Fire Safety Equipment Installation and Maintenance Is Important

Fire Safety is an important issue for all of us. Most people will never face a major fire but don’t think it will never happen to you. Fire is an unpredictable catastrophe which can occur any time. Hence one should make sure he is always prepared for such contingencies. The primary goal of fire safety efforts is to protect building occupants from injury and to prevent loss of life and prevent property damage. According to Indian law, minimal fire safety equipment is mandatory for any developed property.

Today, most of builders and developers offer safety and security device as part of their project. But some builders opt for cheap  equipment instead of purchasing high quality ones. In some cities or state, it is mandatory to install fire safety devices in shopping malls, schools and colleges, high-rise building or apartment. Regular inspection as well as annual servicing is necessary to maintain the Fire Safety Equipment in good working condition.

Fire Safety Installations for Buildings

Fire Safety arrangements have become the basic necessity for MNC (Multi National Companies), Offices, Schools, High Rise Buildings, Societies, Homes/Houses, Multi Storey Buildings/Houses, Shopping Complex. Fire Safety device or Fire Detector Units come in a variety of models depending on the facility to be protected. As per the Fire Services Rules and National Building Code of India, the installation of the minimum fire safety equipment is mandatory in Schools, High Rise Buildings and Shopping Complex.

Carbon Monoxide Detector, Smoke Alarms, Fire Extinguishers, Escape Ladders, Fire sprinkler systems, Fire doors & frames, Water storage etc are some of important Fire Safety equipments. Installation of fire safety device is offered as a part of project by builders or developers. According to National Building Code, at least one stair case shall be provided as a fire staircase as defined in the National Building Code. The performance of a fire protection system depends not only on the quality of the product, but in the quality of its maintenance program.

Maintenance of Fire Safety Equipment

Some builders or apartment owners association installs fire safety equipment just to get NOC from concerned department for getting the Occupancy certificate of the building. But they forget that maintenance of fire safety device is vital for proper working of equipment during emergency or disaster. Following are some useful tips for Installation and Maintenance of fire safety device.

• Fire Escape: Fire escape plan or routes are to be provided with a sign. The preferred wording for signage leading to an exterior fire escape is “Fire Escape” or “Fire Exit”. If your home or apartment doesn’t have an emergency Fire escape plan, make an outline of your entire floor area and mark the escape route one showing normal exit through hall or stairways and another show emergency exit in case fire blocks hallways or stairs.

• Fire Escape Access: If you live in an apartment building, your apartment should have access to both the main stairwell and an alternate fire escape. If you or someone in your family is physically disabled, make sure that their bedrooms have several exits that they can access easily or are situated on the ground floor near an exit. In the event of an actual fire, get outside of the building and stay out. Contact the fire department and allow the professionals to do their jobs.

• Fire Safety audit: The fire license is issued based on the adherence to National Building Code provisions with respect to fire safety. In India fire audits are conducted by third party for the purpose of issuing statutory clearance for occupation of the high rise buildings. Apartment owners association or property manager can conduct fire safety audit by expert to ensure that the building fire safety equipments are in proper place and fire safety devices are in good working conditions.

• Annual Maintenance: Annual Maintenance of Fire Safety Equipments is necessary for all fire fighting & safety equipments and installation to ensure the smooth operation of all Fire safety equipments and installations during any emergency without fail.  Regular inspection and servicing of the equipment is meant for the safety of the occupants.

• Identifying the fire Hazards: Fires occur when the three things viz. a source of ignition, fuel and oxygen are present together and the fire risk could increase depending on the proximity of these materials to each other.  It is important to understand what materials in your work area or apartment are flammable and combustible so that you may properly store and isolate them from ignition sources. The fire audit should identify potential fire hazards based on the location and handling of potential sources of ignition.

• Evaluating the risks: The evaluation of fire risk in each building or block of occupancy can be done either qualitatively and quantitatively. The average risk values can be used to categorize the building or block as low, medium or high risk.

• Fire doors: A fire door is a door with a fire-resistance rating designed to withstand fire, heat and smoke for a period of 20-minutes to 3 hours. Every fire door is therefore required to act as a barrier to the passage of smoke and/or fire to varying degrees dependent upon its location in a building and the fire hazard associated with the building. Fire doors need occasional maintenance and repairs to function properly and should be periodically checked. Fire doors in dirty or critical locations should be tested more frequently to assure that the fire door will operate when needed.

Fire is an unpredictable catastrophe which can occur any time. Hence one should make sure he is always prepared for such contingencies. The primary goal of fire safety efforts is to protect building occupants from injury and to prevent loss of life and the secondary goal is to prevent damage or loss of valuable. It is important to understand what materials in your work area or apartment are flammable and combustible so that you may properly store and isolate them from ignition sources. Never block or lock the Fire Escape route which will trap you in case of emergency.

When using extension cords check for defaults such as frays, brittleness, or broken wires. Faulty electrical equipment or misuse of equipment produces heat and sparks that serve as ignition sources in the presence of flammable and combustible materials. Ensure that fire safety device in your apartment or building is maintained regularly and the devices are in good working condition.