Fire Safety in Construction

  Fire safety is a huge, this blog endeavors to answer all your burning questions about fire safety in buildings, from fire engineering to the best suppliers for smoke venting components and fire safety products!  

[fire-safety-in-construction]

Fire Safety Blankets to stop pan fires spreading

If you do a lot of home cooking, you should be well aware of the risks that are entailed by cooking regularly using a gas stove or oven. If not used properly, the gas can spread and ignite and cause a pan fire. To avoid this from developing into a huge house fire, a fire blanket can be stored near to the oven so that if such an event occurs, the fire safety blanket can be put over the fire to smother it. Without access to air, the fire cannot sustain itself, and will die out. This is why fires can be put out by covering them with sand or a non-flammable blanket.

In order for a fire to keep burning, it needs to have all three elements of the ‘fire triangle’ to hand. The Fire Triangle is made up of heat, fuel and oxygen. These are the three things that must be present in order for a fire to burn. If one of these is taken away, the fire cannot burn. The two easiest things to remove from a fire triangle are the fuel, and oxygen. Given that a gas oven relies on gas as a fuel for cooking, it can sometimes be difficult to completely cut off the gas supply to your oven. Therefore, in the instance of a gas fire, the easiest solution to stop the fire spreading is to stop the oxygen supply to the fire, but stopping air from reaching it.

The majority of fire blankets for use in the kitchen are secured to the wall or somewhere accessible in the kitchen, and stored inside a special quick release box. The box has two fabric cords coming out of it, which, in the event of needing to access the fire safety blanket, can be pulled. The bottom of the box opens and the fire safety blanket comes out.

When trying to smother the flames from the pan fire, approach the fire with the blanket held vertically in front of you. Your hands should be at the two top corners of the blanket, with it hanging beneath them. Gradually drape the blanket over the flames in a direction away from your body – the first part to touch the pan should be the bottom of the blanket, with the blanket smothering the flames further away from you. With the pan covered, make sure the gas (or other fuel you’re using) is turned off. If the blanket is unsuccessful in putting out the fire, call the fire service immediately from a safe location.

To purchase a fire safety blanket, visit besafedirect.com

[fire-safety-in-construction]

Fire Safety Smoke Venting – those few minutes count

Smoke is by far the biggest danger to anyone trapped in a fire. The toxic concoction can take effect on the body in just seconds, disorientating the mind whilst consuming the airways. The gases produced by a fire, once inhaled, will breakdown internal tissues whilst suffocating the lungs. With the quick but deadly effects, anybody caught in the smoke of a fire will be very unlikely to escape due to breathing and the ability to move becoming very difficult.

The quicker the better

It really is that simple. Getting people out of a burning building as quickly as possible will save lives. The less contact a person has with the deadly smoke by product, the greater opportunity they will have to make it to safety. When thinking about fire precautions and planning, considering the most efficient exit routes is essential. Time is of the essence! A simple, well planned route that is designed with personal safety in mind will get people away from the danger with minimal threat to livelihood.

It is also important to consider how anyone trapped within a building, can reach these exit points especially if the building is engulfed by smoke. Even simple smoke ventilation could offer additional precious time to enable those involved to flee. Smoke ventilation enables a better flow of oxygen into the building, whilst reducing the amount of toxic smoke. This type of ventilation can also help improve visibility within a smoke consumer building, making it easier for people to find their nearest escape route – and help fire rescue services search the building for those unable to escape.

Companies like Fire Design Solutions are able to offer fully integrated venting systems that can improve airflow in a building fire, giving people additional time to get to safety. These venting systems could be through windows, automatic opening vents of vertical smoke shafts, depending on the premises where they are to be installed. The company offers reliable and cost effective systems that are in keeping with the design of the building and without loss of excessive floor space. These can be automatically programmed to turn on is a fire alarm is sounded, maximising its possible benefit – and ensuring that no-one has to spend precious minutes turning on the system; those few moments really could make all the difference!

If you would like to find out further information on building fire safety including smoke venting and the options that are available to you, please visit the Fire Design Solutions website. Alternatively, if you would like to speak to a member of the knowledgeable team, please call on 01223 371 411. 

[fire-safety-in-construction]

Need to know about fire safety?

Fire safety is a huge, this blog endeavors to answer all your burning questions about fire safety in buildings, from fire engineering to the best suppliers for smoke venting components and fire safety products!