Where are Strobes Required?

There are a few code documents that discuss this question. NFPA101, International Building Code (IBC), and American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Firstly, it is clear that visual strobes should be installed in public areas anticipated to be used by hearing impaired individuals such as restrooms, hallways and building lobbies. Furthering the ADAAG document, states that common areas include meeting rooms, conference rooms, classrooms, cafeterias, filing, copy, employee break rooms, dressing, examination, treatment rooms and similar spaces that are not used solely as employee work areas. What!? Employee work areas do not require strobes?

This statement is once again stated in the ADAAG paragraph, “Where are visuals not required?”
ADAAG does not require that areas used by employees as work areas be fully accessible. Thus, visual alarms are not required in individual employee offices and work stations.

IBC 907.9.1 Visible Alarms has a similar chapter, “907.9.1.2. Employee Work Areas”.
Where employee work areas have audible alarm coverages, the notification appliance circuit serving the employee work area shall be initially designed with a minimum of 20 percent spare capacity to account for the potential of adding visible notification appliances in the future to accommodate hearing impaired employees.

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, 9.6.3.5.1. Areas not subject to occupancy by persons who are hearing impaired shall not be required to comply with the provisions for visible signals.

Often we are challenged with the task of determining strobe placement in Mega Industrial Warehouses and we often conclude why, when these spaces are not frequented by personnel with hearing impairment. These warehouse spaces have an industrial setting with skilled individuals working and performing their loading, unloading and sorting of work at a high level of speed. Workers on fork lifts are very much in a work space environment.

Further, if these warehouses are visited by a non-forklift operator, a trained facility escort often accompanies the visitor. No one is left alone for an extended period.

There are also concerns with locating visual strobes in a rack environment. Often operators of these facilities do not want any devices near the racking as it may interfere with loading and unloading of heavy pallets resulting in damage to the installed devices or causing a hazard with tumbling merchandise which could get hung up on wires or conduits.

So, the next option is to mount strobes high up on the ceilings which cause other design challenges as NFPA 72 references do not support design information above 30 feet. These are huge expenses for a space that may be exempted.

Let me make clear, there is a NFPA 72 Audible Notification requirement to be met.

1. The goal is still for the primary method of notification to be audible and provide proper audio notification throughout the facility. Measured audible alarm signals must meet or exceed 15DB over ambient noise levels throughout the entire space.
2. IBC does read that the fire alarm system design must take into consideration a 20% potential need of strobes if needed by a hearing-impaired employee.
3. If you knowingly hire or an employee expresses that they cannot hear the emergency audible alarm, you as the building owner, manager, or boss must make provisions to satisfy their needs.

With this said, there are areas of a warehouse that do require the installation of strobes. There are other support areas that serve the warehouse such as the office, bathrooms, waiting area, breakroom, locker room and interview rooms. These areas clearly require strobes.

Over the years, it has become customary to install horn strobe over every pull station, which are required every 400 feet on centers or no greater than 200 feet travel, NFPA 101 9.6.2.5. These locations can easily accommodate higher power strobes and audibles. They are also the ideal location to be placed as employees who are zipping in and out of the aisles can easily access them.

This subject warrants discussion with all Building and Fire Protection professionals, as the code leaves room for interpretation. Sometimes one needs to be practical. Strobes 30 feet or higher are not practical.