Fire Prevention
All activities, systems and procedures in this area are designed to ensure that all SL Green properties are secure, safe, and free from hazardous conditions.
In connection with our emphasis on safety, fire drills will be conducted twice per annum, and an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) drill will be conducted once per annum.
Building Features
Operational Features
Public Safety Requirements
Storage of Flammable and Combustible Materials
No one should store any flammable, combustible, explosive, corrosive, oxidizing, poisonous, compressed, or otherwise offensive fluid, gas, chemical, substance, or material at such time or place, or in such manner or condition as to unreasonably endanger, or as to be likely to endanger persons or property.
Inspection and Maintenance of Tenant Fire Protection Systems
The New York City Fire Department has issued a directive, dated August 30, 1991, regarding the cleaning, testing, calibration, and maintenance of smoke detector systems. This directive mandates that all systems be serviced a minimum of twice a year. The servicing must be performed by a contractor acceptable to the Fire Commissioner as defined in Chapter FI9 of the New York City Administrative Code. You may use your own certified contractor or you can request an estimate from the Building Management Office at (332) 236-7090. The contractor must complete a detailed report of each inspection. Please send a copy of the contractor’s work report as proof of compliance with this new regulation to the Building Management Office of 885 Third Avenue.
Office Holiday Trees and Decorations
In an effort to protect the environment from contamination and building occupants from injury, we follow the federal and state regulatory requirements, which govern the disposal of hazardous materials. Some samples of hazardous waste materials are: oils, cleaners, adhesives, rubber cement thinners, cleaners, developers, plate cleaners, duplicating fluids, copy machine toner, epoxy paints, processing chemicals, diesel fuels, fixer, and storage batteries. This list is not complete, but rather provides a representative listing of chemicals and other products that may be considered hazardous waste and may be generated in the course of conducting your business.
SL Green Realty Corp. is concerned with bulk disposal of hazardous waste materials, which may be generated when you change a procedure, replace new equipment, or clear out a storage area. Please do not abandon bulk hazardous waste materials in freight elevator service lobbies and other areas of the building.
Improper disposal may be a violation of the law and may cause a potential hazard to others. Therefore, you are responsible for ensuring that these materials must be disposed of in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and city regulations, and should be handled by a licensed hazardous waste disposal contractor.
Portable Heaters
New York City Fire Department rules and regulations prohibit the use of portable space heaters in any public or private areas of the building.
Fire Prevention
Sensible, fire-safe housekeeping can prevent fires or limit those that do occur. Do not allow unsafe conditions, such as cluttered offices and overburdened extension cords, to cause trouble.
The following hazardous and unsafe conditions should be eliminated without delay.
General Office Areas
Telephone and electrical closets must not be used for storage and must be kept locked at all times. Any items found in a closet will be discarded.
Storage and File Rooms
It Takes Three Elements to Start a Fire: Oxygen, Heat, Fuel
Fire Doors wedged or tied open, or with objects placed in front of them so that they cannot close, are rendered useless. To protect yourself and your fellow employees, make sure the doors on your floor are always kept closed. If you must evacuate your office during a fire emergency, make sure the last person closes the door without locking it. This will help to contain the fire until the arrival of the Fire Department.
Flammable Liquid Storage Requirements
Various types of liquids in normal office procedures, such as duplicating machine fluid, acetone, alcohol and cleaning solvents are highly flammable or combustible and can present a serious fire hazard if not handled properly.
Do not place trash, furniture, or mailbags in the freight elevator lobby.
In connection with our emphasis on safety, fire drills will be conducted twice per annum, and an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) drill will be conducted once per annum.
Building Features
- Sprinklers are a keystone of the fire safety system at 450 Park Avenue. Since the NYC Code mandates the spacing between sprinkler heads, the system is custom installed to meet tenant’s configuration of space partitioning.
- Smoke detectors automatically activate alarms indicating the presence of smoke or fumes.
- Manual pull stations are located near each stairwell. When activated, they will send an alarm to the New York City Fire Department and the Fire Command Station in the Lobby.
- Floor Warden phones on each floor provide immediate two-way voice communications with the Fire Command Station.
