Page 32 - OHS, April 2021

FIRE SAFETY
Technology to Streamline Fire Safety Equipment Inspection and Maintenance
Building information modeling and augmented reality provide a seamless, integrated process for updating and maintaining essential fire safety equipment.
BY CAITLYN CAGGIA AND ALEX SAAD-FALCON
Building information modeling (BIM) and augmented reality (AR) enhance the design, development, maintenance and operations of any building project. According to OSHA, the level of information available
as emergency personnel arrive at a site is a critical factor in a successful fire response. As the amount of available information increases, the likelihood of a successful rescue increases. This same principle also holds true for preventative fire safety maintenance. BIM and AR increase the efficiency and thoroughness of fire safety equipment inspection by showing detailed building designs and maintenance information at the inspectors’ fingertips.
What is BIM?
Originally invented in the late 1970s, building information modeling (BIM) has gained much more traction recently in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry.1
BIM provides a one-stop shop for all information about a building design in a single model. This model can be used by legal teams, clients, architects, contractors, suppliers, engineers, construction managers, interior designers and site personnel to create designs, evaluate plans, and assess maintenance needs. BIM models are n-dimensional, as they include a 3D structure model in addition to HVAC, electric, plumbing, structural load modeling, emergency systems and other specialized models.
While computer-aided design (CAD) has been a long-standing tool in AEC, CAD provides limited views of the building process in comparison to BIM.2 CAD is meant to digitize existing drawings and is often exported as 2D snapshots to share across the full building development team. Dependencies between objects and features are clearly articulated in BIM to realize the full implications of even a minor change across all systems. For example, if a designer wants to move this window 6 inches to the left, the structural
28 Occupational Health & Safety | APRIL 2021
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