Regulating Fire Safety in Historic and Cultural Structures

Regulating Fire Safety in Historic and Cultural Structures
By: Prof. Vincent M. Brannigan J.D. (2007)

ABSTRACT
Fires can easily destroy our cultural heritage. Most societies use the legal
system to protect against fire. However historic structures are not well
protected by typical fire safety codes. First, fire codes are designed to
protect lives rather than property. Second, older buildings are usually
excused from full compliance with the codes. Third, actual compliance in
older buildings may be spotty due to the way such buildings are used.
Curators and those responsible for such buildings often have an
unrealistically low estimate of the destruction that fire can cause, and may
place unreasonable reliance on compliance with a code that is not actually
designed to protect historical cultural structures. Resolving this issue
requires a novel approach to code compliance. A combination of modern
technical analysis and the installation of a properly empowered fire safety
controller can use the legal system substantially reduce the risk to our
shared cultural heritage.

Keywords: Fire, Historic, Cultural, Management, Authority having Jurisdiction

Full article : http://www.rics.org/NR/rdonlyres/812419E6-DB0B-4889 AE60-8E625E56059D/0/Cob2007Brannigan.pdf
Accessed : 22/08/08