POLICY FIRE PROTECTION FOR AIRCRAFT HANGARS

FS-07

CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION: 2
2. REFERENCES: 2
3. POLICY:... 2

4. AMENDMENT HISTORY: 8

First Edition: January 2003

ACTFB Policy No. 7

Aircraft Hangars

Page 1

FIRE PROTECTION FOR AIRCRAFT HANGARS

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Aircraft hangars are large uncompartmented buildings with high fuel loads. They represent high to extreme fire hazards due to the possibility of a large uncontrolled fire occurring within them and the profound difficulty responding fire services would experience with effective firefighting for life and property protection. Aircraft hangars are normally located outside the accepted distances from urban fire stations that are staffed by professional firefighters. This is a major consideration despite the likely availability of aviation firefighters being present on the aerodrome.

2.0 REFERENCES
Building Code of Australia 1996 -As amended (BCA) NFPA 409 Standard on Aircraft Hangars Dept of Defence - MFPE Aircraft Hangars Fire Safety AS2419.21 Fire Hydrant Installations AS4391 Hot Smoke Tests AS1940 The Storage and Handling of Flammable & Combustible Liquids. AS3745 Emergency Control Organisations in Buildings, Structures and Workplaces AS1841.5 Portable Fire Extinguishers Powder Type AS1841.6 Portable Fire Extinguishers - CO2 Type AS2444 Portable Fire Extinguishers Selection and Location

3.0 POLICY
3.1 When designing a particular aircraft hangar, the design objectives of the fire safety measures to be implemented should be clearly defined and agreed on by the design team and the ACTFB at the earliest possible stage. This is in recognition that each hangar should be separately assessed to determine the optimum fire safety measures. These objectives should address the particular needs and concerns of all the key stakeholders in the aircraft hangar. The objectives of the fire safety measures taken should include but not be limited to the following: To alert the building occupants and the ACTFB to the presence of combustion in the hangar at the earliest possible stage To ensure occupants can safely egress the hangar before untenable conditions are reached

ACTFB Policy No. 7

Aircraft Hangars

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To provide trained personnel who normally occupy the hangar with the resources necessary to attempt to suppress or control a fire within the hangar whilst it is safe to do so To minimise damage to aircraft and equipment To minimise avoidable disruptions to the activities within the hangar To minimise the likelihood and actual occurrences of false alarms To avoid property damage to adjacent buildings and structures To avoid damage to the environment by harmful and toxic emissions resulting from a fire or hazchem incident To provide the ACTFB with the building design and resources necessary to fulfil their statutory obligations in relation to the protection of life and property To ensure all active fire safety systems operate as designed and when required to do so throughout the life of the building.

3.2 When designing an aircraft hangar, reference design and fire safety measures documentation is to be agreed on by the design team and the ACTFB for the purposes of benchmarking, researching, scoping or pursuing required design and fire safety measures. Such documentation shall include the BCA and may also include but not limited to NFPA 409 Standard on Aircraft Hangars and MFPE Chapter 8 Aircraft Hangars Fire Safety.

3.3 Should an aircraft hangar be designed as a large isolated building: Both the proposed property protection strategy to adjacent buildings and the emergency vehicular access around the aircraft hangar (Ref: BCA Clauses C2.3 & C2.4) should meet the vehicular needs of the ACTFB and address performance requirement CP1 and CP9 respectively; and All the external fire hydrants protecting the hangar shall be installed on a ring main that is provided with a water supply that has a reliability equal to an AS2118.1 Grade II water supply

3.4 All measures should be taken to avoid the possibility of a large fire, deflagration or explosion in a hangar involving flammable liquids and gases. Such measures should include safeguards against:
ACTFB Policy No. 7

Undesired ignitions caused by unsafe electrical earthing occurrences discharges, static electrical accumulations, friction and sparks Fuel spillages Flammability conditions (temperature, pressure and mixture ratio) of the flammable liquids being reached in the hangar Dangerous work practices
Aircraft Hangars Page 3

3.5

All measures should be taken to ensure that in the event of a substance (solid, liquid or gas) spillage or leakage, the substance will be safely drained and contained onsite to prevent it building up and spreading throughout the hangar and on to the environment. These measures should include but are not limited to bunding around the hangar and floor drainage systems incorporating holding pits.

3.6

Fire safety systems in an aircraft hangar shall be designed, installed, commissioned, tested and maintained by persons with demonstrable and relevant competencies, experience, qualifications and training in the particular system they are installing, that are commensurate to the complexity, required level of reliability, and uncertainty or innovativeness of the system.

3.7 Fire hydrant provisions to be included in the design of an aircraft hangar are as follows: The installation of an external fire hydrant system with fire hydrants readily and immediately available and accessible for usage by the ACTFB
Note: This will allow the ACTFB to connect to a firefighting water supply in a smoke free atmosphere.

