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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
S
Member
An arbitrary number, amount, size, etc is just fine as long as it is dealt with in that context.

When lawyers litigate or students inquire on these figures they should be presented in this light, not like some theological stone tablet.

But this is what we have assumed in our complacency, a sect of NFPAocarats who would make a defined line of something obviously grey and hang thier hat on it.

Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 300
M
Member
An arbitrary number is all you could ever get no matter how good the reason.

Eventually you'd have to consider the actual cost of installing sprinklers and the actual cost of buildings burned down and compare that to the "cost" of lives lost or saved. And the dollar value placed on a life will always be nothing more than arbitrary.

There is no accurate way to solve this problem so 300 is as good a guess as any to me. Besides, a building with an occupancy of 300 persons is a much smaller building than you may realize.

Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 174
K
Member
Yes, but couldn't the number 300 be substantiated by saying a building with an occupancy of less than 300, having the required number of (available) exits could empty in X amount of time? And that has been found to be adequate amount of time to evacuate under "normal" fire conditions?

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 507
G
Member
Hi Kale,

Welcome to the board.

More likely the 300 number is based on the combined experience of the committee members who wrote that section of the code. It was proposed, beat around, and compromised upon, like all code issues are.

That in my opinion, is a resonable way to formulate a code. Just because you can generate a calculation based on facts related to a situation doesn't guarantee that you will get a better answer.

GJ

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
S
Member
and the disclaimers follow suit.....

Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 440
Likes: 3
Member
There may seem to be many arbitrary numbers used by the NFPA, and some of the numbers may in fact be arbitrary. I can't answer for the NFPA. I will say that 60 Minutes can skew a story to make it look any "way" they want it to. IMHO any time you watch a news story or any story for that matter, you are getting a distorted view. The old saying holds true. "Perception is life's cruelest form of reality." So, I will be careful in the position that I take in this matter, and I'll reserve any judgement until all the facts are on the table. I will also add that the NFPA is made up of imperfect human beings, and as a result, the NFPA is an imperfect organization.
Lastly, a resounding AMEN to Rowdy for the following:
Quote
Could we do without the NEC? NO!
I agree with you 100%.

From behind the pulpit,
Doc


The Watt Doctor
Altura Cogen
Channelview, TX
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