Fire Suppression System Codes

Having your fire suppression system properly maintained makes a world of difference when it comes to protecting your restaurant against fire. Cooking appliances are usually using open flame as the primary heating source, so it is vital for you to have the right program and tools in place to protect your restaurant facility and its people in the worst-case scenario.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 17a and 96, set out your responsibilities and requirements for cleaning, maintenance, inspection and testing of your kitchen suppression system. These codes require you to use a certified fire protection professional approved by your local authority to conduct all semi-annual inspections and tests of your fire suppression system.

UL300

Fire test standard UL 300 has been a major factor in significant changes in how commercial cooking operations are protected from fire. This report looks at the background of UL 300 and changes in related NFPA National Fire Code documents.

In 1998, a revolution in the fire protection of commercial cooking operations occurred. Several key fire protection standards were revised. While protection requirements for new installations seemed clear, fire protection professionals found themselves in a quandary over existing installations.

The changes raised doubts about the ability of existing fire protection systems to provide adequate protection. Questions arose as to which systems needed to be upgraded, the length of transition time that should be allowed, and the difference in loss exposure between existing protection and new criteria.

A driving force behind this fire protection revolution is one fire test standard developed by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL). First issued in 1992, UL 300, Standard for Safety for Fire Testing of Fire Extinguishing Systems for Protection of Restaurant Cooking Areas, affects how kitchen fire protection systems are tested. The revised standard is intended to provide test conditions which more closely resemble the hazards faced in “real world” fire situations.

To date, no dry chemical system has been listed under UL 300. However, existing dry chemical systems (separate from the system protecting the cooking appliance) may still be used for plenum and duct protection. UL 300 requires that multiple appliances be covered individually unless a specific listing is in the manufacturer’s design, installation, and maintenance manual and the manufacturer must specifically test this arrangement under the UL 300 test standard.

All new restaurant fire protection systems manufactured after the above effective dates must comply with UL 300 to qualify for a UL Listing. Those systems, which receive the UL listing, are published in UL’s annual Fire Protection Equipment Directory.

New Installations

All new restaurant fire protection systems manufactured after the effective date of November 1994 must comply with UL 300 to qualify for a UL Listing. In addition, NFPA 96 requires that such fire-extinguishing systems comply with UL 300. Used systems (or new systems manufactured prior to November 1994) that do not comply with UL 300 should not be installed.

Existing Installations

UL does not “unlist” restaurant fire protection systems that were listed prior to the implementation of UL 300. Such systems continue to qualify as a Listed product as long as the system is in compliance with its original Listing requirements.