Flat Roof Fire Hazard

Class a is the highest rating offering the highest resistance to fire and unrated is the worst.

Flat roof fire hazard.

After all thermal insulation can and should continuously and completely envelop the buildings we occupy. On august 2 1978 six new york city firefighters were killed and 34 were injured fighting a fire in a supermarket. Even wires protected by junction boxes and insulation materials are not completely safe. During a fire and chemical safety inspection at a new roofing apprenticeship training center multiple flammable toxic and hazardous chemical products were discovered throughout the facility.

Do you know where the firefighter killer hides. Over non combustible roof decks such as steel poured gypsum or concrete only the spread of flame on the top surface of the roof system is evaluated. Flat roofs usually come with a 10 to 20 year warranty but can last 25 years if you build the roofs right and maintain them using commonsense rules. Astm e108 defines fire test methods for roof coverings.

See the 13 reasons foam fails here for an idea of what it means to be an accelerant take a look at the video below produced. Many roof accidents involve trips or falls from heights that result in hundreds of deaths annually and scores of other non fatal injuries. Reason foam fails 2 unacceptable fire hazard is it really too much to ask that our thermal insulation not be a fire accelerant. All three types of flat roofing cost 250 to 350 per square 100 square feet but prices vary according to region and size of the roof.

It can also lead to wire shorting issues. Roofers encounter many hazards on the job including hazards associated with working at heights and from ladders power tools electricity noise hazardous substances and extreme temperatures. These tests may be conducted at ul inc fm global or any other certified testing laboratory. Roofing hazards overview roofs aren t designed for constant foot traffic yet inspections and repairs require workers to tread lightly across membranes and metal panels.

Fire ratings for roofs are classified as either class a class b class c or are unrated if a roof covering cannot meet the requirements for any of these classifications. Obviously using an open flame torch to install torch down roofing systems can pose a fire risk. Torch down roofing is a type of roofing that consists of layers of modified bitumen adhered to layers of fiberglass with a flame torch. A leaky roof could cause electrical wirings in the ceiling or attic to malfunction.

E108 defines the following conditions. Torch down roofing is used only for flat or low slope roofs. Falls from roofs accounted for nearly 1 200 or 34 of the fall deaths during that period.