This standard prescribes fire protection requirements for correctional institutions to minimize risks to life and property and to protect and conserve the Government's financial position.
Contained use area means a supervised area containing one or more rooms in which occupant movement is restricted to a single room by security measures not under the control of the occupant, (see appendix A); (zone de détention cellulaire);
free access means access without barriers that require keys, special devices, remote releasing devices, or specialized knowledge of the opening mechanism, to an approved safe area, (see appendix A), (accès libre);
impeded egress zone means a supervised area in which occupants have free movement but require the release, by security personnel, of security doors at the boundary before they are able to leave the area, but does not include a contained use area, (see appendix A), (zone à sortie contrôlée);
listed means equipment or materials included in a list published by a nationally recognized organization concerned with product evaluation, that maintains periodic inspection of production of listed equipment or materials and whose listing states either that the equipment or material meets appropriate standards or has been tested and found suitable for use in a specified manner, (répertorié);
living unit means a building or portion thereof containing sleeping accommodation for inmates, and may include ancillary areas such as lounges, kitchenettes, showers, and janitor's closets. Family visiting units are not considered to be living units, (unité résidentielle).
CAN | National Standard of Canada |
CER | Communication Equipment Room |
CGSB | Canadian General Standards Board |
CSA | Canadian Standards Association |
CSC | The Correctional Service of Canada |
CF | Fire Commissioner of Canada or the authorized representative of the Fire Commissioner |
MCCP | Main Communication and Control Post |
NBC | National Building Code of Canada |
NFC | National Fire Code of Canada |
NFPA | National Fire Protection Association |
TB | Treasury Board |
ULC | Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada |
C | degree(s) celsius |
h | hour(s) |
kg | kilogram(s) |
kPa | kilopascal(s) |
L | litre(s) |
m | metre(s) |
mm | millimetre(s) |
No. | number(s) |
o.c. | on centre |
s | second(s) |
Except as otherwise provided in this standard, fire protection in all correctional institutions shall conform to the applicable requirements of:
Plans and specifications for all new construction, including additions and alterations, shall be submitted to the FC for review in accordance with the Treasury Board Fire Protection Standard for Design and Construction (chapter 3-2).
Major occupancies shall be separated from each other by fire separations in accordance with the requirements of the NBC.
Unless otherwise specified in this standard, hazardous materials, processes and operations shall conform to the requirements of the NFC. (See appendix A)
The storage, handling and use of explosives and ammunition shall be in accordance with the Explosives Act, R.S., c.102, S.1 and the Explosive Regulations published by the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources.
Height (Storeys) | Building area (m2) |
---|---|
1 | 2000 |
2 | 1500 |
3 | 1000 |
Exit signs shall be provided and placed over every exit door other than the main entrance to a building, and installed in accordance with the NBC.
This Section applies to the Main Communication and Control Post/ Communication Equipment Room (MCCP/CER) containing the main communication and security equipment, and facilities contained therein, such as washrooms and entrance lobby. (See appendix A)
Explanatory material
A-1.2(b) The FC should be consulted for direction on fire protection requirements for such buildings. As a minimum, farm buildings must comply with the applicable requirements of the NBC and Canadian Farm Building Code.
A-1.2(c) Community residential facilities includes both community residential centres and community correctional centres. Although sometimes referred to as institutions for administrative purposes by CSC, they are not institutional occupancies as defined by the NBC. Usually these facilities are considered to be residential occupancies as defined by the NBC.
A-1.3(b) The extent of application of this standard to the upgrading of existing buildings should be based on judgement and the merits of each case. The FC should be consulted for advice in assessing risk and determining priorities.
A-1.5(a) Any building with detention rooms is a contained use area. The most common examples are medium and maximum security living units.
In order to qualify as having free access, all required means of egress from a building or area must be without barriers. Otherwise, egress is considered to be impeded.
Impeded egress zones are buildings or portions thereof in which the occupants have some freedom of movement, but from which they cannot exit freely. Typical examples are operational buildings such as dining halls, recreation buildings, and training shops. Note that if any of the required means of egress are locked, egress is considered to be impeded.
A-3.2 (a) The following are examples of occupancy classifications that would apply to buildings having free access:
Kitchen and dining facilities/ | Group A/ | Division 2 |
Cuisines et salles à manger | Groupe A/ | Division 2 |
Recreation (Gymnasia)/ | Group A/ | Division 2 |
Salles de loisirs (gymnases) | Groupe A/ | Division 2 |
Socialization (Chapels, Libraries, Meeting Rooms)/ | Group A/ | Division 2 |
Salles communautaires (chapelles, bibliothèques, salles de réunion) | Groupe A | Division 2 |
Medical services/ | Group B/ | Division 2 |
Services médicaux | Groupe B | Division 2 |
Living units/ | Group C/ | |
Unités résidentielles | Groupe C | |
Administration/ | Group D/ | |
Administration | Groupe D | |
Maintenance and servicing/ | Group F/ | Division 2 |
Entretien et réparation | Groupe F | Division 2 |
Shops - Industrial/ | Group F/ | Division 2 |
Ateliers - industriels | Groupe F | Division 2 |
Shops - Stores - Garages/ | Group F/ | Division 2 |
Ateliers - entrepôts - garages | Groupe F | Division 2 |
A-3.2(b) These limits are placed on the size of combustible buildings for fire risk management reasons. The presence or absence of sprinkler protection has no effect on the application of the area limits in this table.
A-3.3(b) Individual cell doors may be keyed from one side only.
A-3.3(c) CSC has issued directives giving guidance and priorities for installing remote release devices on existing buildings.
