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Windows of Opportunity: For Positive Change
Windows of Opportunity: For Positive Change
Windows of Opportunity: For Positive Change
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contents Executive Summary
REGIONS
4
China 6
Europe 8
India 10
Latin America 12
United Kingdom 14
FEATURE
Indian Institute of Technology- 16
Madras (IIT-Madras)
6
10
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
LEFT TO RIGHT:
Christopher Wieczorek,
Marcelo Lima, Sumit Khanna,
Rachel Yin, Tom Roche.
HIGHLIGHTS
FROM OUR Team expands to China and India with bases
in Shanghai and Bangalore; Instituto Sprinkler
FIRST 10 YEARS Brazil and Mexico Sprinkler Association
IC&S expands to
Latin America launched through regional partnerships
4
T
he theme of our book begins with the ment from multiple parties and we support this
words, windows of opportunity for type of resolve from jurisdictions worldwide.
positive change.
In 2017, International Codes and Standards and
These windows open at unexpected times, and our partner organizations were instrumental in
often following a significant loss. Ordinarily, the introduction, progression, and passage of
resistance to change is a powerful force. Yet new standards in every region where we have
when regulatory officials ask, “How could this representation, from our guidance in post-
massive Grenfell Tower discussions in the U.K., to the
Stronger codes protect property and business loss have catalytic role we played in the revision of India’s
been pre- national building code, to our support of efforts
continuity, have the potential to save lives,
vented?” to win passage of a national fire code in Brazil.
and are vital to long-term economic health there is You will read about these and other advance-
of individual businesses and countries. an op- ments in these pages.
portunity
to reevaluate risk and adopt new, better solu- Stronger codes protect property and business
tions—positive change. The work of the Interna- continuity, have the potential to save lives,
tional Codes and Standards group is constantly and are vital to long-term economic health of
evolving. This is, in part, due to the heightened individual businesses and countries. We are
attention that devastating losses receive. gratified to play a part in the improvement of
codes and standards throughout the world, and
When governmental organizations and the media look forward to future success with our business
focus attention on a subject it is our job to be and governmental partners in coming years.
prepared and serve as guides for positive change.
The International Codes and Standards group
makes the case for effective fire protection, sup-
porting our position with proven science and loss Christopher Wieczorek
history, and building the coalitions needed for PH.D., VICE PRESIDENT, MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL
success. Legislative progress requires commi- CODES AND STANDARDS
First meeting of Fire Loss Preven- Bill 2020 (Kiss Night Club Fire Bill)
tion Forum of India convenes; passed into law by Brazil; Launch of
The Congressional Fire Safety 2016 National Building Code of India;
China’s Ministry of Public Caucus is created in Brasilia; Consulting Agreement reached in
Security, Fire Bureau visits draft of Mexican sprinkler India for hands-on training facility
FM Global Research Campus installation standard approved at National Fire Service College
THE TEAM BEGAN THE YEAR IN within warehouses, including the weight FM Approvals research presentation
China with well-defined expectations, of combustible packaging to define the on fire protection systems. The IC&S
some of which would have to wait another lower threshold for sprinkler provisions, team welcomed the opportunity to
year. It was hoped that the International and the impact of palletized storage and connect with fire experts from other
Codes and Standards (IC&S) research plastic containers. Asian countries and had productive
project with the Tianjin Fire Research discussions with the CFPA about
Institute (TFRI) would lead to sprinklers A significant new partnership was collaborating with them at future events.
being required for Class D and E established last year: FM Global joined
warehouses. But the pending revision the expert committee for the Ministry of FM Global also joined the Engineering
of GB50016, the Code of Design on Housing and Urban Rural Development Insurance Technology Alliance, which
Building Fire Protection and Prevention, (MOHURD) Disaster Prevention Research is currently writing “Rules for Drafting
was postponed to 2018, as the Ministry Center. This enterprise focuses on disaster Building Insurance Standards.” It will
of Public Security (MPS) Fire Bureau is prevention research, including fire, include guidelines for temperature stress;
now drafting a new mandatory building earthquake, flood, wind and other water damage; and wind, earthquake and
code that is expected to be the leading catastrophic events. The panel includes fire aspects; with the initial focus on
performance standard. experts from throughout China and will building construction material.
initiate reviews of major projects plus
“The greatest challenge in China is that related codes and standards. And The gains and new initiatives in 2017
the legislative environment concerning fire FM Global sponsored the “Building hold promise for the year ahead, says Yin.
