27 Sep Why fire safety is so important

Any business, home, leisure facility and public or Government building needs to be aware of fire safety. It is the law to have the necessary raft of safety checks and equipment to fight and maintain a fire or to have more than adequate fire evacuation procedures to make sure that everyone can get out quickly and safely. This is not a task that should be taken lightly or left just to a quartile review. Constant vigilance of everyone in the building is required and could save lives, should the unfortunate event of fire occur.

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Modern buildings also play their part. We now have specific regulations and construction practices that mean that there are plenty of fire escapes and respite zones that stop a fire from spreading and can allow people to get out. The materials that we build with are also less flammable than they were before. Concrete, for example, is not a substance that is easy to burn as it cannot catch alight. In the buildings themselves firebreaks to channel the flames from populous areas are also incorporated into the construction.

However there is only so much the building and its designers can do. When it comes to an overview it’s a good idea to ask a Fire Safety Consultancy Bristol based firm like Keloscape to come in and liaise with you. The people in the building are essential in making sure that a fire is prevented before it can even happen. The appointment of Fire Marshalls is a very good idea as they will check that fire exits are open and and the fire extinguishers are working and up to date. They will also ensure that people are evacuated from the building safely and congregate in the correct areas and are all accounted for.. They also assist with the fire brigade when they need to know if everyone is out of the building.

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Regular fire alarm tests are also required to check that the people in the building know what the alarm sounds like, where they have to go to be safe and what their responsibilities are if there is a fire.

Tackling a fire yourself is risky and should never be attempted unless you are fully trained to deal with one. Even then you have to quickly assess the situation and never be afraid to push the evacuation button. Fires can escalate quickly and you can soon find it out of control. Fire needs three things to exist: fuel, oxygen and heat. If you remove just one of these elements the fire will go out. In most cases extinguishes focus on the removal of the heat and oxygen element. Water extinguishers dampen out the heat, but are useless on electrical equipment and dangerous on liquid fires such as hot fat. Co2 and Powder extinguishers take out the oxygen by smothering the fire. In all cases, if unsure, evacuate and call the professional.