A-3.5 Fire separations should be provided between all major functional areas. The fire resistance ratings of these separations should be consistent with the ratings required by the NBC for the separation of major occupancies. For example: an industrial workshop having impeded egress is by definition a Group B Division 1 occupancy. However, for the purposes of determining an appropriate fire separation, Table 3.1.3.A of the NBC should be applied as if the workshop was an F2 occupancy.
A-3.5(b) The term industrial use is used in this clause in lieu of industrial occupancy to avoid confusion with the occupancy classification as defined by the NBC. As noted above, an industrial use such as a workshop is still by definition a B1 occupancy if the means of egress are locked.
A-3.6(c) Padded materials should be evaluated on the basis of full-scale room fire tests that approximate the room dimensions and severe ignition scenarios to be expected in an institutional setting. One such test is California Standard No. 12-42-100, Room Fire Test For Wall and Ceiling Materials.
A-4.1 CSC has issued directives giving guidance on fire hazard control in inmate-occupied areas. For further details see CSC Commissioner's Directive No. 345 - Fire Safety.
A-4.3 CSC Commissioner's Directive No. 345 - Fire Safety - contains further guidance on combustible furnishings permitted in inmate-occupied areas.
A-4.3(a) In the past, the following materials have been found to be acceptable:
Other materials should be evaluated on the basis of tests representative of the severe ignition scenarios to be expected in an institutional setting. One such test is California Technical Bulletin No. 121, Flammability Test Procedure for Mattresses for Use in High Risk Occupancies.
A-4.3(c) The fire retardancy of furniture should be evaluated on the basis of full-scale fire tests representative of the severe ignition scenarios to be expected in an institutional setting. One such test is California Technical Bulletin No. 133, Flammability Test Procedure for Seating Furniture for Use in High Risk and Public Occupancies.
A-4.4(c) In a sprinklered floor area, the preferred method of fire suppression for cooking equipment is automatic sprinklers.
A-5.1(d) In areas with 2-stage fire alarm systems, a listed voice communication system is not required if there are other communication systems available that are adequate and reliable. In living units these systems should include all of the following: portable radios; public address system; and telephones at control posts.
A-5.2(a) For the purposes of this clause, family visiting units are not considered to be living units.
A-5.2(f) Where practicable, main valves should be located in a secure room or area having access directly from the exterior.
A-5.2(g) These security requirements are intended to be in addition to normal valve supervision. Supervision alone is not sufficient to prevent tampering in this type of occupancy.
A-5.3(a) The standpipe requirements exceed those of the NBC because: firefighting access to buildings is generally limited by security constraints; the available public fire department resources at most institution locations are limited; and fire hose systems are used by institutional staff to provide an initial firefighting response.
A-5.3(e) It is assumed that such buildings would have adequate fire department access and coverage from fire hydrants. If this is not the case, then the 65 mm connections should be installed.
A-5.3(f) Combined systems are a cost-efficient measure, particularly in view of the requirements of clauses (a) and (b). However, approval must be site-specific to ensure that the combined system can meet both fire protection and security criteria.
A-5.7(b) It is recognized that strict compliance may not be practical with some institution designs. In such cases the FC, the Fire Department Official, and the Administrative Official should consult on alternative firefighting provisions.
A-6.1(d) Due to the limitations on fire department response at most institutions, a high residual pressure is specified so that one or two hose streams can be supplied directly from a hydrant.
A-8.3(a) CSC Commissioner's Directive No. 345 - Fire Safety - includes requirements for the investigation and reporting of fires and false alarms by CSC staff.
A-9.1 There is usually only one MCCP in an institution. The requirements of this Section are not intended to apply to local control posts.
Reference publications
This standard refers to the following codes and standards which are not found in this volume:
Fire Commissioner of Canada standards
301 - Construction Operations
302 - Welding and Cutting
403 - Sprinkler Systems
These standards may be obtained from the Fire Commissioner of Canada, Labour Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A OJ2, or from regional offices of Labour Canada.
Treasury Board publication
Treasury Board Manual
Materiel, Services and Risk Management volume
Fire Protection, Investigation and Reporting (Part III, chapter 5)
This volume may be purchased from the Canada Communication Group - Publishing, 45 Sacré-Coeur Blvd., Hull, Québec, K1A 0S9.
Correctional Service of Canada publication
Commissioner's Directive No. 345 - Fire Safety
This directive may be obtained from the Correctional Service of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0P9.
CSA standards
C22.1 - Canadian Electrical Code
C282 - Emergency Electrical Power Supply for Buildings
Canadian Standards Association Standards may be purchased from the Canadian Standards Association, 178 Rexdale Blvd., Rexdale, Ontario, M9W 1R3.
NFPA standards
96 - Installation of Equipment for Removal of Smoke and Grease-Laden Vapors from Commercial Cooking Equipment
National Fire Protection Association Standards may be purchased from FIPRECAN, 2425-1 Don Reid, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 1A4.
National Research Council of Canada publications
National Building Code of Canada
National Fire Code of Canada
These Codes may be purchased from the Institute for Research in Construction, National Research Council, Ottawa, Ontario K1A OR6.
Maximum building area permitted for combustible construction
OCCUPANCY | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
A-2 | 1600 * | 800 | NP | NP |
B-2 | 1000 | 500 | NP | NP |
C | 2400 | 1200 | 800 | NP |
D | 4800 | 2400 | 1600 | NP |
F-1 | 800 | 400 | NP | NP |
F-2 | 3200 | 1600 | 1070 | 800 |
NP - Not permitted.
* - May be up to 3200 with heavy timber roof assembly