One the major concerns is that a continued build-up of unused combustible cabling adds greatly to the fuel-load within ceilings, which can cause a fire to reach extreme temperatures, produce excessive smoke, and enable fires to spread throughout a building. All of these conditions put fire fighters at great peril.

The 1999 Seven Dials Fire in London’s Covent Garden neighborhood and the 1996 Credit Lyonnaise Headquarters fire in Paris are prime examples of the kind of fires made more likely every year as buildings continue to install additional layers of combustible materials.

Fire safety experts recognize the threat posed by leaving unprotected combustible materials in concealed or plenum spaces in commercial buildings. Code-making organizations and policymakers in state and local jurisdictions are now establishing building and electrical codes that aim to mitigate this threat – either by removing or fire protecting combustible materials.

Advances in cabling materials have enabled the manufacture of significantly less combustible communication and data cables. Limited Combustible (LC) cabling satisfies the conditions established by most jurisdictions to permit installation without additional fire protection measures – such as using metal conduit or sprinkler systems in plenum spaces.

Building owners and managers, architects, electrical engineers, fire safety inspectors and installers of cabling need to be aware of available options to improve fire safety; particularly regarding the relative fire safety performance of Limited Combustible (LC) cabling versus combustible cabling.