Capitol architect ordered to fix fire hazards

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress' health and safety agency today ordered the architect of the Capitol to fix fire safety hazards that jeopardize the lives of lawmakers, their staffs and thousands of daily

Monday, March 20th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress' health and safety agency today ordered the architect of the Capitol to fix fire safety hazards that jeopardize the lives of lawmakers, their staffs and thousands of daily visitors.

The Office of Compliance issued eight citations directing the architect to install fire doors, test fire-suppression equipment and alarms, and train maintenance employees on storage of hazardous chemicals. The citations cover the Capitol and the office buildings that house members' offices and hearing rooms.

Gary Green, general counsel for the Office of Compliance, said testing of sprinklers and alarm systems has been "almost uniformly disregarded for many, many years."

The citations are similar to those issued to private industry by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, except they don't carry a fine. Each citation aims to fix a specific problem and sets a date for compliance.

The citations allege that the architect violated the Congressional Accountability Act, which was passed five years ago to force Congress to comply with many health and safety laws imposed on the rest of the country.

Congress previously was exempt from compliance.

In a January report on fire safety in congressional buildings, the compliance office found "the overall level of fire safety to be far below that of most other American office buildings of similar size and age."

The hazards are "not only a violation of federal law governing employee health and safety, but also a potential threat to human life," the report stated.

Architect of the Capitol Alan Hantman, responsible for congressional buildings and grounds, has told Congress that his office is making progress in improving fire safety. But Hantman cautioned that he must preserve the historic buildings and complained that lawmakers and their staffs are reluctant to evacuate their workspace for major renovation projects.

Congress has proposed providing $15 million to address the fire safety issue as part of an emergency spending bill for this year.

The citation that applied to the Capitol stated, "All exit stairwells are unprotected against fire, smoke or toxic fumes, posing an undue danger to the lives and safety of occupants during the period of time necessary for escape."

In case of fire, the citation said, the open stairwells "would provide ready-made chimneys rapidly conveying fire and smoke" to the upper floors.

The architect's office was ordered to install fire-rated doors by Sept. 30 where feasible and submit alternatives for other areas to the compliance office by Sept. 30, 2001. Design and installation should be completed for all areas of the Capitol by Sept. 30, 2003,the citation said.

Finding that "none of the required inspection, testing and maintenance" had been performed on sprinkler systems, the architect was ordered to take corrective action within 90 days. Annual testing of alarm systems also was required, in that case by June 30.