- There are two fire stairs serving each floor, assuring widely separated evacuation alternatives in the event of fire. They also give firemen safe passage upward to fight the fire. In addition to battery backup lighting, lighting in each stairway is also connected to emergency generator power.
- Standpipe systems provide water supply and water pressure for fire fighting.
- Fire hoses are installed in stairwells on all floors.
- An automatic smoke detector elevator “return” system automatically brings all elevators serving or affected by a fire area immediately down to the ground. There they can be operated manually under the direction of the NYC Fire Officer-in-Charge. This “override” system also prevents an elevator from automatically responding to and bringing its occupants to a fire floor.
- Public address speakers in various areas of tenant floors, including corridors, enable the Fire Command Station in the Lobby to communicate with building occupants and emergency personnel.
- The speakers will emit an alert tone to convey important information and an emergency (siren-like) tone to convey information in an emergency. Once you hear either of these sounds, you should report to the public corridor for further announcements.
- Fire Safety Team Members for each office are selected by the tenants, so please let us know of any changes.
Operational Features
- Obligatory fire drills are scheduled at intervals no less than once every six months.
- Portable radios carried by SL Green employees are supplementary communications equipment.
Public Safety Requirements
Storage of Flammable and Combustible Materials
No one should store any flammable, combustible, explosive, corrosive, oxidizing, poisonous, compressed, or otherwise offensive fluid, gas, chemical, substance, or material at such time or place, or in such manner or condition as to unreasonably endanger, or as to be likely to endanger persons or property.
Inspection and Maintenance of Tenant Fire Protection Systems
The New York City Fire Department has issued a directive, dated August 30, 1991, regarding the cleaning, testing, calibration, and maintenance of smoke detector systems. This directive mandates that all systems be serviced a minimum of twice a year. The servicing must be performed by a contractor acceptable to the Fire Commissioner as defined in Chapter FI9 of the New York City Administrative Code. You may use your own certified contractor or you can request an estimate from the Building Management Office at (332) 236-7090. The contractor must complete a detailed report of each inspection. Please send a copy of the contractor’s work report as proof of compliance with this new regulation to the Building Management Office of 885 Third Avenue.
Office Holiday Trees and Decorations
- New York City Fire Department rules and regulations prohibit the use of live holiday trees or decorations made of natural materials in any public or private areas in the building.
- Only non-combustible artificial decorations are permitted and must bear the approval label of a nationally recognized testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., Factory Mutual Laboratories, or the New York Board of Standards and Appeals.
In an effort to protect the environment from contamination and building occupants from injury, we follow the federal and state regulatory requirements, which govern the disposal of hazardous materials. Some samples of hazardous waste materials are: oils, cleaners, adhesives, rubber cement thinners, cleaners, developers, plate cleaners, duplicating fluids, copy machine toner, epoxy paints, processing chemicals, diesel fuels, fixer, and storage batteries. This list is not complete, but rather provides a representative listing of chemicals and other products that may be considered hazardous waste and may be generated in the course of conducting your business.
SL Green Realty Corp. is concerned with bulk disposal of hazardous waste materials, which may be generated when you change a procedure, replace new equipment, or clear out a storage area. Please do not abandon bulk hazardous waste materials in freight elevator service lobbies and other areas of the building.
Improper disposal may be a violation of the law and may cause a potential hazard to others. Therefore, you are responsible for ensuring that these materials must be disposed of in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and city regulations, and should be handled by a licensed hazardous waste disposal contractor.
Portable Heaters
New York City Fire Department rules and regulations prohibit the use of portable space heaters in any public or private areas of the building.
Fire Prevention
Sensible, fire-safe housekeeping can prevent fires or limit those that do occur. Do not allow unsafe conditions, such as cluttered offices and overburdened extension cords, to cause trouble.
The following hazardous and unsafe conditions should be eliminated without delay.
General Office Areas
- Are paper boxes used for storage? Are files, paper, or combustible materials piled on chairs, in corners or in open bookshelves? All are potential fire hazards.
