Fire Protection Services

The Threat

Fire is an extremely frightening threat we must all consider, whether we’re talking about homes or commercial properties. Both host a number of electronic devices, the wires that go with them and other items that could easily start a fire. While it’s important to remember that such an incident is extremely rare, that’s no reason not to be prepared. Today there are more fire protection services than ever before. The following are examples that deserve your consideration.

Fire Extinguishers

This is an obvious one that most people are familiar with. If a fire breaks out, fire extinguishers are a great way to respond. They’re especially good for small ones that can be easily contained, but would otherwise turn into a much greater problem. Someone with an extinguisher can eliminate the threat in seconds.

Though they’re fairly user friendly, many people don’t know how they work. All you have to do is remember the acronym, P.A.S.S. It stands for:

• Pull the pin out. Once the pin is removed, you want to hold the nozzle away from you before releasing the locking mechanism.
• Aim the nozzle low. You always want to aim the extinguisher at the lowest point of the fire.
• Slowly squeeze the lever. Provide even pressure so as not to slip or jerk the extinguisher around.
• Sweep your nozzle back and forth to make sure the fire is completely covered.

For best results, make sure your fire extinguisher is always easy to find. At home, your whole family should be reminded where it is. In a commercial building, it should be mounted on a wall with a sign that indicates its location. In both situations, you need to train people in how to use it.

According to the AS 1851, portable and wheeled fire extinguishers should be tested every six months. Pressure testing and refills should be carried out at least once every five years.

Smoke Detectors

Obviously, another hallmark of fire protection services is a smoke detector. These are especially good for the home when people may not be in the room when a fire is starting. Nonetheless, this important component of your fire protection services can help alert you to its presence. Fire and Rescue NSW recommends the following maintenance: Every month: Smoke alarms should be tested (by pressing the test button) to ensure the battery and the alarm work. Every six months: Smoke alarms should be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.

Automated Sprinkler Systems

Even if you have a fire extinguisher handy, nothing compares to an automated sprinkler system. Each head is only activated if the temperature around it gets to about 65.5 degrees Celsius. At that point, a glass valve breaks and allows water to pour forward.

The great thing about this system is that it doesn’t need a human to activate or use it. No one even needs to be present for a sprinkler system to save the day. Even if people are around, they can find safety while the system does its job.

Furthermore, because these sprinklers act independently of one another, property damage is greatly limited. For this reason, insurance companies may give you better premiums because they know that, in case of a fire, your building is better protected and your property is less likely to get damaged.

As with all fire protection services, a sprinkler system needs regular maintenance. Mainly, you should check the valve once a week just to be sure it’s still locked in the open position. You also want to keep an eye on individual sprinkler heads. They should never be obscured, painted over or damaged.

Automatic sprinkler systems are inspected and tested in accordance with AS1851 Section 2 on a monthly basis. Have a professional check in on your system to ensure it’s still in working order. Your local municipality and/or insurance company may have something to say about how often you need it looked at too.

Fire Response Plan

No discussion on fire protection services would be complete without talking about a response plan. Whether it’s your family or your staff, you need everyone to know where the exits are around them. Obviously, at home, parents will be in charge of getting everyone out. However, at work, you’ll need to appoint people for the job.

In both scenarios, your fire protection services need to involve practicing the routine so you’re ready to go if you ever actually need it.

Proper fire protection services don’t need to take a lot of work or even be expensive. However, you do need to be familiar with them and test them regularly to ensure they’ll work when it counts.

Yours In Fire Safety

Alex

Design and Installation are critical to effective building fire suppression management.

Residential or Commercial- A Sprinkler System is the essential first line of Active Fire Protection.

https://completepumpsandfire.com.au/active-fire-protection/

Residential or commercial, the threat of fire is as real as any other natural calamity. It is unpredictable, and life threatening but you install active fire protection fire – sprinkler systems to control a fire or reduce the damage, if a fire erupts.

