S1001 INTEGRATION

First published in 2011 and originally created to harmonize the testing of Fire and Life Safety (FLS) systems, the CAN/ULC S1001 standard was introduced into the National Building and Fire Codes of Canada in 2015. It is now a mandated requirement to ensure that all FLS systems in buildings are tested as integrated systems and operate in accordance with their design criteria. In other words, the CAN/ULC S1001 standard establishes the testing protocol to ensure that FLS systems function collectively.

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This new standard is in response to the requirements incorporated in the 2010 National Building and Fire Codes of Canada; NBCC 3.2.4.6 and NFC 2.1.3.8:

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     "When life safety systems and fire protection systems are installed in conformance with the provisions of this code or the NBC/NFC, the commissioning of these integrated systems shall be performed as a whole to ensure proper operation and interrelationship between the systems."

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The term "commissioning" used in the 2010 version of the Code caused confusion regarding its intended meaning. While the fire protection industry used the term "commissioning" to signify acceptance testing, the building commissioning industry interpreted it as a process involving testing, verification, documentation, adjustment, and training to ensure that an installation operates in accordance with the documented project requirements.

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The CAN/ULC S1001 subcommittee on Commissioning, with contributions from the National Research Council of Canada, therefore undertook to define the process for testing integrated systems to differentiate between the integrated testing required by national codes and the more complex process of building commissioning.

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The result of this process was the development of the CAN/ULC S1001 standard. Although similar, building commissioning and CAN/ULC S1001 testing are two distinct processes and refer to separate standards and guidelines.