WAC 212-80-010:

212-80-005 << 212-80-010 >> 212-80-015

PDFWAC 212-80-010

Definitions.

The following definitions will apply throughout this chapter:

(1) "Authority having jurisdiction (AHJ)" means the organization, office, or individual responsible for issuing permits, approving layout drawings, enforcing the requirements of a code or standard or approving materials, an installation, or a procedure. Usually, the AHJ is the building or fire official of the city or county in which the job site is located. In certain cases, such as health care facilities, transient accommodations, and day care facilities, the AHJ is the city or county building or fire official and the director.

(2) "Certificate" means a certificate of competency granted by the director under chapter 18.160 RCW, and is valid within the state and all political subdivisions, and meets all of the requirements for license or certification that may be applied by the political subdivision.

(3) "Citation" means written notification issued by the director pursuant to RCW 18.160.120 of a civil penalty for a violation of any provision of chapter 18.160 RCW or this chapter. A citation may include, but is not limited to, a description of the violation(s) and a notice of civil penalty assessment.

(4) "Contractor" means any person that offers to contract for the design, installation, inspection, testing, maintenance, or repair of a fire protection sprinkler system or any part of such system under chapter 18.160 RCW.

(5) "Digital signature" means a secure signature in electronic form attached to an electronic record. Examples of electronic signatures include a digitized image of a "wet" signature, a graphical representation of a handwritten signature (constructed using graphics software or special fonts), or other icons or representations adopted by the person with the intent to sign the document. The digital signature must:

(a) Be unique to the certificate of competency holder;

(b) Be capable of independent verification;

(d) Transform the electronic record such that a recipient can determine that the record was signed by the certificate of competency holder; and

(e) Transform the electronic record such that a recipient can determine if the initial record was altered since the transformation was made.

(6) "Direct supervision" means the person providing direction, oversight, inspection, and observation of the work performed on the design, installation, inspection, testing, maintenance, or repair of a fire protection sprinkler system. Supervision requirements are met when the supervisor is on the premises for the duration of the working day.

(7) "Director" means the chief of the Washington state patrol through the director of fire protection or his or her designee.

(8) "Electronic" means electrical, digital, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or any other form of technology that involves similar capabilities.

(9) "Electronic record" means a record generated, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means for use in an information system or for transmission from one information system to another.

(10) "Fire protection sprinkler system" means an assembly of underground or overhead piping beginning at the connection to the primary water supply, whether public or private, that conveys water with or without other agents to dispersal openings or devices to extinguish, control, or contain fire or other products of combustion.

(11) "Formal hearing" means a hearing before a hearings officer where laws, rules, and evidence are presented, considered, and a decision is rendered.

(12) "General contractor" means a contractor whose business operations require the use of more than one building trade or craft for a single job, project, or building permit. A general contractor includes a person who superintends, or consults on, in whole or in part, work that falls within the definition of a contractor.

(13) "Hazard" means a condition which could result in injury or death to a person or damage to property.

(14) "Hearings request" means the written request for a formal hearing to contest a civil penalty.

(15) "Inspection" means a visual examination of a fire protection sprinkler system, or portion of the system, to verify that the system appears to be in operating condition, is free from physical damage, and complies with the applicable statutes and regulations adopted by the state.

(16) "Licensed contractor" means a contractor issued a license to perform fire protection sprinkler system work by the director pursuant to WAC 212-80-053 of this chapter.

(17) "Maintenance" means in water-based fire protection systems, work performed to keep equipment operable.

(18) "Mitigation or hearing officer" is the state fire marshal or his or her designee who will preside over an informal, mitigation conference to discuss a civil penalty that has been assessed against a person for a violation of this chapter.

(19) "Multipurpose piping sprinkler system" means a piping system intended to serve both domestic needs in excess of a single fixture and fire protection needs from one common piping system throughout the dwelling unit(s).

(20) "Network sprinkler system" means a type of multipurpose system utilizing a common piping system supplying domestic fixtures and fire sprinklers where each sprinkler is supplied by a minimum of three separate paths.

(21) "Passive purge system" means a type of sprinkler system that serves a single toilet in addition to the fire sprinklers.

(22) "Stand-alone sprinkler system" means a sprinkler system where the above ground piping serves only fire sprinklers.

