S-3, r. 2 - Regulation respecting safety in public buildings

Section 32 Disposition versions

2012-09-01

32. Fire alarm systems: Fire alarm systems shall be restricted to alert the occupants of a building in case of fire or any other disaster.

They shall be designed so that the triggering of a fire alarm box or smoke or heat detector instantly starts all alarms.

(1)  Fire alarm systems shall be installed:

(a)  in buildings occupied by people under legal restraint;

(b)  in buildings used for sleeping accommodation, except for apartment houses with no more than 4 apartments served by a common means of egress or apartment houses, hotels and motels not exceeding 3 stories in building height if each dwelling unit, room or suite of rooms rented individually is served by an outside exit leading to the ground level;

(c)  in schools of one storey or more intended for more than 125 pupils or 4 classrooms;

(d)  in any other public building except one-storey buildings when each portion of floor area provides direct access to the outside through doors at ground level.

The fire alarm system may be restricted to alert only employees if it is determined by the inspector that the destination of the building lends itself to panic conditions or if the carrying out of fire exit drills is not feasible.

Annunciators shall be provided for fire alarm systems in all buildings equipped with more than 12 manually operated fire alarm boxes.

(2)  Alarm gongs used as warning devices shall be located so as to provide at least:

(a)  one 100 mm diameter gong for each 100 m2 of floor area; or

(b)  one 150 mm diameter gong for each 500 m2 of floor area; or

(c)  one 250 mm diameter gong for each 1,200 m2 floor area.

(3)  Manual fire alarm boxes forming part of an electrical fire alarm system shall be installed where required so that:

(a)  from any part of a floor area, not more than 60 m will have to be traversed to reach a fire alarm box on the same floor; and

(b)  there is a fire alarm box provided within 7.5 m of each exit from the floor area.

(4)  In any building, with the exception of buildings provided with automatic sprinkler systems, where a fire alarm system is required, approved heat detectors shall be installed in all portions of the building used for storage, storage locker rooms, machinery rooms, heating rooms, incinerator rooms, elevator shafts, dumbwaiter shafts, chutes, janitors’ closets or other rooms where hazardous or flammable substances are used or stored and in any other room as required by the inspector.

(5)  When deemed necessary, smoke detectors connected with the fire alarm system may be required by the inspector for certain strategical parts of a building such as heating, ventilating or air conditioning systems which re-circulate air in buildings; such detectors shall be so installed that they will automatically stop the aforesaid systems.

These systems shall be approved by the CSA or by any other organization recognized by the inspector which may be present during tests or check the results thereof.

(6)  Except when they are equipped with automatic extinguishers, common corridors in a hospital centre or special care institution, more than 3 storeys high and less than 18 m above grade, must be provided with smoke detectors.

(7)  The alarm system and automatic fire detection system must be provided with an electrically supervised emergency power supply, when the following are required:

(a)  annunciators;

(b)  more than 12 manual fire alarm stations; or

(c)  more than 12 smoke or heat detectors.

(8)  The auxiliary power supply shall be capable of operating the whole alarm system for at least 5 minutes, 24 hours after the beginning of a power failure.

(9)  If the alarm system is operated by a battery, this battery shall not be used for any other purpose.

(10)  A fire alarm system installed after 2 September 1981, must be in accordance with the Standard ULC-S524-1978 Standard for the Installation of Fire Alarm Systems and Emergency Voice Communication Systems. Moreover, the elements of a fire alarm and detection system must be in accordance with the following standards:

(a)  ULC-S525-1978, Standard for Audible Signal Appliances for Fire Alarm Systems;

(b)  ULC-S527-1978, Standard for Control Units for Fire Alarm Systems;

(c)  ULC-S528-1978, Standard for Manually Actuated Signaling Boxes for Fire Alarm Systems;

(d)  ULC-S529-1978, Standard for Smoke Detectors for Fire Alarm Systems; and

(e)  ULC-S530-1978, Standard for Heat Actuated Fire Detectors for Fire Alarm Systems.

(11)  When a fire alarm system is not able to automatically transmit a signal to the fire department or to a constantly supervised central station, a written notice must be placed near each manually actuated signalling box mentioning that the fire department must be notified; this notice must be placed in a conspicuous place and indicate the telephone number of the fire department.

R.R.Q., 1981, c. S-3, r. 4, s. 32; O.C. 88-91, s. 27.