Overview of Building Complete Fire Safety

Building fire safety comprises a "package" which incorporates construction methods, mechanical and electrical devices, management practice and organised human response tailored to reduce the impact of fire upon the occupants, the building, its contents, the attending firefighters and any neighbouring property. In the context of building fire safety, fire impact is considered to be any threat to life and property caused by heat or smoke and may include adverse environmental impact from toxic products stored on the premises.

Building fire safety cannot be defined as a "single system", it relies upon a group of "sub systems" to form a complete "package". More often than not, if one of the "sub systems" is removed, the whole "package" will collapse and the occupants within the building will face an unacceptable risk in the event of outbreak of fire. For simplicity, the "package" can be broken down into nine principle "sub systems", comprising:

1. Occupant training and education
2. Means of escape from the building
3. Compartmentation and structural fire resistance
4. Firefighting systems
5. Fire detection, alarm and communication systems
6. Smoke management systems
7. Occupant Training and Education

 

An essential part of any building fire safety system (probably the most important part) is training and education of the occupants in matters of fire safety. Every conceivable device that technology can devise can be placed in a building but if the occupants are ignorant of what a fire alarm sounds like, what are safe and unsafe work practices or where the exits are, then the devices will not achieve a fire safe building. All too often occupant training, fire drills and safe work practices. A management plan, addressing all of these facets together with what to do after a fire has been extinguished to minimize its consequential effect, is very necessary if the overall fire safety system is to be effective.

Means of Escape from the Building

This is an essential part of the fire safety system. A safe, illuminated, well identified way out of the building is required in order that the building occupants can escape a fire (or other) emergency. Often more than one escape route is required so that occupants have an alternative exit if one cannot be reached because of smoke or fire. These exits must be kept clear at all times. Storage of materials in exits is a common hazard and security problems are often overcome by illegally locking fire escape doors which places the lives of the building occupants at risk if a fire occurs.

Compartmentation and Structural Fire Resistance

If the fire is contained within a room or space (known as a compartment) by the nature of its construction, its impact on other parts of the building will be minimised. Naturally the people in the compartment will need to get out before the fire effects them. A room of solid brick with no windows and a sturdy door would be a good fire compartment, because it would be difficult for the heat and smoke to escape. A room constructed of glass would be a poor fire and smoke compartment because, as the fire grows, heat would shatter the glass thus letting heat and smoke out and the fire to spread.

Compartmentation is a called a "PASSIVE" system (ie. just by being there it inhibits the spread of fire). It relies upon structural stability under fire conditions; the ability to withstand the effects of fire without collapse.

Fire Fighting Systems

Fire fighting systems are those which intervene in the fire growth process. Such systems can be used by trained occupants or attending firefighters and include a fire extinguisher, fire hose reel, or fire hydrant. Other systems may be automatic such as a fire sprinkler system. Automatic systems are considered to be superior, because they do not rely on people to manually operate them. Fire fighting systems are known as "DYNAMIC" systems because they do something; they actively intervene in the rate of fire growth.

The greater the extinguishing capability of the system and the earlier in the fire growth period it can be applied, the lower the fire impact, hence, the preference for sprinkler systems by most fire engineers and firefighting professionals.

Fire Detection Alarm and Evacuation Warning Systems

The smoke alarm alerts the building occupants that a fire has been detected. A fire detection system may, in addition to alerting occupants, automatically notify the fire brigade of the fire. If fire detection and alarm systems operate very early in the fire growth stage, building occupants may be able to extinguish a small fire.

An evacuation warning system may be activated by a fire detection or firefighting system or manually by a chief fire warden for other circumstances such as a bomb threat. Many evacuation warning systems also have an intercommunication system such as a phone system and/or a public address system which can be used to pass information to the building occupants and fire wardens, who will orchestrate an orderly evacuation, or move occupants to safer parts of the building.

Smoke Management Systems

In many buildings occupied by the public, especially large buildings such as shopping centres, smoke from a fire can spread and descend so as to block exits and make occupant escape difficult or, in the extreme, impossible. In such instances, the installation of a smoke management system, which will slow down the rate of smoke spread, is recommended. Such systems often involve exhausting the smoke at ceiling level where hot smoke will naturally collect due to its buoyancy (because it is hot it is lighter than the surrounding air).

 

Other methods employ the opening of apertures in the roof or panels at high level in the walls of a building. Provided fresh air is allowed to naturally flow into the building below any smoke layer, these measures will permit the smoke to escape from the building rather than fill it up. Another way to stop smoke infiltrating from floor to floor in a multi-storey building is to pressurise the non-fire floors with fresh air at a pressure higher than that of the fire floor.

By hiring a professional Fire Protection Service specialist always helps you acquire protection for your people around you, your property as well as prolong your business productivity.

fire protection systems helps live fear free life like you are rest confident of no fire misfortunes anywhere in your building ever.