Two primary fire codes (International Fire Code (IFC) and NFPA 1: Fire Code) define the appropriate construction and supporting infrastructure that must be provided for storage battery rooms. These requirements often are overlooked because they are addressed in codes that aren’t regularly reviewed by electrical and mechanical engineers.
Common standards in the battery room include those from American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). Model codes are standards developed by committees with the intent to be adopted by states and local jurisdictions.
️Please click on the links below to hear the podcast episodes related to battery room design: Regarding ventilation requirements, the battery room should be well equipped with sufficient windows or exhaust fans to ensure proper ventilation and the removal of gases released during charging.
The International Fire Code (IFC) and NFPA 1: Fire Code need to be considered when specifying stationary storage battery systems to ensure public safety. In the eyes of life safety codes, the value of a building’s contents is never greater than the safety of the public.
This article does not cover maintenance free or computer room type batteries and battery cabinets in its Battery Room Design Requirements. The main keywords for this article are vented lead acid batteries, battery room safety requirements, Battery Room Ventilation, and unit substations electrical. Batteries can be hazardous to both personnel and equipment.
Care must be taken at the design and siting stage to ensure that there can be no ingress of moisture from fixed fire-fighting apparatus in rooms above the battery room. Since battery capacity and performance is affected by temperature, a stable ambient temperature of 20°C is sought within the battery room.