(23) "Antifreeze sprinkler system" means a wet pipe system using automatic sprinklers that contains a liquid solution to prevent freezing of the system, and is intended to discharge the solution upon sprinkler operation, followed immediately by water from a water supply.

(24) "Dry pipe sprinkler system" means a sprinkler system employing automatic sprinklers that are attached to a piping system containing air or nitrogen under pressure, the release of which (as from the opening of a sprinkler) permits the water pressure to open a valve known as a dry pipe valve, and the water then flows into the piping system and out the opened sprinkler.

(25) "Preaction sprinkler system" means a sprinkler system employing automatic sprinklers that are attached to a piping system that contains air with a supplemental detection system installed in the same areas as the sprinklers.

(26) "NFPA 20" means the selection and installation of pumps, both centrifugal and positive displacement, that supply liquid for a private fire protection system.

(27) "NFPA 24" means the installation of the dedicated underground fire service main of a water based fire protection system.

(28) "NFPA 25" means the inspection, testing, and maintenance of water based fire protection systems.

(29) "NICET" means the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies.

(30) "Person" means one or more individuals, legal representatives, partnerships, joint ventures, associations, corporations (whether or not organized for profit), business trusts, or any organized group of individuals and includes the state, state agencies, counties, municipal corporations, school districts, and other public corporations.

(31) "Qualified" means an individual who has demonstrated through education, training, examination, or national certifications the competency, skill, and ability necessary to perform any work covered or defined by this chapter and chapter 18.160 RCW to the satisfaction of a relevant jurisdiction. In matters of compliance with the licensing and certification requirements of this chapter and chapter 18.160 RCW, the relevant jurisdiction shall be the director.

(32) "Repair" means to restore by replacing a part of or putting together what is torn or broken on the fire protection sprinkler system.

(33) "Revoke" means the director will rescind a company's license or an individual's certificate. This action causes the company or individual to cease any work in the fire protection sprinkler system field in Washington state.

(34) "Suspend" means the director holds a company's license or individual's certificate inactive until such time as the director determines that the company or individual is in compliance with the requirements of this chapter and chapter 18.160 RCW.

(35) "Testing" means a procedure used to determine the status of a system as intended by conducting periodic physical checks on water-based fire protection systems such as water flow tests, fire pump tests, alarm tests, and trip tests of dry pipe, deluge, or preaction valves. These tests follow up on the original acceptance test at intervals specified in the appropriate chapter of NFPA 25.

(36) "Underground" means the portion of the fire protection sprinkler system that starts at the point where the last nonfire water use is taken from the supply mains. For the purpose of this subsection, "point where the last nonfire water use is taken from the supply mains" means the last valve, furthest from the riser, where water becomes nonflowing, which if shut off shuts off only the fire protection sprinkler system. This subsection does not apply to residential multipurpose piping fire protection sprinkler systems.

(37) "Violation" means any action, general or specific, inconsistent with the intent and letter of chapter 18.160 RCW and shall be further defined as:

(a) "Level 1 violation" means a violation which poses a minimal hazard or threat to life and property in the event of a fire.

(b) "Level 2 violation" means a violation which poses a significant hazard or threat to life or property in the event of a fire.

(c) "Level 3 violation" means a violation which poses a substantial hazard or threat to life or property in the event of a fire.

[Statutory Authority: Chapters 18.160 and 18.270 RCW. WSR 22-22-072, § 212-80-010, filed 10/31/22, effective 1/1/23. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.270.900 and 18.160.030. WSR 14-03-019, § 212-80-010, filed 1/7/14, effective 2/7/14. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.270.900. WSR 09-01-114, § 212-80-010, filed 12/19/08, effective 1/19/09. Statutory Authority: Chapters 43.43 and 18.160 RCW. WSR 05-17-099, § 212-80-010, filed 8/16/05, effective 9/16/05; WSR 05-05-006, § 212-80-010, filed 2/4/05, effective 3/7/05. Statutory Authority: Chapters 43.63A and 18.160 RCW. WSR 92-20-070 (Order 92-08), § 212-80-010, filed 10/5/92, effective 11/5/92; WSR 91-14-086 (Order 91-06), § 212-80-010, filed 7/1/91, effective 8/1/91.]