Significance of Fire Safety in a Commercial Building - Research Paper Example

Table of contents Table of contents 1 Background of fire safety 2 Statement of the problem 2 Objectives of the study 2 Hypothesis for testing 3 Significance of fire safety in a commercial building 3 Literature review 4 The fire safety order 2005 4 Principles of fire extinguishing 4 Classes of fires 5 Types of portable fire extinguishers 5 Water extinguishers 5 Water fire extinguishers with added additives 5 Form fire extinguishers 5 Carbon dioxide extinguishers 5 Wet chemical extinguishers 5 Fire risk assessment 5 Significance of fire risk assessment 6 Steps towards fire risk assessment 6 Hypothetical fire assessment form 7 Terms and conditions for fire risk assessment 7 Primary objectives of building regulation act 8 Prevention of spread of fire 8 Preventing spread of fire in the building 8 Preventing spread of fire between adjacent buildings 9 Precautions in the event of fire outbreak 9 Safety practices toward prevention of fires at work place 9 Conclusion 9 Recommendations 10 Works Cited 10 Background of fire safety Fire outbreaks occur from the least suspect circumstances due to laxity of safety rules and regulation in the work place (Onyango 1984). Cases of fire outbreaks can be prevented by carrying out fire risk assessment of the work place and following guidelines of fire safety order 2005 and building regulation act. Outbreaks of fire lead into destruction of property and loss of lives (Onyango 1984). Fire outbreaks lead into injuries, burns and physical disabilities. They lead into loss of business (Robinson 1998) following destruction of materials used in the production process and manufactured products. Fires lead into loss of jobs (Onyango 1984) for employees following destruction of the premises. This leads into loss of income (Muli, Kamau and Maina 1999) to employees and affects the economy. The employees’ become jobless and standards of living of the employees decrease. Outbreaks of fires cost insurance firms loss through compensation. Statement of the problem Safety rules and regulations in the workplace are compromised a lot (Frangi, Fontana and Knobloch 2008). Many employees don’t have training in fire fighting. Others don’t know how to operate a fire extinguisher (Frangi, Fontana and Knobloch 2008). Other employees don’t know precautions necessary in the event of an outbreak of fire. This puts such employees at risk because they don’t know what steps to follows to save their lives. In other companies, the employees don’t know if there are safe exit channels out of the building. Many building contractors compromise building regulation act (Onyango 1984) on mechanical and electrical methods (Frangi, Fontana and Knobloch 2008) of preventing and protecting a premise from outbreaks of fires and spread of fire. Objectives of the study To investigate significance of fire risk assessment in the workplace To analyze building regulations that governs construction of escape channels in a commercial building in the event of fire outbreak. To investigate mechanical and electrical methods for protecting a building from spread of fires within the building and between adjacent buildings To evaluate building regulations that governs work at height in a workplace To evaluate requirements of fire safety order 2005 in increasing efficiency of fire outbreak control Hypothesis for testing Fire risks assessment (Muli, Kamau and Maina 1999) provides information on how fire outbreaks can be minimized, escape options available in the premises, possible rescue option available and measures in place to ensure workers have adequate knowledge for fire fighting and fire fighting appliances in place. This information is important in assessment of insurance costs of the premises. If building regulations (Onyango 1984) that govern erection of structures are followed, incidence of spread of fires could be minimized. Installed mechanical and electrical devices (Onyango 1984) in a commercial building provide a timely extinguishing of fires and reduce the risk of spreading of fires. If fire security order 2005 (Frangi, Fontana and Knobloch 2008) is embraced in many workplaces, there would be minimal incidences of fire outbreaks. Significance of fire safety in a commercial building Knowledge of fire safety enables employees to know: the type of fires that they can manage to put off and measures that need be taken. Information on fire safety enables employers or any other responsible person like production managers or production supervisors to continuously take fire risk assessment at the work place and make the right recommendation for repairs Fire risk assessment positions users to know maintenance task that need to be done in order to align with terms and conditions laid down by the insurance firms. Literature review Many companies operate on buildings that don’t comply with building regulations (Onyango 1984) for manufacturing companies. Some of the buildings have transferred ownership from residential to commercial. Many employees in the start-ups don’t have training in fire risk assessment. These building don’t