All the commercial buildings must use fire safety equipment that meets the requirement of law. It is imperative for the business owners to understand their obligation completely so that they stay compliant and ensure the buildings to be safe as well as secure for the visitors and the employees.
Through usage of the right fire safety equipment, the business owners can protect their property as well as the occupants.
Smoke poisoning is one of the most prominent reasons behind death caused by fire. By ensuring that the right fire safety equipment is made use of, you can reduce the death caused by fire injuries as well as chances of fire outbreak in the commercial buildings.
Fire Safety Equipment Necessary in the Commercial Buildings
Apart from smoke alarms, there are different types of fire safety equipment available. Remember that the type as well as the amount of equipment necessary in a given building will depend on the size as well as the risk factors.
Here are some of the fire safety equipment that you can consider installing.
Fire Extinguisher
All the commercial buildings must use fire extinguishers. The requisite number as well as the location depends on the use and the occupancy.
It is better to keep the extinguishers in such a position so that no one needs to travel more than 75 feet to reach the fire extinguishers. The extinguishers need to be located close to the exit points. This way, the individual trying to extinguish the fire need not go deeper into the burning building.
Make sure that you select the right kind of fire extinguisher as there are different types of fire extinguishers in use to fight different types of fire.
Fire Alarm
Fire alarms occupy a significant part of all buildings, regardless of whether they are residential or commercial. They are designed for saving lives as well as protecting people; the alarms alert people as soon as a fire breaks out, thereby providing them extra time to escape from the burning building and get in touch with the fire brigade.
Different types of fire alarms are available that suit multiple needs, depending on the environment they are used in.
Since the commercial properties tend to vary a lot (they can be office buildings, industrial buildings or restaurants), the fire safety needs of the buildings are also quite varied.
The fire alarms used in the commercial buildings are bigger as well as far more complex than the ones used in the residential buildings. The fire alarm systems here need careful design as well as planning with a fire risk assessment taking place before the installation.
The fire detectors need to spread out throughout the building. It is better to install several of them in the main area so that when a fire starts, the alarm can alert people to danger as soon as possible.
All the fire alarms and the sub components need to be interlinked with the central panel; this must be monitored round the clock.
Fire Door
Fire doors are popularly used in the commercial buildings, to ensure that people in that building have a way to escape in instances of a fire or any other emergency.
The fire doors are fire rated; this means that they can aid in containing the fire and stopping it from spreading, providing people in the building a better chance to escape, saving life as well as property.
The fire doors help to contain the fire, preventing its spread. In instances of a fire, the special seals, materials and coating help to prevent fire of going out of the door and spreading.
Fire Sprinkler
It is better to come with a protection plan in the commercial buildings in instances of a smoke or fire. Installing the sprinkler systems is one of the best preventive measures that can be adopted.
The sprinklers detect heat from fire and activates automatically, providing a flow of water intended to slow down or extinguish fire.
Sprinkler systems provide enough early suspension to allow the building occupants safely evacuate before the fire spreads and gets worse.
It is not enough to install the fire safety equipment. Make sure to maintain it properly and get it checked at regular interval to remain double sure.
Contributed By: http://www.firesafetyconsultant.com/
