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UT System Administration Policy Library -- Policy UTS135
Fire and Life Safety Reviews |
Responsible Officer: Executive Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs
Sponsoring Office: Office of Facilities Planning and Construction, Office of Risk Management, Real Estate Office
Effective Date: December 10, 2004
Last Reviewed: November 1, 2006
Next Scheduled Review: Novebmer 1, 2010
Errors or changes to: policyoffice@utsystem.edu
CONTENTS
Policy Statement
Rationale
Scope
Website Address For This Policy
Related Statutes, Policies, Requirements Or Standards
Contacts
Definitions
Responsibilities
Procedures
Forms Tools/Online Processes
Appendix
POLICY STATEMENT
Buildings owned or leased by UT System or any of its institutions and used for campus purposes shall comply with the National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code 101 (NFPA 101) or, when applicable, Code 101A (NFPA 101A) adopted and enforced by the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office of the Texas Department of Insurance, as such codes may be amended or supplanted from time to time. This policy governs acquisitions of real property with buildings to be used for campus purposes, whether the acquisition of the real property interest is by gift, purchase, or lease, and conversions of buildings that are to be used for campus purposes.
RATIONALE
It is the policy of The University of Texas System and any of its institutions to ensure that, before the UT System uses any building for campus purposes, it is in compliance with the applicable fire and life safety code. Consequently, advance inquiry must be made about the fire and life safety features of any building that the UT System or any of its institutions proposes to acquire or to convert for campus purposes. Additionally, this policy requires an evaluation of the fire and life safety deficiencies of the building and of the corrective actions or renovations required to remedy the deficiencies.
SCOPE
All institutions and UT System Administration
WEBSITE ADDRESS FOR THIS POLICY
http://www.utsystem.edu/policy/policies/uts135.html
RELATED STATUTES, POLICIES, REQUIREMENTS OR STANDARDS
UT System Administration Policies & Standards |
Other Statutes, Policies & Standards |
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CONTACTS
If you have any questions about UT System Administration Policy UTS 135, Fire and Life Safety Reviews, contact the following offices:
DEFINITIONS
Assembly Occupancy: As defined by the NFPA, a building (1) used for a gathering of 50 or more persons for deliberation, worship, entertainment, eating, drinking, amusement, awaiting transportation, or similar uses; or (2) used as a special amusement building, regardless of occupant load.
Building Used for Campus Purposes: A building or space within a building that is used by UT System or any of its institutions for education, research, patient care, auxiliary enterprises, business functions, or such other related purposes and uses for the furtherance and fulfillment of the missions of the UT System or any of its institutions and that is intended for human occupancy.
Institution Staff Member Responsible for Campus Safety: The staff member at an institution who is responsible for campus safety and who may have the job title of Director of Environmental Health and Safety, University Fire Marshal or Institution Safety Officer. The term also includes that staff member’s designee.
Institution Staff Member Responsible for Campus Structures: The staff member at an institution who is responsible for campus structures and who may have the job title of Director of Campus Planning or Physical Plant Director. The term also includes that staff member’s designee.
Life Safety Evaluation: An evaluation to determine a building’s compliance with the edition of the NFPA 101 or, when applicable, NFPA 101A, adopted and enforced by the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office of the Texas Department of Insurance at the time of building acquisition or conversion.
Qualified Campus Safety Staff Member: Campus safety staff member or university fire marshal with the following qualifications: Board of Certified Safety Professionals - Certified Safety Professional; National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 1031) Certified Fire Inspector; a certification currently recognized by the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office of the Texas Department of Insurance; or a person deemed qualified by the institution’s head of Environmental Health & Safety.
Special Structure: As defined by the NFPA, special structures are open structures, towers, water-surrounded structures, piers, vehicles and vessels, underground, and windowless structures.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Fire Protection-Engineering Firm
- Performs a Life Safety Evaluation on campus buildings whenever the building is over seven stories high or classified by the NFPA as a high-rise structure; or the building is intended to be used as a medical treatment facility, a research laboratory, a dormitory, assembly occupancy, or a special structure.
- Prepares and delivers to the chief business officer a written report that notes all deficiencies, if any that may prevent the building from meeting applicable NFPA 101 or NFPA 101A standards.
Qualified Campus Safety Staff Member
- Performs a Life Safety Evaluation on campus buildings.
- Prepares and delivers to the chief business officer a written report that notes all deficiencies, if any that may prevent the building from meeting applicable NFPA 101 or NFPA 101A standards.
System Property Insurance Carrier Engineer
- Performs a Life Safety Evaluation on campus buildings.
- Prepares and delivers to the chief business officer a written report that notes all deficiencies, if any that may prevent the building from meeting applicable NFPA 101 or NFPA 101A standards.
Chief Business Officer
- Consults with the institution staff member responsible for campus safety to determine if a Life Safety Evaluation should be performed.
