With temperatures reaching 1000ºC, building fires can wreak havoc in and around a neighbourhood. It can cause a devastating effect on property, assets and life. Considering its effect on a property, the damage can occur either by heat or smoke, in a number of ways depending on the kind of material used in construction and kind of products stored inside the premises.

Smoke, on one side, can become increasingly dangerous, intoxicating the atmosphere. It can cause the atmospheric oxygen to come down from its normal concentration (21%) hence making it difficult for the occupants to breathe. In fact, smoke can become even more dangerous if the property houses an increased variety of synthetic household products and toxic materials. On the other side, heat can affect the load-bearing capacity of the building’s structural elements which may happen in different ways – the most obvious effects being charring and spalling.

Another aspect of fire can be seen in the form of thermal expansion. Even if a fire does not affect a particular area of the building directly, thermal expansion reaches the area making it permanently lose its physical appearance and inner strength.

No matter your property is lightly or heavily susceptible to fire, the installation of fire equipment is inevitable.

Indispensable Factors Relating To Fire Equipment

1. Fire Standards

Fire Protection Association Australia mandates the building owners to stay in compliance with the safety standards imposed on fire protection systems with its Australian Standards 1851 (AS 1851). These are a set of rules and regulations that ensure all the state and Occupational Health and Safety rules are met by the property owners.

AS 1851 includes standards for testing, surveying and executing maintenance on fire protection systems. A set of guidelines provided by the Standard help the owners to have fire safety equipment that is in accordance with the state standards for installation and design of the system. A yearly test and survey of the equipment ensure its efficient performance which is crucial.

2. Type of Building

Fire can have light to catastrophic effect on a building depending on the construction material and design of the building.

There is a common belief that concrete and masonry are non-combustible. However, they cannot be taken for granted as completely fireproof materials. Absolutely, there is a factor of fire-resistance in such materials with the inability to burn and reduce the overall fire load. But this does not mean that an extreme event of fire will not cause a serious damage. In case of high heat, concrete experiences temperature shock causing rapid expansion of the material and eventual separation of layers and break away.

Furthermore, fire in a room of solid brick with no doors or windows is counted as a positive factor as it is hard for heat and smoke to escape. And a room constructed of glass is a negative factor because the increase in heat would shatter glass allowing the fire to spread.

3. Fire Exit Doors

Under Building and Work Health and, Safety Legislation, every building in Australia requires to have an emergency fire exit door for the occupants to escape quickly from the scene of a fire. As a mandatory general practice, a fire exit door opens without a key – having a locking system for the door is an offence. Also, storing materials in the path of fire exit doors which may hinder the movement of occupants’ access to a safe place is an offence. Every building needs to have location maps or signs on doors that notify occupants about the fire exit doors. It is also recommended that certain buildings like hotels and boarding houses should inform their occupants about the location of fire exit in case of emergency.

4. Fire Hydrant Systems

A fire hydrant system is a water network system that transports water, minimising a firefighter’s need to lay more amount of hose, thus speeding up the firefighting process. Fire hydrants are meant only for the trained firefighters. As untrained individuals attempting to operate the system may get seriously injured due to the extremely high pressures. These systems are equipped with essential parts like pumps, tanks and fire service booster connections that account for an effective rescue operation. Fire hydrant systems need to be maintained and tested regularly for performance. And the installation of the system should be at an easily accessible place while being in compliance with the law.

5. Fire Detection and Alarm Systems

Fire detection and alarm systems are installed in buildings to warn occupants of a fire outbreak. Needless to say, they do not intervene in the fire extinguishing process. But an effective system may reduce the time between the fire outbreak and the commencement of firefighting by professionals which is critical. These systems use smoke, heat or flame detectors to detect a fire incident and alert the occupants and the fire brigade. They may also be activated manually by a person who discovers a fire. The system should be connected to intercommunication systems in a way that the entire building can hear the beep sound.

Automatic alarm fire systems perform multiple tasks during a fire incident including the closing of smoke and fire doors, operating flashing warning lights, stopping air-conditioning systems and alerting critical staff. Today, advancement in technology has led to a more sophisticated fire alarm and detection systems that rely on computer systems. They may perform intelligently, determining whether the smoke is from a fire or some food burnt in the kitchen and relaying the same to the maintenance manager.

6. Materials handling at that place

Types of materials stored in a building play a vital role in determining the fire impact on a building. Combustible materials can lead to an increase in the intensity of the fire. The amount of combustible material and how it is stored determines the rate at which the fire grows.

Precautions like arranging the material in piles with space in between can be taken to reduce the effect of fire assuming that only one pile catches fire. This will retard the rate of fire growth and prevent the fire spreading from one pile to another.

Importance Of Fire Equipment

Every year hundreds of lives are affected due to fire. There have been catastrophic instances resulting in complete collapse of the building, loss of valuable assets and lives. In the business context, companies have to face huge loss in terms of its reputation, customer trust, injuries and death of employees and building damage. Hence, owners of residences and commercial buildings need to be responsible for making their premises compliant with the fire safety standards set by the authorities. Among these, fire equipment serves as the most important life-saving factor that needs to be installed. The fire safety equipment and tools provide maximum protection from fire and reduce the likelihood of costly damage and loss of lives.

1. Sonora SONF1 SONFL1

The product is a compact alarm sounder that adds to a robust fire safety system of a building. The alarm sounder is designed for general signalling application including fire, security and process control. It ensures high output under low consumption. Read more for a detailed insight into the product.

2. /60/- Fire Rated Party Wall Window

The fire rated party wall window can serve as an essential product for both commercial and residential buildings. It prevents the spread of fire from one building to another. It is made from timber that is highly stable and durable in fire outbreak in accordance with the Australian Standard AS1530.4-2005. Contact the seller

3. Fire Fighting Equipment

Designed and manufactured in Australia, the equipment is one the most indispensable component of fire safety systems. Made from premium quality materials, the product is suitable for all kinds of buildings including schools, public places, offices, high-rise buildings, restaurants and more. For a detailed insight follow the link

4. Fire Blankets

Fire blanket is a portable and highly effective safety device to put off small fires. It helps in cutting off the oxygen from the fire and hence preventing it from spreading further. It is suitable for all kinds of places and can be used by anyone without any training. Learn More

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