Article 138Supplement v1, p. 138

COMMERCIAL LAWS SUPPLEMENT

Fire Door — A fire resistive door prescribed for openings

in fire separation walls or partitions.

Fire Hazard — Any condition or act which increases or

may

cause

an

increase

in

the

probability

of

the

occurrence of fire, or which may obstruct, delay, hinder or

interfere

with

fire

fighting

operations

and

the

safeguarding of life and property.

Fire Lane — The portion of a roadway or public-way that

should be kept opened and unobstructed at all times for

the expedient operation of fire fighting units.

Fire Protective and Fire Safety Device — Any device

intended for the protection of buildings or persons to

include, but not limited to, built-in protection system

such as sprinklers and other automatic extinguishing

system,

detectors

for

heat,

smoke

and

combustion

products

and

other

warning

system

components,

personal protective equipment such as fire blankets,

helmets, fire suits, gloves and other garments that may

be put on or worn by persons to protect themselves

during fire.

Fire

Safety

Constructions

—

Refers

to

design

and

installation

of

walls,

barriers,

doors,

windows,

vents,

means of egress etc. integral to and incorporated into a

building or structure in order to minimize danger to life

from fire, smoke, fumes or panic before the building is

evacuated. These features are also designed to achieve,

among

others, safe and rapid evacuation of people

through means of egress on construction which are

sealed from smoke or fire, the confinement of fire or

smoke in the room or floor of origin and delay their

spread to other parts of the building by means of smoke

sealed and fire resistant doors, walls and floors. It shall

also

mean

to

include

the

treatment

of

buildings

components or contents with flame retardant chemicals.

Flash Point — The minimum temperature at which any

material gives off vapor in sufficient concentration to

form an ignitable mixture with air.

Forcing — A process where a piece of metal is heated

prior to changing its shape or dimensions.

Fulminate — A kind of stable explosive compound which

explodes by percussion.

Hazardous

Operation/Process

—

Any

act

of

manufacturing, fabrication, conversion, etc., that uses or

produces materials which are likely to cause fires or

explosions.

Horizontal Exit — Passageway from one building to

another or through or around a wall in approximately the

same floor level.

Hose Box — A box or cabinet where fire hoses, valves and

other

equipment

are

stored

and

arranged

for

fire

fighting.

Hose Reel — A cylindrical device turning on an axis

around which a fire hose is wound and connected.

Hypergolic Fuel — A rocket or liquid propellant which

consist of combinations of fuels and oxidizers which

ignite spontaneously on contact with each other.

Industrial Baking and Drying — The industrial process of

subjecting materials to heat for the purpose of removing

solvents or moisture from the same, and/or to fuse

certain chemical salts to form a uniform glazing on the

surface of materials being treated.

Jumper — A piece of metal or an electrical conductor

used to bypass a safety device in an electrical system.

Occupancy — The purpose for which a building or portion

thereof is used or intended to be used.

Occupant — Any person actually occupying and using a

building or portions thereof by virtue of a lease contract

with the owner or administrator or by permission or

sufferance of the latter.

Organic

Peroxide

—

A

strong

oxidizing

organic

compound which releases oxygen readily. It causes fire

when in contact with combustible materials especially

under conditions of high temperature.

Overloading

—

The

use

of

one

or

more

electrical

appliances or devices which draw or consume electrical

current beyond the designed capacity of the existing

electrical system.

Owner — The person who holds the legal right of

possession or title to a building or real property.

Oxidizing Material — A material that readily yields oxygen

in

quantities

sufficient

to

stimulate

or

support

combustion.

Pressurized or Forced Draft Burning Equipment — Type

of burner where the fuel is subjected to pressure prior to

discharge into the combustion chamber and/or which

includes fans or other provisions for the introduction of air

at above normal atmospheric pressure into the same

combustion chamber.

Public Assembly Building — Any building or structure

where fifty (50) or more people congregate, gather, or

assemble for any purpose.

Public Way — Any street, alley or other strip of land

unobstructed

from

the

ground

to the sky, deeded,

dedicated or otherwise permanently appropriated for

public use.

Pyrophoric — Descriptive of any substance that ignites

spontaneously when exposed to air.

Refining — A process where impurities and/or deleterious

materials are removed from a mixture in order to produce

a pure element or compound. It shall also refer to partial

distillation and electrolysis.

Self-closing Doors — Automatic closing doors that are

designed to confine smoke and heat and delay the

spread of fire.

Smelting

—

Melting

or

fusing

of

metallic

ores

or

compounds

so as to separate impurities from pure

metals.

Sprinkler

System

—

An

integrated

network

of

hydraulically designed piping installed in a building,

structure or area with outlets arranged in a systematic

pattern

which

automatically

discharges

water

when

activated by heat or combustion products from a fire.

Standpipe System — A system of vertical pipes in a

building to which fire hoses can be attached on each

floor, including a system by which water is made available

to the outlets as needed.

Vestibule — A passage hall or antechamber between the

outer doors and the interior parts of a house or building.

Vertical Shaft — An enclosed vertical space of passage

that extends from floor to floor, as well as from the base

to the top of the building.

SECTION 4. Applicability of the Code. — The provisions of

the Fire Code shall apply to all persons and all private and

public

buildings,

facilities

or

structures

erected

or

constructed before and after its effectivity.

SECTION 5. Responsibility for the Enforcement of this

Code. — This Code shall be administered and enforced by

the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), under the direct

supervision and control of the Chief of the Bureau of Fire

Protection,

through the hierarchy of organization as

provided for in Chapter VI of Republic Act No. 6975 . With

the approval of the Secretary of the Department of the

Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Chief, BFP, is

hereby authorized to:

a.

Issue

implementing

rules

and

regulations,

and

prescribe standards, schedules of fees/fire service charges

and administrative penalties therefor as provided in the

pertinent provisions of this Code;

b.

Reorganize

the

BFP

as

may

be

necessary

and

appropriate;

c. Support and assist fire volunteers, practitioners and fire

volunteer organizations in the country who shall undergo

mandatory

fire

suppression,

inspection,

rescue,

© Compiled by RGL

138 of 203