Inspection Barcoding
Inspection Barcoding
(OP)
Does anyone have any experience with the use/purchase of barcoding equipment for extinguisher/alarms/fire sprinkler inspections?
I have to purchase a product for our inspections division due to the requirements of a contract spec and have started with four potential providers.
Firebug, Hallogram, MSS, and Building Reports
Please, any suggestions, reviews, and/or advice from this community would be useful. Thank you.
I have to purchase a product for our inspections division due to the requirements of a contract spec and have started with four potential providers.
Firebug, Hallogram, MSS, and Building Reports
Please, any suggestions, reviews, and/or advice from this community would be useful. Thank you.





RE: Inspection Barcoding
RE: Inspection Barcoding
RE: Inspection Barcoding
RE: Inspection Barcoding
You are correct. The bar-coded report appears complete and thorough, but it is really only as good as the inspector and the data that is entered. After finding multiple major errors in the reports the client provided from the previous year inspection we convinced our client to give us an opportunity to complete the inspection the traditional way. We then strengthened our case by finding major deficiencies while completing our inspections this year.
Extended coverage sprinklers that were 14'-0" off the nearest adjacent wall, CO2 extinguishers that were manufactured 11 years ago and had not been hydro tested as required. They were listed on last year's report as needing hydro-testing next year.
Nothing that I would be real proud of had our inspector's been given the opportunity to make those same errors.
RE: Inspection Barcoding
I want to see your signature, comments, and somebody signing reports end of story. If a customer does not like paper reports then I will have someone at the office transferring that data to PDF form period. Badly design technology can only lead to disaster.
RE: Inspection Barcoding
RE: Inspection Barcoding
RE: Inspection Barcoding
RE: Inspection Barcoding
This is why you must consider other avenues before you start looking for installation/design deficiencies. I agree with you but it must be address differently such as separate letters and not in the report.
RE: Inspection Barcoding
This is an interesting topic and there are MANY discussions as well as differing opinions regarding this somewhat complicated topic. Spacing and many other installation (i.e. NFPA 13) requirements SHOULD be resolved during the design, plan review and initial inspection process (PRIOR to obtaining the certificate of occupancy). We all know this process is flawed in some areas of the country; however, an engineering analysis is required (much more involved in comparison to the NFPA 25 inspection requirements) in addition to NFPA 25 inspection routine to identify all of these isues.
RE: Inspection Barcoding
Thanks for the information. Since I have been in design for 10 years I automatically recognize design deficiencies and flaws. Honestly I hadn't thought of the Inspection liabilitly from the other side of the equation. I will have all my inspectors stop mentioning what would be outside the scope of 25 in their inspection reports. We will include a separate report that mentions said deficiencies but stops short of making recommendations and have a well worded disclaimer that has been reviewed by our lawyer. Given the situations provided in your letter I can see where assuming the extra liability can be a major issue, but I still feel you assume some liability when you fail to mention it at all.
FFP1,
We have had several discussions with both state FM and local FM's prior to writing up and subsequently yellow tagging systems with spacing issues. You are correct if you go strictly by the letter of 120-3-3 state codes and regs spacing is design issue but spacing will impair the proper operation of a sprinkler system. Ie. Extened coverage sprinklers 14'-6" off the adjacent wall.
I think our company should continue to write them up but it is not exactly to correct to yellow tag a system for something you should not, for liability reasons, put in an NFPA 25 inspection report. If you guys don't mind me asking what is your approach? Thanks again.
RE: Inspection Barcoding
Fire Sprinkler Inspectors are not required and in cases nor certified to identify design flaws. What I did was I instructed my inspectors to write the following:
(Picture this is as reports)
Note: These other deficiencies are installation flaws and are outside the NFPA 25 scope of inspection. However these deficiencies could impact the proper operation of the fire sprinkler system in question. You should have a qualified Engineer to evaluate your property to determine the severity of these deficiencies.
1) Lack of coverage
2) Improperly installed seismic bracing
3) Improper K-factor sprinkler head used
4) etc, etc, ect
I have being using these technique when providing training or writing reports for quite a while. I thinks it serves well if needed.