The sprinkler systems all over the world are regarded as the first line of defence against a possible fire. To prevent a fire spread into large area sprinkler system provides instantaneous help. Mounted on walls or installed in the ceilings, sprinklers are the most effective tools in dousing a fire and are successful in preventing a fire taking a monstrous shape.

Gate Valves

These valves are used when you need unregulated flow, because such valves can either be closed or open, opening them mid-way can cause the systems to be ineffective. 

Foam Sprinklers

This type of sprinklers use a combination of water and foam to subdue a fire. Such sprinklers are ideal for situations where only water can cause more harm, for example if fire has broken in an area where there are Hydrocarbons stored

Water Sprinklers

Like initial response team, water sprinklers spray water droplets to control the spreading of fire, they are not effective in extinguishing the fire but act as a tool to stop the fire from spreading. These types of sprinklers are most suitable for installation where the equipment can get damage by both fire and water.

Wet Alarm Check Valves

Designed to activate an alarm, wet alarm check valves can be used with water spray or wet pipe sprinklers system. These valves can be both with fresh water or a combination of fresh water and foam.

Pressure Reducing Valves

Pressure reducing valves work to reduce the pressure levels for sprinklers system and to bring it down to the acceptable limit with the help of an in-built diaphragm mechanism. Choosing right kind of valve is very important to ensure that the installed sprinkler system works as expected.

Besides these, there products like check valves, strainers, flow meter, sprinklers cabinets, pressure relief valve, ball valves etc. which you can install at your industrial site as part of fire protection initiative. All these products are at par with national standards, AS 1851 – Service and maintenance of fire protection equipment (Free Download) and AS 2118 – Automatic fire sprinkler system  and all these products can be customized to fit specific needs of your industry.

Yours in Safety 

Alex

The History of the Humble Fire Extinguisher

The portable fire extinguisher is an essential appliance in every workplace these days, not least because governments recognizing their vital role in fire safety have made it illegal not to provide them. Have you ever wondered how long these ingenious devices have been around, or who it was who invented them?https://completepumpsandfire.com.au/history-of-the-fire-extinguisher/

Mechanism of a Fire

The Mechanism of Starting a Fire

If you put the flame of a lighted match under a piece of wood, you can
be sure that most of the time the wood will not catch fire. Even if
you dip a lighted cigarette into a pan of lubrication oil, it is very
unlikely that the pan of oil will catch fire.

So how does a fire actually start?

To answer this question, we must know how a fuel burns. A piece of wood
can be considered a fuel. The carpet fabric on the floor of your house
is also a fuel. But why does some fuel burn so easily while others do
not? How does a fuel burn?

Taking a piece of wood as an example, below is the sequence of events
that happen when a fire occurs.

• First, there must be a source of heat, a combustible or fuel present,
  and sufficient oxygen. (Remember the Fire Triangle)

• Next, the source of heat, like a naked flame, must meet with the
  combustible for a certain amount of time.

• The combustible must be able to absorb a considerable amount of heat
  from the heat source in order to decompose. Combustibles that can burn
  are usually organic compounds containing carbon. When the heat reaches
  the combustible, the latter will give off gases due to the decomposition
  of its material structure. Some of these gases are combustibles
  themselves. Water vapour may also be given off.

• The wood becomes drier and drier. The gases given off by the
  decomposition of the wood will catch fire by themselves. The heated
  wood keeps on giving out combustible gases as long as it is heated.

• With the additional heat given off from the burning of the gases in
  the wood, the heat becomes more intense. More parts of the wood are
  heated, and more combustible gases emerge. The fire keeps getting bigger
  and bigger until the whole piece of wood is consumed.

• If this bigger source of heat from the burning of the piece of wood is
  able to contact other combustibles, then the fire will spread to the
  whole house or building.

In the next post we will be looking at the sources of heat and fuel.

If you need any assistance with protecting your home or business we are always here to help.

Yours In Fire Safety 

Alex