- Are hazardous lightweight electrical cords or unsafe frayed electrical cords used in your area? Only heavy-duty extension cords should be used for office equipment, or any other kind of electrical appliance.
- Are outlets and extension cords in your area overloaded with more than one item such as electric typewriters and/or personal computers? Avoid putting more than one piece of office or other electrical equipment on an outlet or cord. Use only U.L. approved multiple outlet strips with fuses, or consider the installation or relocation of base building outlets.
- Is kitchen equipment in your area always unplugged when not in use? Kitchen equipment, such as hot plates, coffee pots, etc., should never be left unattended when in use and should never be plugged in when not in use.
- Has the permanent installation of major electrical or computer equipment in your area been properly approved by the Building?
- Are flammable liquids, such as turpentine, solvents, thinners, toners and ink, used in duplicating and reproduction equipment being handled properly? No office should have more than five gallons of such liquids on hand at one time, and such liquids must be kept in an approved safety container, tightly sealed, in an approved metal cabinet.
- Are No Smoking signs posted in areas where flammable liquids are used or stored?
- Is the No Smoking rule enforced?
- Are stored items placed at least 18 inches below the sprinklers?
Telephone and electrical closets must not be used for storage and must be kept locked at all times. Any items found in a closet will be discarded.
Storage and File Rooms
- Are items stored in paper boxes and stacked in corners and aisles creating a fire hazard in your area?
- Are all combustible materials such as paper, files, reports, and rolled plans kept in steel cabinets or closets when not in use? Are the doors and drawers kept closed at all times? Closed metal cabinets or files are required in file rooms, with more than 300 sq. ft. of space or more, unless the area is equipped with sprinklers.
- Are all combustible materials stored neatly and compactly? Compartmentalized metal racks are permissible in storage or file areas of less than 300 sq. ft.
- Are all flammable and combustible liquids properly stored in approved containers?
- Each stairwell landing equipped with a fire standpipe.
- This fire extinguishing equipment is intended for the protection of Building occupants in the event of a fire condition. It can be used to extinguish small fires or to contain a fire until the arrival of the Fire Department. However, building occupants should not attempt to use the equipment if by doing so they will expose themselves to personal danger or cause delays in the evacuation of the floor.
- Do not use water type fire extinguishers on electrical or liquid fires.
It Takes Three Elements to Start a Fire: Oxygen, Heat, Fuel
- Fires in wood, textiles and other ordinary combustibles containing carbon materials: These are extinguished by cooling and quenching with water which wets down and prevents glowing embers from rekindling. Tri-Class dry chemical extinguishers are also effective on this kind of fire and achieve extinguishment by insulating and inhibiting the combustion reaction.
- Fires in gasoline, oil, grease, paint, or other liquids that gasify when heated: These are extinguished by smothering, cooling, and heat shielding. Dry chemical, Halon, and carbon dioxide are effective on this type of fire.
- Fires in live electrical equipment: These fires require a non-conducting extinguishing agent. A Halon or carbon dioxide extinguisher smothers the fire without damaging the equipment. Dry chemical is also effective.
Fire Doors wedged or tied open, or with objects placed in front of them so that they cannot close, are rendered useless. To protect yourself and your fellow employees, make sure the doors on your floor are always kept closed. If you must evacuate your office during a fire emergency, make sure the last person closes the door without locking it. This will help to contain the fire until the arrival of the Fire Department.
Flammable Liquid Storage Requirements
Various types of liquids in normal office procedures, such as duplicating machine fluid, acetone, alcohol and cleaning solvents are highly flammable or combustible and can present a serious fire hazard if not handled properly.
- The storage of flammable liquids in a tenant area must be limited to five gallons kept in individual one gallon approved metal safety cans or one quart original plastic containers. In addition, these safety cans or containers must be stored in approved metal cabinets. All cans must be inspected regularly for leaks, and leaking cans must be replaced immediately.
- A flammable liquid storage must be clearly designated by Flammable Liquid and No Smoking signs.
- A flammable liquid storage area may not be located adjacent to exits or in pathways leading to exit facilities.
Do not place trash, furniture, or mailbags in the freight elevator lobby.
