Life Safety

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Alwayslearningelec

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Just curious....when it says "all life safety circuits" are those circuits feed from EM panels. I KNOW it would NOT be norm power panels but was thinking it might be specific EM panels possibly. THis is regarding lighting/general power? THanks.
 
As far as an NEC requirement is concerned, the term "Life Safety" is specific to article 517 and it is part of the Emergency System.

Roger
 
roger said:
As far as an NEC requirement is concerned, the term "Life Safety" is specific to article 517 and it is part of the Emergency System.

Roger
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I am looking at my code book now....517 on health care. How about non-health care. Would it be all EM circuits? Thanks.
 
The phrase "life safety" is misapplied as often as the word "emergency." In our world, as Roger has already pointed out, the phrase "life safety" applies only to health care facilities. If you are seeing it used in some other application, then I suggest you ask for clarification from whoever issued the plans.
 
charlie b said:
The phrase "life safety" is misapplied as often as the word "emergency." In our world, as Roger has already pointed out, the phrase "life safety" applies only to health care facilities. If you are seeing it used in some other application, then I suggest you ask for clarification from whoever issued the plans.
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How do we come to the conclusion that it is only Health Care? It makes sense but just asking. THanks.
 
I don't think there's a real clear definition of "emergency", but in general it refers to "being fed from a generator, as well as from normal power"
So, all things considered you would have two types of emergency circuits:
1: Life safety (as the name implies it, it regards life matters. In most situations it's egress lighting, elevators that can be used by firefighters, etc) A fire pump falls under same type. Might be wrong, but I think they are called "legally required standby"
2: Optional standby. This would be like a cooler where the customer doesn't want the food to spoil while power is out.
In general optional standby can not be fed from the same generator as the legally required. There's one exception. If the system can be programmed where the optional standby can automatically shut down if the generator is getting overloaded.

horsegoer said:
Just curious....when it says "all life safety circuits" are those circuits feed from EM panels. I KNOW it would NOT be norm power panels but was thinking it might be specific EM panels possibly. THis is regarding lighting/general power? THanks.
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Only the AHJ can designate what circuits are emergency and which are legally required standby.

Keep in mind that emergency and legally required standby power are 2 distinct separate systems. Emergency systems are regulated by Article 700 and legally required standby power is regulated by 701.

FWIW, 95% of the time an elevator is a legally required standby load and can not be installed on an emergency system.

Chris
 
horsegoer said:
How do we come to the conclusion that it (i.e., "Life Safety") is only Health Care? It makes sense but just asking.
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Someone with a searchable NEC can verify this, and I would be grateful if someone would try, but I believe the phrase "Life Safety" simply does not appear anywhere in the NEC other than in article 517.
 
Strife said:
I don't think there's a real clear definition of "emergency", but in general it refers to "being fed from a generator, as well as from normal power"
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Yes there is, and that is not it. Look at the opening sentence of the second paragraph of 700.1.
 
charlie b said:
Someone with a searchable NEC can verify this, and I would be grateful if someone would try, but I believe the phrase "Life Safety" simply does not appear anywhere in the NEC other than in article 517.
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Charlie, I have a searchable NEC and with the exception of FPN's and other references to NFPA 101, you are correct.

Roger
 
life safety

life safety

hey guys, you need to check out NFPA 101 life safety systems... fire alarm circuits, em lighting, exit sinage....
 
turnip said:
hey guys, you need to check out NFPA 101 life safety systems... fire alarm circuits, em lighting, exit sinage....
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Which was already mentioned, NFPA 101 is noted in FPN's (IN's in the 2011) through out the NEC.

If NFPA 101 is the intent of the print note it should be noted as such on the drawings.

I personally don't know of anywhere NFPA 101 is formally adopted although, a designer is free to use it in the building design.


BTW, welcome to the forum.

Roger
 
horsegoer said:
Wel if you have a "LSLPH" panel.....that is life safety.
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That may be the case and it is the designers prerogative to name a panel anything he/she wants to name it but, it is not a "Life Safety" panel per the NEC unless it is in an article 517 application.

Roger
 
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