Information contained in a new Occupational Safety and Health Administration manual may help increase the safety of building occupants and emergency responders, according to its publisher. Fire Service Features of Building and Fire Protection Systems is designed to help streamline fire service interaction with building features and fire protection systems.

“Our new booklet offers practical and important information that can help save lives,” said OSHA’s Assistant Secretary of Labor Edwin Foulke Jr. “Fire service can be very dangerous work, and our new manual is one more resource that can be used to help keep firefighters and other emergency responders safe.”

The 72-page manual explains how fire service operations can be influenced by building design considerations — hydrant locations, access to supply connections, marking of valves and standpipes, and so forth — and offers information that design professionals can use to help facilitate fire service operations. The manual includes chapters and narratives on building and site design, sprinkler systems, standpipe systems, fire department connections, fire alarm and communications systems, as well as various firefighting systems. The material also will have application with respect to other emergency events, such as hazmat releases, emergency medical care, non-fire rescues and terrorist events.

OSHA does point out, however, that while the publication focuses on ways that building and fire protection system designers can contribute to the efficiency of fire suppression operations, the manual is only advisory in nature and informational in content. OSHA suggests it be used voluntarily, as a companion to mandatory and advisory provisions in building codes, life safety codes, fire codes, safety regulations and installation standards for fire protection systems.

The publication can be downloaded at no charge in PDF format from the OSHA Web site. Copies also can be obtained by calling OSHA's publications office at 202-693-1888.