela is required for strobes that are mounted less than 24 from the ceiling in sleeping areas. Equivalent Facilitation: Section 2.2 of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines permits alternative designs that achieve substantially equivalent or greater accessibility. The visual effect (or illumination) of a light source at a particular distance is determined as: Illumination=Intensity divided by Distance Squared. For example, ADAs original guideline of 75 candela strobe intensity at a distance of 50 feet equates to an illumination of 0.030 lumens per sq. ft. NFPAs requirement for a 15 candela strobe intensity in a 20 x 20 room provides a typical illumination of .0375 lumens per sq. ft. The new ADA guidelines now reference the intensity and spacing allocation that are in NFPA 72.

Harmonized Requirements at a Glance - ADA/NFPA/ANSI

Strobe Intensity Light Distribution Flash Rate Multiple Strobes Wall Mounting Height Spacing - Rooms Spacing - Corridors Spacing - Sleeping Rooms Audible Intensity Minimum: 15cd in non-sleeping rooms and corridors (direct view) and 110cd (wall mount) or 177cd (ceiling mount) in sleeping rooms Specied intensity at both horizontal & vertical viewing angles as shown in Table 1 1 Hz minimum to 2 Hz maximum ash rate across Regulated Voltage Range Where there are more than two appliances in any eld of view, they shall be synchronized 80 to 96 from oor (except sleeping areas) Refer to Wheelock Data Sheet S7000 (Backbox Mounting Height for Wall Mounted Strobe Appliances) See Tables 7.5.4.1.1(a) and 7.5.4.1.1(b) or Section 7.5.4.3 If greater than 20 ft. wide, use spacing tables Within 16 ft. of the bed pillow 15 dB above ambient or 5 dB above any maximum sound with a duration of 60 seconds, whichever is greater. In sleeping rooms the sound level must meet this requirement or be 75 dBA minimum, whichever is greater, measured at the pillow 3

Light Dispersion and Spacing Allocation

Sleeping Rooms

A visual appliance used to awaken a sleeping, hearing impaired person shall be permanently installed and located 16 feet maximum from the pillow or head of the bed location, measured horizontally. Wall mounted appliances located at least 24 inches below the ceiling shall have a minimum effective intensity of 110 candela. Ceiling mounted appliances and wall mounted appliances located less than 24 inches below the ceiling are to have a minimum effective intensity of 177 candela. If a suite contains more than one sleeping area, an appliance shall be provided in each sleeping area. Audible appliances in sleeping areas must be 15dB above average ambient (or 5 dB above maximum sound level) or 75 dBA minimum, whichever is greater (measured at the pillow).

Visual Appliances

Flash Rate: The harmonization of ash rate between ANSI, UL and NFPA is 1-2 ashes per second and is now consistent with ADA. Light Dispersion: This is based on the light dispersion table of UL Standard 1971, Signaling Devices for the Hearing Impaired, NFPA 72 and ANSI 117.1. As noted in Tables 1 and 2 below, there is a specic amount of light required at each angle based on wall mounted appliances and ceiling mounted appliances.

Mounting Height

Wall mounted appliances are to be located 80 inches minimum and 96 inches maximum above the nished oor. NFPA claries this by requiring the entire lens to be within 80 to 96 above the nished oor. Visible appliances are installed per the NFPA tables on the following page.

Performance Based Strobe Spacing

A performance based method for strobe spacing is also permitted by NFPA 72. This alternative to the prescriptive strobe spacing tables permits any design that provides a minimum 0.0375 lumens/ft2 of illumination at any point within the given area. (NFPA 72 (2007) Section 7.5.4.5.1) Documentation showing the calculated illumination must be provided to the AHJ. (Cooper Notications STROBETool featuring Wheelock appliances automates these calculations and prints the required documentation.)

