Fire incidents has enormous increase over last two decades and this aspect needs to be considered during design since it impacts the safety of human life. Building has to be designed to offer an acceptable level of fire safety and minimise risks from heat and smoke.
Safety of life is the most important aspect that needs to be factored in during the design of buildings. Studies have indicated that the primary hazard to humans in a building fire is more from smoke and toxic gases which cause nearly 3/4 of all deaths.
Therefore, a lot of emphases has been laid on fire detection systems and subsequently on aspects of thermal management and fire extinguishing techniques to be used in a building. The approach to dealing with a fire in buildings is encapsulated in the following box.
Here are some key mantras for fire safety
- Evacuation
- Compartmentalization
- Response
- Structural Integrity
- Adequate Maintenance
The selection of standardized fire-rated materials for façades is important, but we need to also ensure that the correct practices of the installation of façade materials and fire stops are also followed.
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CO2 fire extinguisher discharges CO2 gas, also known as carbon dioxide.
This is stored in the extinguisher as a liquid, and the gas is created under pressure when the handle of the extinguisher is squeezed.This causes the CO2 gas to emerge at great speed, which is why CO2 fire extinguishers are not recommended for chip pan fires – they could literally blast the flames into surrounding areas.Unlike water and foam extinguishers, CO2 fire extinguishers do not work by cooling the fire and so are ineffective on fires involving flammable solids.Instead, CO2 extinguisher work by replacing the oxygen surrounding the flames with carbon dioxide, meaning the fire can no longer burn.
Precaution: Fire extinguisher refilling and maintenance is necessary once in a year.
