TWO-HOUR FIRE-RESISTIVE CABLE
The CFAA is actively involved in monitoring the topic of Fire Rated Cable, Fire Resistant and Circuit Integrity cables and the withdrawal of UL and ULC certification. These cables are frequently specified in fire alarm installations. A copy of the UL Bulletin published in September is available at
www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/offerings/perspectives/regulator/fire/cables.
Provincial authorities including the inspection authority responsible for electrical inspections and ministry responsible for the Building Code are aware of the situation and are issuing bulletins indicating how the situation is to be addressed in their jurisdictions.
The upcoming CFAA Journal will have additional bulletins and information from various authorities. A CFAA representative attended an information meeting by the Joint UL 2196 and ULC S139 Task Group in Ottawa on October 24, 2012. There are no resolutions to the problem at this time. We will provide updates, as more information is available.
The survivability and performance of fire alarm systems during fires has been a concern to the fire alarm industry for many years. There have been alternative fire alarm design solutions to using fire rated cables to achieve the survivability performance objectives. The following information may be of assistance.
Fire Rated Cable – An Alternative Perspective pdf