scope:

This standard contains minimum requirements for total flooding and local application clean agent fire extinguishing systems. It does not cover fire extinguishing systems that use carbon dioxide or water as the primary extinguishing media, which are addressed by other NFPA documents.

Purpose.

The agents in this standard were introduced in response to international restrictions on the production of certain halon fire extinguishing agents under the Montreal Protocol signed September 16, 1987, as amended. This standard is prepared for the use by and guidance of those charged with purchasing, designing, installing, testing, inspecting, approving, listing, operating, and maintaining engineered or preengineered clean agent extinguishing systems, so that such equipment will function as intended throughout its life. Nothing in this standard is intended to restrict new technologies or alternative arrangements provided the level of safety prescribed by this standard is not lowered. 

No standard can be promulgated that will provide all the necessary criteria for the implementation of a total flooding clean agent fire extinguishing system. Technology in this area is under constant development, and this will be reflected in revisions to this standard. The user of this standard must recognize the complexity of clean agent fire extinguishing systems. Therefore, the designer is cautioned that the standard is not a design handbook. The standard does not do away with the need for the engineer or for competent engineering judgment. It is intended that a designer capable of applying a more complete and rigorous analysis to special or unusual problems shall have latitude in the development of such designs. In such cases, the designer is responsible for demonstrating the validity of the approach.

Units. Metric units of measurement in this standard are in accordance with the modernized metric system known as the International System of Units (SI). Two units outside of but recognized by SI (liter and bar) are commonly used in international fire protection. The SI units and their conversion factors are listed in Table 1.3. If a value for measurement as given in this standard is followed by an equivalent value in other units, the first stated is to be regarded as the requirement. A given equivalent value could be approximate.