Due to the safety risk that loft beds present due to
poor construction or use of materials which present a fire hazard,
many institutions have begun to ban the use of lofts on campus. In
an effort to enable Berry students to have a loft if they desire, the
Residence Life Office has chosen a loft which can be easily rented
and meets all necessary safety requirements.
Lofts…The Basics
The use of lofts is limited to the residence halls.
New Lofts…How to Get One
New lofts may be rented
from Campus Loft:
Telephone: 877-bed-loft
website: Campus Loft
What To Do Once You Have a Loft
Once a loft has been installed in your room, please do the following:
- Register the loft with the residence life office; registration
materials can be found in RA Offices or the residence life office,
05 Ladd Center.
- Have the loft inspected.
- Keep all original furniture and bedding in the room. The bed
will be incorporated into any new lofts (Campus Loft). If you are using an older
loft, the springs (can be incorporated into the loft), head and
foot boards must be stored in your room.
- When you vacate your room, you are responsible for the dismantling
old lofts and returning the room to its original condition. Failure
to do will result in a $75.00 charge from Physical Plant. Rental lofts will be removed by Campus Lofts.
Assembly
- New lofts from Campus Loft that are purchased over the summer
will be delivered and installed for you.
- No part of any assembly may be attached via a bolt, nail,
screw, wedge, or otherwise, in any manner to the ceiling, floor,
walls or college furnishings.
- Lofts shall not be constructed in any way that would
obstruct the full swing of any door.
Additionally, the loft shall in no way obstruct the window or access
thereto. When a room has more than one window, there must be at least
one window left totally and completely unobstructed. State fire regulations
and local building codes require at least one window from each sleeping
room be unobstructed and ready for use in event of fire or other
emergency. Lofts shall not be constructed in any way that would obstruct
the full swing or any door, or access to any exit path or closet.
- Lofts must be located and constructed in such a way that they do
not interfere with access to the heating units, plumbing or other
items needing periodic maintenance.
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Assembly, continued...
- Loft assembly in the residence halls may
not begin before 11:00 am and may not continue past 9:00 pm. Residents are
responsible for cleaning up all material, equipment, paint and/or
other trash created as a result of assembly.
- The mattress provided by Berry must be used in
the loft.
- The bed must be re-assembled when the loft
is removed. (Campus Loft will remove their loft after your departure in May).
- All construction and components in the construction, including mattresses,
borders, etc. should be no less than 33 inches from the ceiling.
Safety railings will be allowed only if they do not interfere with
the free and easy dismounting of the loft.
- Attached room fixtures (curtain rods, blinds, light fixtures, phones,
electrical outlets/switches, heating covers, built-in furniture,
etc.) may not be removed, relocated, or altered.
- The resident who registers the loft assumes responsibility for any
damages to the room caused by the loft.
- Lofts are to be completely dismantled and removed from the room when
you vacate the room permanently. At that time, the room should conform
to the original room inventory card check-in listings. Residents
will assume financial responsibility for bed frames not assembled in
the room. Failure to remove a loft will result in loss of the loft
and a removal fee of at least $125.00.
Safety Guidelines
- Each wooden loft shall have at least one
battery-powered ionization-type smoke detector attached to the
highest part of the loft so that
smoke from a fire originating on the loft surface or in an area below
the loft top will easily and promptly reach the detector. A second
detector is recommended but not required on the underside of the
loft. Smoke detectors must be U.L. (Underwriter's Laboratories) or
F.M. (Factory Mutual) listed. Detectors shall be operational at all
times and should be tested weekly by the loft owner. Detectors will
be tested during Health & Safety checks made by residence life
staff.
- Each wooden loft shall
have a U.L., or F.M. listed multipurpose (ABC type) dry chemical
portable fire extinguisher out in an easily accessible location in the room or on the loft near
the door to an exit corridor. The extinguisher shall be maintained
ready for use at all times and will be checked on the same basis
as the smoke detector to insure it is functional.
- There shall not be any flammable or combustible material, or any
material subject to melting or dripping when exposed to heat, attached
to or suspended from the ceiling of the room. Such materials shall
not be suspended around the sleeping area of the loft. Examples of
prohibited materials include, but are not limited to, drapes, flags,
fishnets, parachutes, or wood construction. Such materials are prohibited
due to rapid horizontal flame spread over the ceiling of the loft.
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