Fire Protection Measures
Fire protection can be broken down into 2 main types, active and passive.
Active Fire Systems
As the name suggests, active fire systems / protection, include equipment and systems which are designed to react in a fire situation. These include, but are not limited to:
- Fire extinguishers and portable appliances.
- Fire detection and alarm systems.
- Fire doors / fire shutters connected to and operated via a fire alarm and / or fusible link.
- Automatic Sprinkler Installation
- Smoke ventilation
- Automatic fire suppression system ( water mist, inert gas, dry powder or foam system)
- Emergency lighting
- Emergency procedures planning
- Staff training (fire prevention / fighting, evacuation)
- Provision of fire action notices and exit signage
Passive Fire Protection
These protection measures relate to the ability of a building to withstand the effects of fire and, once in existence, are present all the time and available should a fire occur. Passive fire protection measures, therefore, are best provided for when a new building is in the planning stage or when there is to be a change or modification to an existing building.
These measures could include;
- Fire resistant materials used in building construction
- Fire resisting compartments
- Escape routes and exits
- Surfaces that resist flame spread
- Fire resisting elements of structure
- Building separation (to prevent the spread of fire from one building to another)
- Fire barriers in voids, ducts, cavities and roof spaces
- Fire resisting ducts for cables / services
- Fire resistant cabling
- Fire dampers in air distribution ducts particularly where passing through compartment walls / floors
- Large capacity buildings compartmented into smaller areas using Firebreak Walls with any penetrations appropriately protected
