Shutoff systems shall be designed to be what?

Shutoff systems shall be designed to be what?

• A. Fail-safe
• B. Non-fail-safe
• C. Power-dependent
• D. Manual-only

Answer: (A)

Shutoff systems are designed to be fail-safe, meaning they default to a safe, non-flowing condition when power or control signals fail. In hazardous environments, you don’t want a fault or power loss to allow continued discharge or flow of the extinguishing agent; the system should automatically move to a safe state without requiring human action. This approach protects occupants and minimizes unintended releases during faults or outages. Relying on non-fail-safe, power-dependent, or manual-only designs risks uncontrolled flow or delayed response in an emergency, which is why fail-safe is the appropriate requirement.

Shutoff systems are designed to be fail-safe, meaning they default to a safe, non-flowing condition when power or control signals fail. In hazardous environments, you don’t want a fault or power loss to allow continued discharge or flow of the extinguishing agent; the system should automatically move to a safe state without requiring human action. This approach protects occupants and minimizes unintended releases during faults or outages. Relying on non-fail-safe, power-dependent, or manual-only designs risks uncontrolled flow or delayed response in an emergency, which is why fail-safe is the appropriate requirement.