- Directs the institution staff member responsible for campus structures or the institution staff member responsible for campus safety to gather preliminary data outlined in the procedures regarding the building.
- Reviews the Life Safety Evaluation and decides to proceed with acquisition or conversion of a campus building, or abandon the acquisition or conversion, to change to a more compatible use, to demolish the structure, or to continue the evaluation of the possible corrective actions and renovations.
- Prepares a plan that outlines when and how all identified NFPA 101 or NFPA 101A deficiencies will be corrected or a plan to implement alternative fire and life safety measures that are satisfactory to the State Fire Marshal.
- Establishes a budget for the corrective action plan or alternative fire and life safety measures plan.
- Sends a copy of the plan and budget to the Office of Risk Management for informational purposes.
Institution Staff Member Responsible for Campus Safety
The Institution
- Pays all costs to perform a Life Safety Evaluation.
UT System Administration’s Office of Risk Management
- Is available to assist with negotiations with the State Fire Marshal.
PROCEDURES
When Required. A Life Safety Evaluation shall be performed under the following circumstances:
- Before a decision is made by an institution to acquire real property that has any building(s) to be used for campus purposes; and before a building owned or leased by the UT System or any of its institutions that is not used for campus purposes is converted to a building used for campus purposes.
- A Life Safety Evaluation may need to be performed when an institution proposes to convert a building that is currently used for campus purposes to a different use that is also for campus purposes. The institution’s chief business officer shall consult with the institution staff member responsible for campus safety to determine if a Life Safety Evaluation should be performed.
Information to Be Collected. Before deciding whether to acquire or convert a building covered by this policy, the institution’s chief business officer shall direct the institution staff member responsible for campus structures or the institution staff member responsible for campus safety to gather the following preliminary data regarding the building:
- Last or current occupancy type
- Historic changes in occupancy
- Approximate age and general use
- Special hazards or processes
- Previous fire history
- Results of previous fire safety inspections
- Fire safety equipment (original or additional)
- Functionality and general condition of all fire and life safety features that may be considered inherent to the structure
Assessment Checklist. The institution’s staff member may elect to complete the Preliminary Building Risk Assessment Checklist in order to collect some of the preliminary data.
Decision to Proceed. Such preliminary data will be forwarded to the institution’s chief business officer and the institution staff members responsible for campus structures and safety. If, based upon review of the preliminary data, and after consultation with the institution staff members responsible for campus structures and safety, the chief business officer decides to proceed with acquisition or conversion of the building, a Life Safety Evaluation shall be performed.
Who Will Perform Evaluation. A Life Safety Evaluation must be conducted by a fire protection-engineering firm, by a qualified campus safety staff member, or by the System property insurance carrier engineer (if available as an additional service under UT System’s Comprehensive Property Protection Program). Refer to the Definitions section of this policy for the definitions of qualified campus safety staff member, assembly occupancy and special structure.
Preparation of Report. The person who conducts the Life Safety Evaluation shall prepare and deliver to the chief business officer a written report that notes all deficiencies, if any, that may prevent the building from meeting applicable NFPA 101 or NFPA 101A standards. Unless a donor, lessor, or other outside party agrees to pay for the Life Safety Evaluation, the institution shall pay all costs to perform a Life Safety Evaluation.
Corrective Action. Upon review of the Life Safety Evaluation Report, and after consultation with the institution staff members responsible for campus structures and safety, the institution’s chief business officer may decide to abandon the acquisition or conversion, to change to a more compatible use, to demolish the structure, or to continue the evaluation of the possible corrective actions and renovations. The continued evaluation should take into consideration the actual costs of the corrective actions/renovations, the indirect costs resulting from the delay in use of the building, and the advantages to be gained by the use of the building. The institution staff members responsible for campus structures and safety will be consulted regarding corrective action/renovation matters. In addition, UT System Administration’s Office of Facilities Planning and Construction (OFPC) will be consulted regarding corrective action/renovation matters if the magnitude of the corrective action/renovation would normally require management by OFPC.
Approval of Corrective Action Plan. If the chief business officer elects to acquire or convert a building for which the Life Safety Evaluation notes NFPA 101 or NFPA 101A deficiencies, the chief business officer shall prepare a plan that outlines when and how all identified NFPA 101 or NFPA 101A deficiencies will be corrected or a plan to implement alternative fire and life safety measures that are satisfactory to the State Fire Marshal. UT System Administration’s Office of Risk Management shall be available to assist with negotiations with the State Fire Marshal. The chief business officer shall also establish a budget for the corrective action plan or alternative fire and life safety measures plan. The chief business officer shall send a copy of the plan and budget to the Office of Risk Management for informational purposes.
FORMS AND TOOLS/ONLINE PROCESSES
Preliminary Building Risk Assessment Checklist
APPENDIX
None
keywords: fire, buildings, life safety evaluation, facilities, real estate