meet building regulations standards and fire safety order 2005 and are more predisposed to fire risks. These building don’t have exit routes in the event of fire outbreak. In other buildings, work at height regulation isn’t fulfilled and this adds risk of loss of life and faster spread of fire within the building. Fire outbreaks in many workplaces leads into deaths of employees because fire extinguishers are not operational (lorraine, et al. 2002), there are no alarms to warn employees or have no operational smoke alarms or automatic sprinkler systems (lorraine, et al. 2002). In many workplaces, there is no training on fire fighting thereby failing to meet fire safety order 2005. It’s in very few companies where smoke detectors are installed. In other companies, automatic smoke detectors are installed but aren’t functional (Onyango 1984) because the smoke detectors aren’t maintained or their batteries are flat. Many workplaces have only one exit point in the building which doubles as the entrance to the building. When closed, the employees are trapped inside and employees end up being burnt alive. Employees die from breathing hot air a condition termed as Asphyxiation of lungs. The fire safety order 2005 The regulatory reform (Frangi, Fontana and Knobloch 2008) also known as fire safety order 2005 requires manufacturing firms to be efficient in their production process. The fire safety order 2005 advocates for improved efficiency in the production process. This ensures production firms produce fewer waste products. Accumulation of waste products can make efforts of putting off fires hard. The fire safety order doesn’t require a company to have certification for compliance with fire risk assessment. It gives the fire and rescue departments powers to inspect the premises and ensure there is adequate fire precaution measures in place. Principles of fire extinguishing The principles of fire extinguishing lie in reducing amount of oxygen present for burning (Robinson 1998). Oxygen is active gas that is used for combustion and if its supply is limited, burning cannot be supported. The principle of using carbon dioxide is aimed at increasing partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Patel 1991) and reducing partial pressure of oxygen. Classes of fires Fires are classified into classes (Muli, Kamau and Maina 1999) depending on the nature of material. The classification of fire into classes is also based on how the fire is extinguished. Similarly, fire extinguishers have alphabetical rating. These are: A = freely burning materials, such as wood, paper, textiles and fabric B = Flammable liquids, such as petrol, diesel and oils C = Flammable gases such as butane, methane and propane D = Flammable metals such as magnesium, potassium and sodium E = Electrical hazards such as computers and switchgear F = Cooking oils and fats Types of portable fire extinguishers Water extinguishers They are ideal for class A fires. Water fire extinguishers with added additives Additive minimizes water surface tension. Form fire extinguishers It’s good for flammable liquid fires. Carbon dioxide extinguishers It’s suitable for electrical fire and flammable gases. Wet chemical extinguishers They are effective for fat fryer fires. Fire risk assessment Fire risk assessment should be a continuous process to determine possible factors that can predispose risk of fire outbreak. Significance of fire risk assessment It shows if employees have knowledge of fire control and fire management (Diguiseppi, et al. 2002) and if there are any fire control procedures that are in place. It provides information on whether there are installed fire extinguishers, automatic smoke detectors or automatic sprinkler system (Diguiseppi, et al. 2002) and if they are functional. The dates of their check for functionality provide a proof that they are well maintained. It shows if employees have any training in fire fighting (Diguiseppi, et al. 2002) and if they know how to operate simple fire extinguishers. The report provides information on whether there are clear exit channels for escape in the event of fire outbreak and if the exit channels have functional lighting system (Diguiseppi, et al. 2002). The report also shows if the exit or emergency exits have directional signs in red color to show the route the occupants should follow to get to a safe place (Diguiseppi, et al. 2002). Steps towards fire risk assessment Identify risks and hazards Identify departments at risk Evaluation of risks Recording findings and implementing action Reviewing fire risk assessment Hypothetical fire assessment form Yes No Not sure Is there written fire risk assessment report in place? Are there fire fighting procedures in place? Is there obstruction free emergency escape route? Is the emergency escape channel lit? Is the escape emergency channel well labeled with signs to show direction of escape? Does the building meet and satisfy building regulation act to enable employees to escape to a safer place before it collapses? Is there a method of creating a warning alarm in place? Is the alarm in working conditions? Are all equipments well