The publication Life Safety Code, known as NFPA 101, is a consensus standard widely adopted in the United States.
It is administered, trademarked, copyrighted, and published by the National Fire Protection Association and, like many NFPA documents, is systematically revised on a three-year cycle.
[citation needed] Despite its title, the standard is not a legal code, is not published as an instrument of law, and has no statutory authority in its own right.
However, it is deliberately crafted with language suitable for mandatory application to facilitate adoption into law by those empowered to do so.
This work led to the preparation of standards for the construction of stairways,fire escapes, and similar structures; for fire drills in various occupancies and for the construction and arrangement of exit facilities for factories, schools and other occupancies, which form the basis of the present Code.
[citation needed] Codes produced by NFPA are continually updated to incorporate new technologies as well as lessons learned from actual fire experiences.
In other cases, the local law amends the Code to omit undesired sections prior to its adoption.
Since the Life Safety Code is a valuable source for determining liability in accidents, it is also used by insurance companies to evaluate risks and set rates, not to mention assessment of compliance after an incident.