Departmental Procedures & Guidelines for Inspections, Certifications, Load Testing, Repairs & Painting of Fire Escapes
Inspections by Structural Engineers, Fire Escape Engineers or others acceptable to the Official:
In layman’s terms, the city official is looking for a registered structural engineer or others qualified and acceptable by the Fire/Code Official to do a Critical Examination in lieu of a Live Load Test (criteria submitted or discussed prior to inspection) and issues written verification and certification that all connections are free of internal rust or rot as well as all original hardware (square head bolts or rivet) are reinforced and or replaced in lieu of Live Load Test. All supports (thru-bolts or cemented) into the wall must be verified and certified in lieu of Live Load Test. A fire escape confidence test and tag must be submitted if fire escape passed. The report with photos identifying violations for repairs must include repair criteria submitted to the official for repair vendor to use as a guide during and with engineer oversight of permitted repairs. A Fire Escape Confidence Test and tags identifying certified condition are then submitted. Recommended cycle for live load testing is 20 yrs after total refurbishment or as required by official.
Repairs by Ornamental Ironworkers, Welding Companies or others acceptable to the Official:
In layman’s terms, the city official is looking for a qualified licensed repair vendor to do all work under repair permit (if required) with engineer oversight of repair criteria submitted for approval to the official in lieu of Live Load Test. All connections must be free of internal rust or rot, spot primed and sealed. All worn material repaired and or replaced. All supports into wall reinforced, repaired and certified in a Fire Escape Confidence Test. In lieu of Live Load Test, all square head bolts, rivets and or welded connections must be certified, reinforced and or replaced based on age or condition. All ladders and cantilevers must be balanced and drop 2-3 ft per second, hit the ground and stay down and must lead to a public way. All roof ladders must be secure. No full painting of any fire escape until all spot painted repairs are inspected and certified under engineer oversight and or city official permit sign-off. Full replacement is subject to permits and or possible code upgrade requirements.
Painting by EPA Licensed Renovators (if lead paint is present) or others acceptable to Official:
In layman’s terms, the city official is looking for a paint vendor (EPA Certified Renovator if required) to do all work as per EPA Guidelines due to the fact that all fire escapes older than 1978 are presumed to have lead (EPA) unless identified as no lead or low lead by a licensed lead inspector. Entire building will be notified with signage and all precautions shall be taken to collect paint chips at grade. No sandblasting or power assisted scraping without full fire escape encapsulation under EPA Guidelines. All major connection shall be sealed from water intrusion before during or after painting. All escapes should be spot painted every 3-5 yrs and fully painted every 5-10 yrs or as needed or ordered by a Fire/Code Official.
Fire Escape Codes:
MASS BUILDING CODE 1001.3 TESTING AND CERTIFICATION ALL EXTERIOR BRIDGES, STEEL OR WOODEN STAIRWAYS, FIRE ESCAPES AND EGRESS BALCONIES SHALL BE EXAMINED AND OR TESTED, AND CERTIFIED FOR STRUCTURAL ADEQUACY AND SAFETY EVERY FIVE YEARS, BY A MASS REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER, OR OTHER QUALIFIED AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE BUILDING OFFICIAL, WHO SHALL THEN SUBMIT AN AFFIDAVIT TO THE BUILDING OFFICIAL.
NFPA Lifesafety Code 101 7.2.8.6.2 The authority having jurisdiction shall be permitted to approve any existing fire escape Stair that has been shown by load test or other satisfactory evidence to have adequate strength.
For more information please visit our website at https://fireescapeengineers.com or call 866-649-0333
Fire Escape Engineers is an approved member of the Fire Escape Services Network https://www.fireescpeservices.com and a founding member of the National Fire Escape Association (NFEA) https://www.nationalfireescapeassociation.org
Heavy duty aluminum bar clamping system that enables owners of vehicles, heavy equipment and boats to mount lights or other equipment to square or round tubes, bars or rails. The adjustable clamping system cinches to size around rails of different diameters and can handle payloads to 40 pounds under extreme vibration.
The bar clamp mount is made from aluminum and is available in 3 finishes, including black anodize, clear anodize and white. The bar clamp mount adjusts to fit bars, rails, racks, etc. with square or tubular dimensions ranging from 7/8 inch to 1.75 inches in diameter. There are 2 sets of interlocking brackets which are cinched around the square or round tube, using the imbedded 1/4-20 stainless steel, socket head bolts.
A mounting plate attaches to the clamps, creating a mounting surface for just about anything. Existing mounting holes include the mounting pattern for the Golight Stryker spotlights, Golight Radioray spotlights, all High Intensity Discharge (HID) equipment lights, HID boat lights and LED spotlight bars and LED spreader floodlight bars.
3/8 inch hole in the center accommodates post mount lights (like the Acro HID off road lights, 24 volt equipment lights, 12 volt flood lights, Vision-X HID lights and Duralux HID equipment lights and the Magnalight permanent mount lights). The platform also accommodates the 5-inch diameter, 200 pound grip magnets popular with our 12/24 volt DC spotlights, including the HML-6M, HML-5M, HML-7M, HML-8M, etc. with the addition of the magnetic mounting plate (or magnetic stainless steel mounting plate).
A one inch hole enables access for wire harnesses and power cords.
The design of the bar clamp enables the operator to position horizontally or vertically. 2 sets of mounting holes offer the operator the ability to mount the aluminum bracket system on the top or the side of the brackets. Thus this bracket system can be mounted on horizontal rails, bars or tubes. This was in response to customer’s demand for mounting solutions for vertical rails on pumping trucks, etc
This clamping system is effective on heavy equipment, boats, ATVs, trucks, toy haulers, etc.
BC-1 Bar Clamp Mount – clear anodize – HID-1870-F HID Flood Light Mounted.
This rail mount solution is effective for magnetic mount lights as well. We have a magnetic stainless steel plate (yes, some stainless steel has magnetic properties) that can be attached to the existing mounting patterns on this light. MMP-2 is the part number for this magnetic mounting plate. With this plate in place, you can remove a light like the GL-3067-M when not in use, but it will stay firmly affixed during use.
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