How good is your workplace fire safety preparedness? It should be one of the first questions you answer when opening new premises, or relocating to a new facility.
But it goes beyond just putting up some luminous ‘Fire Exit’ signs and running through an employee escape drill.
A fire does not have to mean losing your building – and the cost of installing advanced fire systemsadvanced fire systems can be minimal compared to the price you pay if your entire premises burn down.
We can advise you on the best options for your building, whether it is all on one level or multi-storey, so in the unwelcome event that a fire ever breaks out, you are in the best possible position to fight it, without putting lives at risk.
Wet and Dry Risers
If you are unfamiliar with workplace fire systems, wet and dry risers are a good place to start learning – look around any high-rise office block, and you’ll soon spot one or both of these.
They allow water to be distributed to the upper floors of the building to be used in fighting a fire, and as the name suggests, a wet riser is filled with water at all times, whereas a dry riser is empty until the pipe is charged – often from an attending fire engine.
Sprinkler Systems
Sprinkler systems are able to drop water on to a fire from above, as well as damping down surrounding areas to prevent the flames from taking hold as the fire spreads.
This alone can be enough to hold a fire at bay until the emergency services arrive to put it out; yes, there may be some water damage, but that is a small price to pay to prevent your entire building from burning to the ground.
Advanced fire systems can include automatic fire detectors to trigger the sprinkler system – and with modern-day equipment, there is no need to fear a false alarm suddenly soaking your staff.
Support Systems
Beyond fighting the fire itself, you also need to think about the evacuation – and particularly how your premises would change in the wet, and if the lights went out.
Advanced support systems can include emergency lighting that will remain lit when the standard lighting fails, as well as public address speakers that can provide voice-guided evacuation instructions.
In the dark, with the threat of fire – or at worst, in a corridor filled with smoke and encroaching flames – these extra systems give your staff a fighting chance of making it out of your building, while the firefighting systems and attending emergency services personnel do their best to extinguish the flames.
For more information on our Fire Safety Systems, give ACC Security a ring on 0161 883 2502.
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