safety is complex and highly conservative,” Disaster Prevention” symposium, “The process for upgrading codes and
explains Rachel Yin, Ph.D., assistant vice organized by MOHURD and the standards is under government control and
president, senior codes and standards University of Science and Technology generally removed from public opinion,”
consultant. TFRI is well-positioned to of China, which took place in Hefei she acknowledges. “The decision-making
affect change and is part of the MPS in July 2017. process in China is top-down, which will
drafting committee. FM Global, she adds, require continuing efforts to reach and
“is working closely with the institute” to China Fire Expo 2017, the biannual shape the opinions of top leaders.
have its recommendations incorporated international fire protection equipment Fortunately, we have the support of
into the new code. (FM Global, a foreign technology conference and exposition some great local and regional partners
company, is not eligible to be a member organized by the China Fire Protection to have the influence that it takes.”
of the committee.) Association (CFPA), was held in Beijing
in September 2017. It is the biggest fire
Although the legislation was delayed, the show in Asia, boasting seven indoor
two organizations expanded their work on exhibition halls and two outdoor exhibition
understanding the fire hazard of Class D areas, and many Asian countries were
and E warehouses. Tests were planned represented, including India, South Korea,
to evaluate different parameters that will Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
affect the fire hazard of these materials The event featured a well-attended
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“The greatest challenge in China is that the
legislative environment concerning fire
safety is complex and highly conservative.”
RACHEL YIN, PH.D., ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT,
SENIOR CODES AND STANDARDS CONSULTANT, FM GLOBAL
I N E U R OPE, INTERNATIONAL a comprehensive list of loss prevention to address the myth that sprinklers are
Codes and Standards is addressing the strategies and recommendations for expensive and to determine the ongoing
wide array of challenges in the region’s storage occupancies. “We are supporting maintenance costs. The aim is to stress the
diverse countries and territories. our partners as they develop a group to economic benefits of installing sprinklers
foster change in Poland, which will in factories. Data indicates that the average
FM Global has focused largely on efforts generate more traction to build awareness cost of damage in German facilities with
in Germany and Poland to further the about the benefits of sprinkler installation,” no or inadequate sprinkler protection was
adoption of sprinkler protection. “One explains Roche, while further noting almost 15 times greater than in structures
of the key elements in any territory where that Poland has displayed considerable with high-quality sprinkler systems.
the language is not English is to provide potential for growth in that area.
materials in the local language,” says Tom “A very interesting side aspect is the
Roche, FM Global assistant vice president, In Germany, research is being conducted impact that this research will have in terms
senior codes and standards consultant. to determine the cost differential between of building use,” said FM Global’s Roche.
Toward that end, IC&S translated into code compliance with and without sprin- “In warehouses, you can store more in a
Polish its Data Sheet 8-9, Storage of klers. The project highlights the differ- sprinklered building – therefore increasing
Class 1, 2, 3, 4 and Plastic Commodities, ences from a cost perspective – utilization and business resilience through
50% 56%
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property protection. In a factory, the use IC&S’s tireless efforts to improve building the European Economic Area (EEA),
of sprinklers means fewer compartment regulations and to make facilities secure where it has operated for more than
walls, leading to a greater flow of products and sustainable, coupled with its emphasis a half-century.
and expended operations. The challenge on addressing misperceptions about
that we are facing is trying to monetize sprinklers, their cost, and their value as
that potential for improvement.” a tool for loss prevention, will continue
to open new outlets and opportunities
FM Global is continuing to educate for proactive changes.”
legislators and fire professionals about the
opportunities for prevention of human and And in a related development, the
property loss. “In Europe there is a focus FM Global group now entails a licensed
on life safety and the use of more passive insurer in Luxembourg, FM Insurance
fire protection,” Roche says. “Historically, Europe S.A., which enhances the
sprinkler protection penetration into the company’s mission to continue to deliver
industrial commercial space in France seamless coverage and risk management
and Germany has been below the U.K.’s. strategies to its policyholders throughout
COST OF FIRE
Fire leaves a long-lasting impact on businesses and communities.
