TRAINING
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The more your team knows about firestop, the better prepared they can be as a construction or a renovation project gets underway. Halpert Life Safety believes that training and education about firestop is critical for the life-safety of the building, for the lives of the occupants and first responders, and for the protection of the building and its inventory. Let’s face it, no one wants to sit through a class on building codes and fire test standards, until they have fire dynamics taught by a former kindergarten teacher. One you have attended one class, you will see the difference. Sharron LOVES teaching about firestop and passive fire protection.
Here are some of the ways we can help:
Firestop Coffee Break Training
We have a training that is designed to fit into your life as easy as a coffee break. You can watch on your computer, tablet or even download an app on your phone so the training is ready whenever you want. The training is a series of videos that are all 5-20 min long. So like building blocks, you add one to another and when you are done you have a whole new understanding to the topic at hand.
Click on the titles to see a short video with more information about the course and from there you can find the registration link if it sounds interesting. We are constantly developing new courses so let us know what you want us to cover and if enough of you agree we will build it just for you! If you goal is to build better then you are in the right place!
Check out the coffee break sessions here. These courses off ICC CEU’s:
Firestop 101- Fire rated joints This is so much more than a basic course!
Fireblocking- Can I use foam? Watch the video, the answer might surprise you!
FREE TRAINING (sorry not CEU’s)
How to reduce firestop headaches: The best way is to have a plan for your project that includes firestop. This free training will give you the basics for how to do that. If you need more help, just give us a shout!
Training for Authorities Having Jurisdiction
Our training is focused on ensuring that inspectors understand:
- How to tie building codes and UL listings together during an inspection
- Why installers should have submittals on site during an inspection, and inspectors needn’t carry them
- How to look for more than just “the red stuff”
- Some tricks to a better inspection that will elicit superior workmanship from your installers
- We even impart super powers to people by the end of the class. If you wonder how, contact us to arrange a training for your inspectors.
Training for Building Management Teams
The Facility Manager is responsible for the safety of the building and it’s occupants. The firestop in your building might meet the building code when the doors first open. But as the years pass and renovations, repairs, upgrades, or even as building codes changes occur, is it still up-to-code? For example, an upgrade of IT infrastructure often means punching holes through rated walls. No matter how small, this hole breaches the integrity of the fire rated wall unless it is properly firestopped.
There are accommodations that need to be made to ensure firestop is properly installed throughout the life of the building. But first your building management and maintenance team needs to know what to look for. We can train them to:
- Understand what firestop is and why it’s so essential
- Recognize what projects could compromise existing firestop related life safety areas
- Know how to work with project vendors to ensure that they incorporate firestop methods in their plans
- Evaluate whether or not plans are followed and that UL listed systems are installed properly
- Manage paperwork during construction or renovations and use these documents later during annual reviews or during subsequent renovations or building maintenance.
Training for Hospital Maintenance Staff
HLS Consulting can work with your maintenance team. If you have the in house staff to perform the work, we can help make sure they know exactly how to do the work properly and when to ask for help. If you have a small maintenance team we can help put procedures in place to ensure your outsourced workers are installing firestop that meets your facility’s needs.
We can even help with our own thorough review of the facility prior to JCAHO visits. Regardless of the size of your facility, the size of your maintenance team, or the size of your budget, we want to help make sure that your patients and staff are as safe as possible.
Did you know that a properly firestopped building will afford additional benefits of reduced noise transfer? It has also been documented that a properly firestopped building can assist in reducing the rate of nosocomial infection. A well-firestopped building increases the level of life safety as well as customer satisfaction.
Developers and Real Estate Professionals
Before selling a building, it should be brought up to current code by the owner. If you request a preliminary inspection of a high rise structure prior to your purchase negotiations, we can give you a cost-effective analysis that will likely provide some leverage to command a better price.
Are you between tenants and want to evaluate the rated assemblies to be sure nothing was done to create a position of liability for your company? We can review documents and the tenant space to ensure everything is still code compliant.
If you are planning a new building, we can help you document the firestop through rigorous quality control measures and complete documentation tracking. Once your building is ready to open, you will know the firestop is correct. Even better, you will have the documentation to prove it. This information can be used and updated as your tenant occupancy changes, so you can feel confident that your liability remains at a minimum.
Did you know that a properly firestopped building will afford additional benefits of reduced noise transfer? In residential projects, it also reduces the potential for cooking odors to migrate to adjacent units. A well-firestopped building increases safety as well as customer satisfaction.
Training for 3rd Party Special Inspectors
If your company currently conducts third party special inspections for waterproofing, concrete, steel, fireproofing or other trades, please don’t think that you can just step into the role of inspecting firestop without any training. You will create a position of liability for your company. You will give installers a false sense of security in their work and you will damage the industry.
If you are thinking about adding this specialty to your current offering, please contact us to see why you need to have specialized training. We can ask you a short list of questions and if you answer them correctly, we will give you a pat on the back and tell you you’re probably good to go. If you miss a few of the questions, you may want to consider letting us train your inspectors.
We can also offer a quality control review of your documentation and follow up training to ensure your team is on top of their game, which will help keep your liability in check.
Halpert Life Safety Consulting LLC is a leading provider of firestop-related life safety and passive fire protection solutions. We consult for the building industry in the New York/New Jersey (NY/NJ) metropolitan area, as well as across the United States and internationally.
Contact Us Today to learn how we can make your next project run more smoothly!
Phone: 201-250-4193
Email: info@halpertlifesafety.com