Maintenance Mgt. of Fire Protection Equipment with NFC
In a New York skyscraper, all fire protection equipment is labeled with tamper-proof NFC transponders.
The tags are the physical interface between each individual component requiring maintenance and a digital maintenance management system. The verification of each operation is secured by a cloud service.
The skyscraper, which houses the fire protection system installed and maintained by RAEL Fire Protection Services, has 104 floors, 73 elevators, and a usable floor area of over 300,000 square meters. The building was completed in November 2014 in Lower Manhattan, New York.
Process Requirements
A fire protection coating was applied to the special steel used in the construction of the building to protect the foundation from the effects of extreme temperatures for as long as possible. To ensure that a fire does not break out in the first place, fire extinguishing systems were installed that can detect a fire as quickly as possible and immediately trigger fire extinguishing operations.
In order to ensure the permanent functionality and readiness of these fire protection systems, all systems and components must be regularly checked and maintained.
The maintenance of fire protection equipment and sprinkler systems as well as the provision and documentation of proof of presence of service personnel take up a great deal of working hours in large skyscrapers with up to 100 floors.
Objectives
- Compliance with all building, federal and local safety inspection regulations
- Paperless identification of thousands of components and installations
- Digital documentation of maintenance protocols
- Digital documentation of attendance records
Solution
The integrated solution includes a digital maintenance management system, special NFC tags, a smartphone application and a secured cloud service. Every part of the fire protection system in the entire building that requires maintenance is labeled with a tamper-proof NFC transponder. Each of the coin-shaped tags is printed with a QR code and a logo for visual identification. More than 2,000 NFC tags are integrated throughout the building.
If a tag is removed improperly, an electronic component of the tag is modified in such a way that it becomes unusable. This function serves to prove that each tap was performed exclusively on the specified device and at the exact location.
Service technicians capture the tags via tap using a mobile reader or NFC-enabled smartphone. For each tap, the tags generate a one-time cryptographic password in conjunction with a URL that is valid for a transaction. An app records the object to be maintained, the technician, the tap time and the date. This data is then authenticated and logged to the Rael work administration. The software manages this information in a database that serves as the basis for optimizing all maintenance processes.
The property management gets direct access to the inventory of sprinkler installations, to inspections carried out and to the complete service history. The cloud service ensures that the user's credentials match the qualifications required for the maintenance of the respective device.
Technology Partner
Hardware & Software
- HID Global – Trusted Tag® Services
- HID Global – Seal Tag eTamper NFC transponder
Advantages
- The entire sprinkler inspection and repair process has been digitalized and streamlined.
- Manipulation of the tags is 100 percent impossible.
- Service technicians can now perform 20 percent of their work 34 percent faster.
- All physical inspections and repairs can be accurately tracked by the property management.
Outlook
- Mobile access to troubleshooting instructions and assistive videos, as well as live chats with facility experts will enable more specific maintenance work to be carried out directly and without the need for additional costs for a second appointment.
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