IN INDIA, CONSEQUENTIAL PROGRESS could include requiring each state to draft states, National Building Code writers,
was made to promote fire and sprinkler legislation to adopt the code in its entirety and academicians. The Forum provides
protection and upgrade codes and and implement it through the local recommendations for improving the code
standards throughout the country. The jurisdictional powers vested in fire and its implementation. FM Global worked
National Building Code (NBC), issued authorities, perhaps with some penalties with the Fire & Security Association of
by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), for not abiding by the code provisions.” India to further improve the quality of
was updated and expanded for the first installations of fire protection systems,
time in more than a decade. It now has FM Global has representation on three conducting training sessions for sprinkler
two volumes containing comprehensive prestigious panels of the BIS: two focus installers and contractors across six cities.
guidelines for general building requirements on the revision of the NBC and related
across the country. Specific standards for standards for fire protection, and the The team also shared FM Global’s advice
fire safety requirements include automatic third addresses practices for fire safety at events sponsored by the National
fire sprinklers in commercial and industrial at warehouses and other industrial Association of Fire Officers, the Fire
buildings; stipulations regarding materials, occupancies. Initiatives include the Protection Association of India, and
structural design and construction continued development of online courses Municipalika, the International Exhibition
(including safety); building and plumbing for fire service professionals, engineers, and Conference for Smart and Sustainable
services; landscape development; and architects, practitioners, consultants and City Solutions. These measures bolster
directions for sustainability, asset, and the public. joint efforts to promote and ensure
facility management. National Building Code compliance
In October, FM Global signed a consulting and implementation.
“Buildings constructed to the new code agreement with the National Fire Service
will be more resilient and sustainable in College (NFSC), which aims to educate
nature and the provisions could have a and train fire protection engineers and fire
great impact in terms of savings from service professionals on commercial and
losses,” says Sumit Khanna, former codes industrial property. A new facility, to be
and standards consultant for India, and built by the federal government at the
currently a global services executive at NFSC in Nagpur, India, will provide
FM Global. “The key challenge for India hands-on training related to fire pumps,
will be to ensure widespread enforcement, sprinklers and risers to enhance knowledge
which will improve its fire and natural about inspecting facilities; assessing
hazard risk quality.” exposures; and helping property owners
take active steps to reduce their risk.
Though the revised NBC is a federal-level
document, many of India’s 29 states and FM Global also collaborated with the
seven union territories have not adopted Fire Loss Prevention Forum of India,
the provisions. Khanna explains that which includes the fire advisor to the
“efforts to promote the NBC countrywide Government of India, fire chiefs of various
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“Buildings constructed to the new code will
be more resilient and sustainable in nature
and the provisions could have a great
impact in terms of savings from losses.”
SUMIT KHANNA, GLOBAL SERVICES EXECUTIVE, FM GLOBAL
BRAZIL CONTINUED TO PUSH FOR in the meetings with state fire departments This includes the fire departments that are
new safety measures in the wake of the and private sector organizations. The code responsible for code enforcement; design
2013 Kiss nightclub blaze, which resulted was submitted to the Association of Fire and installation professionals, to ensure
in 242 fatalities. The advisory board of Chiefs; it recommends uniform provisions well-installed fire protection systems; and
the Congressional Fire Safety Caucus for most Brazilian states, while allowing the end users, to understand the benefits
(CFSC), which was established in each of them to address its particular needs. of those proactive measures.”
collaboration with FM Global, specified
four initiatives to promote fire protection FM Global’s Marcelo Lima, assistant To address the other three initiatives,
and made significant progress in each. vice president, senior codes and standards Brazil’s 27 fire departments all contributed
consultant, sees these provisions as a to a forthcoming fire incident data-gathering
First, to foster the adoption of a new model promising step, while cautioning that system specifying the most susceptible
fire code, a task group was formed by the “merely having modifications in the occupancies and the human impact. The
National Secretary of Public Security fire codes is not enough to promote real Brazilian National Council for Scientific
(SENASP), the federal government agency change.” He continues, “The process and Technological Development is joining
in charge of police services and firefighting. has to be accompanied by an effort to with the Education Ministry to incorporate
Instituto Sprinkler Brasil (ISB) participated educate those that will use the new code. fire protection disciplines in engineering
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and architecture courses. And the CFSC at fire conferences, fire departments Fire Sprinkler Association of Colombia
is working with state fire departments to and universities, and hosted training (ANRACI), the newest group in Latin
communicate the importance of requiring programs for designers and contractors. America, had its first major fire protection
the use of certified equipment in state conference in 2017.
fire codes. Elsewhere in the region, the Mexican
Sprinkler Association (AMRACI) FM Global’s Lima is pragmatic and
In other activities, FM Global chairs continues to do stellar work to promote optimistic about the progress being
the sprinkler committee of the Brazilian the use of sprinklers and to influence made: “We have fertile ground in Latin
Association of Technical Standards and fire protection awareness. AMRACI America to promote these changes, and
has worked closely with SENASP to was instrumental in the creation of the results obtained up to now point to
develop a distance-learning program that the National Fire Protection Council a very bright future.”
