> Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:45:56 -0400
> From: "Walters, Kenneth" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Halon Fire System
>
> Good Afternoon Listserv members,
>
>
> Are there any legal requirements for Records Centers to have an halon
> fire protection system installed to protect records in the event of a
> fire? Does it vary from state to state? The law firm that I am employed
> with is located in Washington, DC and Irvine California. We currently
> have several decentralized records departments throughout the Firm.
> Most
> of the decentralized records departments does not have halon fire
> protection, which is a major concern for me in regards to disaster
> recovery and other potential liabilities for the Firm.=20
>
> I am currently working on an proposal to centralize all of our records
> functions into one centralized location. Besides other obvious reasons
> for centralization, If there are legal requirements to have a halon
> fire
> system in place, it would be a tremendous selling point that I can
> incorporate into my proposal. Any information you can provide will be
> greatly appreciated. Thanks.
>
There are no requirements for Halon or any other gaseous fire
suppression agent
in a records center. There are requirements for sprinkler systems in
records center
based on NFPA 13 which outlines sprinkler requirements. If your
racking will go
above 12' then you will also enter into requirements for in-rack
sprinkler systems.
If all you will be storing is paper documents, then there will not be a
requirement
for a fire suppression system. In fact, most fire marshals will fight
for water even
if you offered a gas suppression system alternative. They like water.
Due to the Montreal Accord, Halon should not be used for suppression in
environments
that call for a gaseous agent. For example, if you have a vital records
vault, you could use
a gas fire suppression system, water misting or water sprinklers for
the suppression
system within the vault. But if your vault is less than 5,000 cubic
feet in volume for the
chamber and your records are in enclosed cabinets or shelving, then you
are not required
to have any fire suppression within the vault.
If your records are considered vital or of a value requiring vaulting,
then certainly one
vault is far more cost efficient than two vaults. The larger vaults
increase in size, the lower
the cost per cubic foot of storage. If the vault is larger than 5,000
cubic feet and you do not
want your records to be water logged then a fire suppression system is
the way to go. Again,
one suppression system in a vault instead of systems within two
separate vaults is a cost saver.
A current trend is to vault the computer media along with the vital
paper documents. The inclusion
of the media dictates that you use a gas fire suppression system to
minimize the risk to the media.
Since destruction or even spoliation of the computer media and other
vital records creates risk for
the Principals in the firm, as well as the clients you represent due to
SOX and SEC requirements.
The fire suppression agents you should consider are 3M's NOVEC,
Grinnell calls it Sapphire and
Fike calls it ECRON 25 which are all EPA approved, environmentally
friendly, Zero Residue and
totally safe for your staff. FM-200 can also be used but it has some
health negatives for you.
I would also think that with new Identity Theft legislation on the
horizon, centralized records protection
would be easily sold to the principals. One set of video cameras on
the records, one set of card access,
one custodian, and so on. With one set of records, theft of the
records would be more easily tracked down.
Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
[log in to unmask]
(610) 756-4440 Fax (610) 756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM
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