What is fire protection?
Fire protection is the study of protecting the occupants and the property from fire. It also includes providing for the safe evacuation of occupants and reducing fire damage to the building. The fire protection consultants have to understand the process and space allocation in the facility to design a fire protection system for the facility. The exit systems, fire alarm systems and fire suppression systems are also a part of the fire protection systems.
Fire suppression and fire prevention are terms used commonly instead of fire protection. However, they are different from fire protection. Fire suppression means methods to extinguish, control fire or prevent fires in some cases. But fire prevention is educating occupants to take proactive steps to prevent fires from starting, thus reducing the after-effects of fire.
Fire safety is a necessity for any industry. Investment in fire safety ensures that the fire spread is limited and that damage to life and property is minimal.
The fire protection system is classified as:
- Active fire protection system helps extinguish and fight fires like fire alarms, sprinklers, hydrants, etc.
- The Passive Fire protection system helps isolate the fire and maintain the integrity of the building. Some passive fire protection systems are fire doors, fire-rated walls, smoke barriers, sealants etc.
Moreover, to guide the fire protection consultants, the local building codes and local regulations provide for fire safety measures.
What is a fire load?
The fire load of a building or space is a way to evaluate the potential severity of a hypothetical fire accident. Thus, fire load helps fire protection consultants to work out the fire risk and design an appropriate fire protection system for the facility.
Fire prevention measures include
- The company should inform the steps for preventing fire to the workforce.
- Keeping fire exits free from clutter
- Having a compliant and good quality fire protection system.
- Proper maintenance of the fire protection system
- Controlling potential sources of fire
- Storing combustible and flammable material properly.
To conclude, fire protection consultants play an important role in the safety of the workforce.