could potentially reach 70,000 firefighters, (CONAPCI), which congregates all
many of whom view sprinklers as an the country’s fire protection entities and
obscure technology. And the Brazilian has strengthened the sector’s influence
Sprinkler Association (ABSpk) presented regarding federal and state legislation
live demonstrations of sprinkler systems changes. And in Colombia, the National
A L L TOO OF TEN, IT TAKES A Tower. The Federation was launched YouGov showed that 70 percent of
tragedy to stimulate the review of to help push the call for changes in business owners believed that complying
existing directives and practices. In regulations to try to help make buildings with building regulations meant their
the United Kingdom, International Codes more safe and sustainable. The IC&S property was also protected from fire. This
and Standards’(IC&S) efforts to upgrade team’s work within the Business Sprinkler is not necessarily the case!” FM Global has
fire regulations and increase the use of Alliance (BSA), which was formed in been working with groups and associations
sprinklers in industrial and commercial 2010 with FM Global’s support, and on three fronts: with government, to
buildings in the United Kingdom was the Fire Sector Federation, has focused shift the locus of regulation and build
brought into sharp focus following the largely on reviewing English Business evidence for why the upgrade is needed;
fire at the Grenfell Tower on June 14, Regulations guidance and to advocate for to encourage the construction community
2017. The blaze at the 24-story public the inclusion of property protection and to consider sprinklers, while looking at it
housing building in London claimed fire resilience provisions. from their angle and challenging the
71 lives; the tower was not sprinklered. aspects of cost and impact; and raising
The BSA also attended party conferences business owners’ awareness of the
Following the disaster, there has been in England and Scotland and briefed impact of fire and the need for resilience.
intense public interest and debate on politicians on the need for code revisions
fire risk based on information derived at industrial and commercial buildings to FM Global Research has also worked with
from the tragedy. This data has inspired try to help make businesses more resilient the IC&S team to look at the challenge of
many to question their knowledge of to fire. FM Global has also supported ACM construction. This combined effort
building construction, its impact on fire the wider sector with the call for the helped to deliver the research technical
risk and those conducting assessments of installation of sprinklers at existing report; “Evaluation of the Fire Performance
that fire risk. The topics of construction residential buildings. This effort has gained of Aluminum Cladding Material (ACM)
materials in the form of Aluminum traction. Several organizations are eager to Assemblies Using ANSI/FM 4880,”
Composite Material (ACM) and the adopt the recommendations, but funding highlighting the need for full-scale testing
increased use of automatic sprinklers for the work is a significant challenge. To of such systems and questioning the use
have been been featured heavily in help support the debate FM Global of desktop assessments. Both issues that
the discussions. delivered the paper “Grenfell: The Perfect have been themes of the debate in the U.K.
Formula for Tragedy.”
The U.K. government announced an FM Global has also furthered work on
Independent Building Regulations Roche notes that “the biggest challenge the Building Code Ranking, which gathers
Review (IBRR) under Dame Judith in the U.K. from a Codes and Standards data from existing codes worldwide to help
Hackitt, with full findings due in Spring perspective is that there is a long-established protect against fires and natural hazards
2018. Tom Roche, FM Global assistant building regulations system that has a fixed (storms, earthquakes, wildfires). The
vice president, senior codes and standards locus around life safety. Many people see project supports FM Global’s Resilience
consultant, helped draft the submission compliance with those regulations as an Index and added 30 countries to its index
from the Fire Sector Federation to the acceptable level of property protection – and noted several territories intend to
IBRR and the Public Inquiry on Grenfell a BSA survey that was conducted with implement additions to their codes.
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FIRE SAFETY GUIDANCE IN EU WAREHOUSES WITH
RESPECT TO INSTALLATION OF FIRE SPRINKLERS
U.K. regulation lags far behind European counterparts and sprinkler
regulation is a critical component.
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In India, IC&S is building
on its partnership with the
Indian Institute of Technology-
Madras (IIT-MADRAS), one
of the country’s foremost
universities for education,
and basic and applied research.
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and enhanced fire protection solutions
for various occupancies across India, and
improving the overall property protection
and life safety within the country.
China
Rachel Yin, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice President,
Senior Codes and Standards Consultant
FME Shanghai - 222 Hubin Road
Unit 03-09, 3rd Floor, One Corporate Avenue
Shanghai 31 200021
China
+86 (0)21 2329 8135