Academy of Architecture for Health

  • 1.  Smoke compartment doors signage

    Posted 09-30-2014 04:10 PM
    Hello,

    There has been a suggestion to add a decal or sign of some sort to cross-corridor smoke doors, so that clinical staff can easily identify where the next smoke compartment begins without referring to the emergency plans.  

    These doors are typically held open and close with the fire alarm.  There are numerous other cross-corridor doors so it is not always clear which is the smoke door versus a control door.

    I have seen signs commercially available that say "Fire door--please keep closed" but am wondering if anyone has seen a good example of smoke compartment door signage or symbols?  Thanks!


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    Heather Lewis AIA
    Manager, Architectural Services
    University of Michigan Hospitals & Health Services
    Ann Arbor MI
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  • 2.  RE: Smoke compartment doors signage

    Posted 10-01-2014 06:26 PM
    I have seen two types of signs.  The first was on the door header aligned with the center of the pair of doors that said "Smoke Wall".

    The second was rather large but typically not seen.  It was mounted on the pull side of the fire doors so when the door is being held open, they are not visible.  The sign said something to the effect of "Smoke compartment door - keep close during fire alarms".

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    Mark Paone AIA
    Principal
    Mark J. Paone, AIA Architect
    Orange CA
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  • 3.  RE: Smoke compartment doors signage

    Posted 10-20-2014 06:44 PM
    I agree this is a useful suggestion and could easily be located on the push bar exit device.

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    Michelle Lynn Teague AIA
    Project Architect
    Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects
    Little Rock AR
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  • 4.  RE: Smoke compartment doors signage

    Posted 10-21-2014 05:37 PM
    If staff isn't trained to know where the smoke compartmentation is as part of their emergency response training, the facility has bigger problems than signage can correct.  That's why signs aren't required in the Life Safety Code.  Note, by the way, that push bar exit devices are not required at smoke barrier doors (see NFPA 101 18.3.7.8(2) in the 2012 edition) unless they also serve as fire barriers.

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    John Rickard AIA
    President
    P3 Consulting
    Austin TX
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  • 5.  RE: Smoke compartment doors signage

    Posted 10-23-2014 11:45 AM
    I agree with John's comment below regarding proper staff training, which is critical to evacuation during a panic situation. Our firm has updated the fire evacuation plans for several of our clients after renovation projects, which they in turn use as a training tool for their staff. The fire evac plans includes the locations of the smoke compartment walls & doors. Several of our clients do use some type of sticker or signage at or above the door frame to identify the doors to the smoke. These stickers are primarily used as a tool by the facilities' maintenance staff to easily identify smoke compartment doors that need to be constantly monitored for proper operation.

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    F. Basilio Mercado AIA
    Senior Project Architect
    Plunkett Raysich Architects LLP
    Milwaukee WI
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  • 6.  RE: Smoke compartment doors signage

    Posted 10-21-2014 06:14 PM
    I too agree - alternate location is to place it on the door frame header - like a bumper sticker.  This will also allow for moving the location of the smoke barrier label at a later date when renovations or an expansion take place.

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    Hassan Nagendra AIA
    Director of Healthcare
    Roy Anderson Corp Contractors
    New Orleans LA
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  • 7.  RE: Smoke compartment doors signage

    Posted 10-21-2014 07:20 PM
    At Children's Medical Center in Dallas, we use a small decal about 2" square with a red "S" on a white background for the doors as a facility standard.  These are placed a couple of inches below the top of the door at the hinge side.  It was a standard from 4 or 5 years ago and is used throughout.  It is for just that purpose (clinical and safety)

    I am not the Director there anymore, but can put interested folks in touch with the internal professionals if desired.

    Hope it helps.

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    Clint Compton AIA
    Director
    The Innova Group - Strategic and Medical Planners
    Irving TX
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  • 8.  RE: Smoke compartment doors signage

    Posted 10-22-2014 01:13 PM
    Agreed good suggestion and helpful to all (including us in planning; suggest it could be something luminous such even in reduced evening lighting staff would gain familiarity and in greatest ot extremes of total failure would still be visible..............

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    Terry Schley AIA
    President
    Schley Architects
    Kalamazoo MI
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  • 9.  RE: Smoke compartment doors signage

    Posted 10-23-2014 05:44 PM
    Thank you all for your suggestions!  We are looking for simple (lean) ways to improve without additional sign "clutter" so I appreciate the discussion.

    There is a lot of transition in an academic medical center.  While posted evacuation drawings clearly show smoke compartments, in an emergency it might not be feasible to go look at the posted drawing to job one's memory.  Even I might not be certain in a crisis if a particular pair of cross-corridor doors were a smoke compartment or something else.

    I welcome any photos of these suggestions.  hglewis@umich.edu.