Table 1: Light Dispersion Ceiling Mounted

Degrees1 Percent of Rating 0 100 5-25 90 30-45 75 50 55 55 45 60 40 65 35 70 35 75 30 80 30 85 25 90 25 Compound 45 to the right 24 Compound 45 to the left 24 1 Tolerance of +-1 degree is permitted.

Table 2: Light Dispersion Wall Mounted

Vertical Dispersion Degrees from Horizontal 0 5-30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 Percent of Rated 100 90 65 46 34 27 22 18 16 15 13 12 12 12 Horizontal Dispersion Degrees from Vertical 0 5-25 30-45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 Percent of Rated 100 90 75 55 45 40 35 35 30 30 25 25

Table 7.5.4.3.1(b): Spacing Allocation for Ceiling Mounted Visible Alarms (NFPA 72 - 2002)
Minimum Required Light Output, Candela (cd) Effective Intensity Maximum Area Maximum One Light of Coverage Ceiling Height 20 x 20 30 x 30 40 x 40 50 x 50 20 x 20 30 x 30 40 x 40 50 x 50 20 x 20 30 x 30 40 x 40 50 x 50 10 10 10 10 20 20 20 20 30 30 30 30 15 30 60 95 30 45 80 115 55 75 115 150

Table 7.5.4.3.1(a): Spacing Allocation for Wall-Mounted Visible Alarms (NFPA 72 - 2002)
Minimum Required Light Output, Candela (cd) - Effective intensity One Light Two Lights Four Lights Per Area Per Area Per Area 15 Not Permitted N/A 30 Unknown Unknown 34 15 N/A 60 30 15 75 Unknown Unknown 94 60 30 110 Unknown Unknown 135 95 30 184 95 60 240 135 60 304 185 95 375 240 95 455 240 135 540 305 135 635 375 185

Maximum Area of Coverage 20 x 20 28 x 28 30 x 30 40 x 40 45 x 45 50 x 50 54 x 54 60 x 60 70 x 70 80 x 80 90 x 90 100 x 100 110 x 110 120 x 120 130 x 130

Spacing Allocation & Minimum Intensity

NFPA 72 (2007), Section A.7.5.1 states that visible notication appliances shall be visible either by direct view or by reection from all sections of the protected area. If there are two appliances, they shall be located on opposite walls. Where there are more than two appliances in any eld of view, they shall ash in synchronization. (Section 7.5.4.3.2) Spacing allocation for wall mounted strobes is shown in Table 7.5.4.3.1(a). The strobes are to be located at the midpoint of the longest side of the area served. Where the appliance is not located at the midpoint, the minimum effective intensity shall be based on a maximum area of coverage equal to the distance to the opposite side of the area served, or double the distance to the farthest adjacent side of the area served, whichever is greater. Spacing allocation for ceiling mounted strobes is shown in Table 7.5.4.3.1(b). This table is based on locating the appliance at the center of the room. If the appliance is not mounted in the center the required intensity is determined by doubling the distance from the appliance to the farthest wall to obtain the maximum room size. Section 7.5.4.4. cover the requirements for strobes in corridors. The minimum intensity is 15 candela, based on the direct viewing of appliances. The strobes are to be located 15 ft. maximum from each end of the corridor to 100 ft. maximum separation along the corridor. Where there is an obstruction, it is considered to be the end of the corridor. Room spacing tables can now optionally be used for strobes in corridors (7.5.4.2) as long as the corridor is greater than 20 ft. wide. In this case strobes are not needed at the end of the corridor if a single strobe meets the room spacing tables.

