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NFPA 75, Standard for the Fire Protection of Information Technology Equipment

2020 NFPA 75 Standard - Current Edition
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  • Description

    Help ensure fire safety protocols comply with the latest provisions for protecting vital information technology equipment (ITE) to avoid loss and liabilities.

    Industries ranging from financials and health care to education, law enforcement, and a variety of others are heavily reliant on the performance and continuity of electronic computers, data processing machines, and associated equipment. It's vital to protect these systems and components to defend against the disruption of critical business operations, property damages, and loss of information in storage or transmission.

    NFPA® 75, Standard for the Fire Protection of Information Technology Equipment, 2020 edition, offers the most current requirements for mitigating risks of damages to your company, institution, or organization. This standard delivers broad-based performance criteria for safeguarding ITE installations and specified ITE areas from fire, including the related effects or heat, smoke, water, and explosion.

    The 2020 edition is updated to provide cutting-edge knowledge and insight into ITE fire protection.

    NFPA 75 is an essential safety document for designers, facility managers, AHJs, and anyone responsible for ensuring appropriate levels of fire protection in information technology equipment installations and areas. Content covers everything from performance-based design approaches, construction provisions, and equipment requirements to fire protection and detection features, procedures for emergency response and recovery, and more.

    The standard is updated to reflect advancements in industry equipment, practices, and technologies. Changes for 2020 include:

    • Clarification of air sampling detector port location and coverage
    • Deletion of the requirement for inside hose stream
    • Addition of a new Chapter 13, Modular Data Centers, to specify which provisions from other chapters apply to modular data centers
    • Clarified criteria for 1- and 2-hour fire barriers for structures that contain multiple occupancies
    • Extracted specifications for battery requirements from Chapter 52 of NFPA 1, Fire Code

    Get up-to-date with the most current provisions for ITE and area fire protection compliance.

    For generations, NFPA 75, Standard for the Fire Protection of Information Technology Equipment, has served as the preeminent document for standardized recommendations for helping to safeguard ITE and ITE areas. Make sure you are referencing the most relevant information by ordering your copy of the 2020 edition.

  • Table of Contents (2020 Current Edition)

    NFPA® 75 Standard for the Fire Protection of Information Technology Equipment, 2020 Edition

    Chapter 1 Administration
    1.1 Scope.
    1.2 Purpose.
    1.3 Application.
    1.4 Retroactivity.
    1.5 Equivalency.
    Chapter 2 Referenced Publications
    2.1 General.
    2.2 NFPA Publications.
    2.3 Other Publications.
    2.4 References for Extracts in Mandatory Sections.
    Chapter 3 Definitions
    3.1 General.
    3.2 NFPA Official Definitions.
    3.3 General Definitions.
    3.4 Aisle Containment.
    Chapter 4 Fire Protection Approaches
    4.1 Fire Protection Approach.
    4.2 Fire Risk Assessment.
    4.3 Telecommunications Risks.
    Chapter 5 Performance-Based Design Approach
    5.1 Performance-Based Design Approach.
    5.2 Goals and Objectives.
    5.3 Qualifications.
    5.4 Independent Review.
    5.5 Final Determination.
    5.6 Maintenance of Design Features.
    5.7 Performance Criteria.
    Chapter 6 Construction Requirements
    6.1 Building Construction.
    6.2 Combustibility of Materials.
    6.3 Location of ITE Area Within the Building.
    6.4 ITE Area Interior Construction Materials.
    6.5 Raised Floors.
    6.6 Penetrations and Openings in Fire-Resistant-Rated Enclosures.
    6.7 Aisle Containment and Hot Air Collar Systems for ITE.
    Chapter 7 Materials and Equipment Permitted in the Information Technology Equipment Area
    7.1 General.
    7.2 Record Storage.
    7.3 General Storage.
    Chapter 8 Construction of Information Technology Equipment
    8.1 ITE.
    8.2 Construction Features.
    Chapter 9 Fire Protection and Detection Equipment
    9.1 Automatic Fire Protection Systems.
    9.2 Automatic Detection Systems.
    9.3 Portable Extinguishers.
    9.4 Gaseous Total Flooding Extinguishing Systems.
    9.5 Warning Signs.
    9.6 Training.
    9.7 Expansion or Renovations.
    9.8 Water Mist Fire Protection Systems.
    Chapter 10 Records Kept or Stored in Information Technology Equipment Rooms
    10.1 Protection Required for Records Within the ITE Room.
    10.2 Records Stored Outside the ITE Room.
    Chapter 11 Utilities
    11.1 Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC).
    11.2 Coolant Systems.
    11.3 Electrical Service.
    11.4 Supply Circuits and Interconnecting Cables.
    11.5 Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs).
    Chapter 12 Emergency and Recovery Procedures
    12.1 Emergency Fire Plan.
    12.2 Damage Control Plan.
    12.3 Recovery Procedures Plan.
    Chapter 13 Modular Data Centers
    13.1 General.
    13.2 (Reserved).
    13.3 (Reserved).
    13.4 Fire Protection Approaches.
    13.5 (Reserved).
    13.6 Construction Requirements.
    13.7 Materials and Equipment Permitted in Modular Data Centers.
    13.8 (Reserved).
    13.9 Fire Protection and Detection Equipment.
    13.10 Records Kept or Stored in Modular Data Centers.
    13.11 Utilities.
    13.12 Emergency and Recovery Procedures.
    Annex A Explanatory Material
    Annex B What to Do in the First 24 Hours for Damaged Electronic Equipment and Magnetic Media
    Annex C Risk Considerations, Business Interruption, and Temperature Considerations
    Annex D General Guidance for Gaseous Agent Systems in Information Technology Equipment Spaces
    Annex E Fire Detection for Information Technology Equipment Area Risks and Special Conditions
    Annex F Informational References
  • Prior Editions

    2017 Edition

    Revised to permit performance-based designs, the 2017 edition of NFPA 75 helps you apply innovative fire protection strategies for IT equipment in unique operating environments.

    Protect companies and organizations against potentially devastating damage and loss with advanced protocols in NFPA 75, Standard for the Fire Protection of Information Technology Equipment. Updated to reflect the systems and equipment in use today, this Standard presents the latest requirements for rooms or areas with information technology installations needing fire protection -- including suppression, detection, and building construction in what are often unique operating environments.

    Application is based on risk considerations including business interruption aspects of the functions such as storing or relaying banking, health care, or stock market information, as well as the fire threat to the installation.

    A risk-based approach is now permitted for specific provisions -- to assist both fire protection engineers and the AHJs responsible for verifying their work.

    This important change reflects the operation of today's data centers, which can require more flexibility than is often provided by prescriptive approaches. For the 2017 edition:

    • Chapter 4 states the approaches that are permitted to be followed (prescriptive or performance-based).
    • New Chapter 5 details the requirements when a performance-based approach is selected.
    • Extensive new Annex material based on Fire Protection Research Foundation reports provides guidance on designing detection for high airflow environments, including detector sensitivity and spacing.

    This edition helps designers, facility managers, AHJs, and insurance professionals engineer the best defense for IT equipment, and ensure appropriate levels of fire protection are maintained. Work with the 2017 edition of NFPA 75. (Print, 33 pp., 2017) 

    Interested in other editions of NFPA 75? Use the drop down menu above to select the edition year you need.

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