Battery room fire protection regulations

What are the fire codes for storage battery rooms?

Two primary fire codes (International Fire Code (IFC) and NFPA 1: Fire Code) define the appropriate construction and supporting infrastructure that must be provided for storage battery rooms. These requirements often are overlooked because they are addressed in codes that aren’t regularly reviewed by electrical and mechanical engineers.

What standards are used in a battery room?

Common standards in the battery room include those from American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). Model codes are standards developed by committees with the intent to be adopted by states and local jurisdictions.

How is battery room compliance interpreted?

Battery room compliance can be interpreted differently depending on your battery type, amount of cells or multi-cell units in a common area, volume of electrolyte and voltage present. Although the code is specific about requirements, the local interpretation can vary depending on the end users experience or awareness.

Are stationary storage battery systems safe?

The International Fire Code (IFC) and NFPA 1: Fire Code need to be considered when specifying stationary storage battery systems to ensure public safety. In the eyes of life safety codes, the value of a building’s contents is never greater than the safety of the public.

Are lithium batteries fire rated?

In assembly, educational, detention, health care, day care, etc., battery systems shall be located in a room separate from other portions of the building and be 2-hour fire-rated. Thermal runaway protection is required for lithium batteries.

What is the NFPA 1 fire code?

NFPA has developed over 300 consensus codes and standards, including its NFPA 1 fire code. The NFPA 1 fire code develops fire safety standards through an integrative approach to fire code regulation and hazard management.