Synchronization of Notification Appliances

Design and Installation Solutions

Synchronized Strobes ADA recommends that a composite ash rate in excess of 5 Hz shall be avoided for multiple strobes installed in the eld of view, and indicates that the use of synchronized strobes should provide an acceptable alternative when more than two strobes are installed in the same eld of view. In addition, it is important to remember that in order to meet ADAs concern for effectively alerting the hearing impaired, strobe ash rates must be a minimum of one ash per second, across the Regulated* voltage range. Using lower intensity synchronized strobes can provide better alerting since occupants can often directly view the strobe ash. In addition, the selection of strobe intensity and location is simplied. Synchronized Temporal Pattern NFPA 72 (Chapter 6, Sections 6.8.6.5) requires the use of the temporal pattern (Code 3) audible signal for public mode evacuation. To insure that the sounds from multiple signals within a specied area do not overlap and interfere with the distinctive temporal pattern, the devices shall be synchronized. Since a majority of re alarm installations are retrot applications, the ability to install synchronized appliances using two wires becomes a signicant issue. With the use of two (2) wire signaling appliances, such as The Wheelock Series AS/NS and ZNS, existing wiring may not have to be replaced unless the current capacity of the existing NAC circuit needs to be increased. Evacuation Signal Zoning NFPA 72 (Chapter 6, Section 6.8.6.5.3) requires synchronization of notication appliance circuits within an evacuation signaling zone.

Temporal Pattern

ON 0.5

0.5

0.5

OFF 0.5

0.5
4 SECONDS

1.5

REPEAT

* Regulated Voltage Range is the terminology used by UL to identify the voltage range. Prior to this change UL used the terminology Listed Voltage Range.

Compliance with ADA

Can Save Money for End Users Through the Tax Code

A small business may elect to take a general business credit of up to $5,000 annually for a wide variety of access expenditures to comply with any ADA requirements. The credit is an amount equal to 50% of the eligible access expenditures for the tax year that exceed $250. The maximum base for the credit is an expenditure of $10,250. Thus the maximum credit each year is $5,000. A small business is dened as a business with gross receipts of not more than $1 million with 30 or fewer full time employees during the tax year. Gross receipts may be reduced by returns or allowances made during the year. A full time employee is dened as one who has worked at least 30 hours a week for at least 20 weeks in the tax year. Expenditures must be made specically to comply with the ADA, but include costs incurred for removing architectural, communication, physical or transportation barriers. The credit can also be used to defray the cost of sign language interpreters, brailing or taping information, providing readers and other types of services, and modifying or acquiring equipment. The new tax credit, called the Disabled Access Credit, is claimed on Tax Form 8826, a very simplied form which does not ask for detail justication. Tax Code Section 190: This section allows a deduction of up to $15,000 available to all businesses, regardless of size, but has a more strict application. It may be used only for the removal of architectural barriers in existing buildings which are not undergoing a comprehensive alteration. Combine the Two: It is permissible for an eligible small business to combine the two as long as the $5,000 credit is not used as a base for the Section 190 deduction. For example, if a small business operating a public accommodation spends $20,000 to build a ramp and modify bathrooms, it may claim a $5,000 tax credit for the rst $10,000; then after reducing the $20,000 base by the $5,000 credit, may deduct the remaining $15,000 from income in the rst year rather than capitalizing the expense and depreciating the improvement over a period of years. For further information, contact either your local I.R.S. ofce, the D.C. ofce of the I.R.S. at (202) 566-3292 or see www.ada.gov.

Wheelock Notication Products

The Industrys Broadest Line
Audible and Visual Appliances Visual Appliances and Retrofit Plates Speakers and Speaker Strobes Specialty Appliances Chimes and Chime Strobes Weatherproof Appliances Enclosures Sync Modules NAC Power Supply Mounting Accessories

Multi-Candela Strobes
Wall Mounted 15, 30, 75, 110, 135, 185 Ceiling Mounted 15, 30, 75, 95, 115, 177

Approvals cont.
Factory Mutual (FM) Chicago (BFP) ADA/NFPA/UFC/ANSI Compliant Complies with OSHA 29, Part 1910.165

Approvals
UL Standard 1971 UL Standard 464 New York City (MEA) California State Fire Marshal (CSFM)

More Features & Options

Low Current Draw 2 Wire or 4 Wire Operation Indoor or Outdoor Synchronized Operation Universal Mounting Designs Wall and Ceiling Mount Models
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Notication