All external fire hydrants to be at least 10m from the external walls of the aircraft hangar All external hydrants are to be designed, located and installed as firefighting attack hydrants in accordance with AS2419.1 All external hydrants to be provided with a water supply, (ie. duration, reliability, flow rates and residual pressures) required by AS2419.1 for firefighting attack hydrants All external hydrants are to be boosted directly by an onsite hydrant booster assembly designed, located, installed and protected to the requirements of AS2419.1 The number and location of external hydrants should ensure that no point within the hangar is further than a 10 metre firefighting hose stream issuing from a nozzle at the end of a 60 metre length of hose line. All external fire hydrants to be of the pillar type, 1.5m high, with each hydrant having two Stortz coupling 70mm hose connections that are each protected by an easy to remove weatherproof cap permanently secured to the hydrant The location of each external fire hydrant to be denoted by a blue hydrant indicator permanently positioned 100mm off centre, in line and towards the hydrant so the indicator is readily visible to responding fire crews

Note: For aircraft hangars of smaller size, an agreement between the design team and the ACTFB on the external fire hydrant system should be reached at the earliest possible stage. Such an agreement may allow a relaxation of the above requirements.

ACTFB Policy No. 7

Aircraft Hangars

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3.8 Fire hose reels are to be designed and installed as consistent with the BCA and the requirements of the ACTFB. This is in recognition that the ACTFB may, where necessary, use the fire hose reels when undertaking search and rescue as well as fire suppression activities.

3.9 Aqueous film forming foam(AFFF) concentrate and pick up equipment (eg. foam proportioners) should be stored beside each fire hose reel. The quantity of AFFF should be sufficient for a 10 minute foam discharge based on a minimum of .33L/sec flow rate through the fire hose reel. The AFFF foam storage facility or pick up equipment shall not be permanently connected to the fire hose reels. Rather such equipment should be designed and readily available for rapid and simplistic connection to the fire hose reels where required. Operating and connection easy to follow instructions for such equipment is to be readily visible next to each fire hose reel.

3.10 An AS1841.5 4.5kg dry chemical powder and an AS1841.6 3.5kg CO2 portable fire extinguisher are to be installed to the requirements of AS2444 and adjacent to each fire hose reel in the aircraft space of a hangar. In administrative parts of a hanger building, only one of these types of portable fire extinguisher is required to be installed adjacent to each fire hose reel.

3.11 ACTFB emergency access into the hangar should be readily available at all times through all the external doors of an aircraft hangar.
Note: This is in recognition that the ACTFB may require access into the hangar at any point that is the most conducive for ACTFB operations either before or after external fire hydrant connection. Such access can be provided by access keys, cards etc or by onsite occupants and/or security guards.

3.12 The storage of flammable liquids should be in a separate building from the hangar that shall be designed and constructed to the requirements of AS1940 The Storage and Handling of Flammable & Combustible Liquids. These buildings shall not impede ACTFB access around the hangar (See Clause 3.3 of this policy).

3.13 Aviation fuel depots used in conjunction with aircraft hangars are to be licensed and registered with ACT WorkCover. They should be protected against fire and explosion with an onsite water drenching/spray system activated manually from a protected area within the aircraft hangar.

3.14 All practicable steps should be taken to ensure that aircraft in the hangar do not contain more than 10% of their maximum fuel capacity.
ACTFB Policy No. 7 Aircraft Hangars Page 5

3.15 Where the design of an aircraft hangar involves a degree of uncertainty relating to the agreed design objectives, the ACTFB may require a hot smoke test to be undertaken in the hangar to the requirements of AS4391 and prior to occupancy.

3.16 The post construction testing and commissioning strategy for the fire safety measures in the hangar, auxiliary buildings and fire safety systems is to be documented, furnished to and approved by the ACTFB at least 4 weeks prior to the agreed date of commencement for the testing/commissioning strategy. The testing/commissioning strategy should include but not be limited to: The complete list of all the fire safety measures to be tested and commissioned The benchmark document, standard, guideline or specification for the testing and commissioning of each fire safety measure The personnel required for the testing and commissioning of each fire safety measure The date of commencement and completion commissioning of all the fire safety measures of the testing and

Details of the testing and commissioning for each fire safety measure including fire safety system interface testing Details of the testing that will be undertaken by the ACTFB including dates and the logistics, resources, personnel and certification they need to perform these tests and verify fire safety system performance

3.17 There should be an agreed number of trained occupants available at all times whilst the hangar is lawfully occupied to effectively: Fulfil the roles of an AS3745 Emergency Control Organisation; and Utilise where necessary, the specialised Ist aid firefighting equipment (ie foam branches, extinguisher trolleys fire hose reels, portable fire extinguishers etc); and Respond to false alarms that is consistent with ACTFB policy and as required by the building manager

The number of occupants for the above roles shall be commensurate to the number and complexity of the fire safety systems and the risks associated for a particular hangar and should be agreed on by the design team, building occupier and the ACTFB. Such occupants shall be trained in their duties prior to building occupancy.

3.18 The ongoing maintenance regime for the essential services and fire safety system in the hangar building is to be documented, furnished to and approved by the ACTFB prior to the tendering of any maintenance contract and occupancy.
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The maintenance regime should include but not be limited to: The criteria for the selection of persons undertaking or applying to undertake such maintenance The complete list of all the fire safety measures to be tested and maintained The review and auditing process of ongoing essential services maintenance The benchmark document, standard, guideline or specification for the testing and maintenance for each fire safety measure The testing frequency and details of inspections for each fire safety measure Written assurance that compliance to ACTFB policy on essential services maintenance will occur Commitment to periodic hot smoke tests to be undertaken every 5 years or as requested by the ACTFB after supplying written justification for doing so

ACTFB Policy No. 7

Aircraft Hangars

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4.0 AMENDMENT HISTORY

i) First edition: January 2003

ACTFB Policy No. 7

Aircraft Hangars

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