maintained by a registered professional? Has the company received any fire safety procedures in the recent past? Does the staff have adequate training on fire fighting? Terms and conditions for fire risk assessment It’s compulsory for a manufacturing firm to conduct fire risk assessment (Diguiseppi, et al. 2002). This report shows position of the premises towards risks of fire outbreaks. The fire safety order 2005 provides that employer have a fire risk assessment report in place. Primary objectives of building regulation act The erected building should provide the required fire safety precautions for the users and fire fighters It should be equipped with pipes that fire fighters can connect water pipes to help in extinguishing the fire. The building should meet minimum required standards for the insurance firm to insure it against risks of fire outbreaks. Prevention of spread of fire The premise of work should meet the basic requirements for a building to be in a position to prevent spread of fire from one room to another or floor to another and spread of the fire between one building and another. Preventing spread of fire in the building A building should have installed mechanical and electrical methods of preventing the spread of fire. These measures that ensure there is no spread of fire in the building are include first, the building should have functional automatic water sprinkler system in place. The water sprinkler system should have enough water at all times. The building should also have automatic smoke alarms. The smoke alarm raises alarm before the fire has a potential to spread within the building. This gives trained fire fighters in the building time to fight it. The building should be fitted with wet and dry standpipes that help in extinguishing fire. The doors of the building should be designed such that they can automatically close. This automatic closing of the door helps to reduce ventilation that can increase the rate at which fire spreads in the building. The concept used is that with minimal air, combustion cannot be supported for long. Preventing spread of fire between adjacent buildings Fire spreads from one building to another when darting flames in one building start fire in a nearby building especially in the leeward side of the building. There should be sufficient distance between buildings to reduce chances of spreading fire between buildings. The minimum distance should be 40 meters. The distance sometimes depends on the height of the two building that are adjacent to one another. Precautions in the event of fire outbreak The users shouldn’t use lifts to escape (Onyango 1984) but should follow escape channels or use stairs. Users should get out immediately after warning and use exit routes in the building and should only put off small fires with fire extinguishers. Safety practices toward prevention of fires at work place Electrical extensions cords should be inspected for damages, exposed live wires, loose plugs should be repaired and naked wires appropriately sealed. Heating appliances should be periodically examined and their user-friendliness certified by a certified professional. Chimneys should be insulated, three meters from the roof and spark arresters strategically placed to avoid fire outbreaks. Burglar bars and anti-theft tools should allow users to open them from inside. Smoke alarms should be frequently tested and their batteries replaced accordingly. Automatic sprinkler system should be operational. Conclusion The work place structures should comply with building regulation act and have up-to-date fire risk assessment report in place to reduce chances of fire outbreaks. The management of the companies should comply with fire safety order 2005. Recommendations Smoke alarms and automatic sprinkler system should be installed and functioning. Electrical appliances should be in their recommended operational standards and their installation and inspection be done by a certified specialist The building should satisfy recommendations of building regulation act. Works Cited Diguiseppi, C., et al. "Incidences of Fires Related Injuries After giving out Smoke Alarms: Cluster Randomized Trials." November 2, 2002: 995-995. Frangi, Andrea, Mario Fontana, and Markus Knobloch. "Fire Design concepts for Tall timber Buildings." structural enginering International (International Association for Bridge and Small Engineering) 8, no. 2 (may 2008): 148-155. lorraine, H., J. Michael, L. Graham, N. Pidgeon, and Spencer A. "Public Perceptions of Risk and Preference-Based Values of Safety." Journal of Risk and uncertainity (Springer ) 25, no. 3 (nov 2002): 211-232. Muli, J.M., E. N. Kamau, and B. K. Maina. "Economic Impacts of Industrial Fires." The Trends (Focus) 19, no. 4 (August 1999): 19-21. Onyango, C. M and Owino, T. O. "Relaxed Safety Regulations in Industries." Management Practices Today, 1984: 12-15. Patel, S. Gateway Chemistry for Secondary Schools. Nairobi: Focus Publishers, 1991. Robinson, J. "Fire-A Technical challenge and a Market Opportunity." Journal of Comstructional Steel Research (Elsevier) 46, no. no.1 (April 1998): 307-307 (1). Read More