Important Fire Prevention & Safety Measures for Buildings

Fire stopping is integral to stopping heat, smoke and fire pass through different sections of your building.

During a fire, a small hole in a wall or floor can result in smoke filling a room in a matter of minutes. According to estimates from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), smoke exposure outpaces burns as the cause of all fire-related deaths by a 2-1 ratio.

When the focus is strictly home fires, smoke surpasses burns as the cause of death by an 8-1 margin. Firestop products were developed to prevent the spread of smoke and fire through walls or floors.

A textbook definition of firestopping is “the process of installing third-party tested and listed materials into openings in fire-rated barriers to restore hourly fire-resistance ratings.”

A wall or floor may have been constructed with a fire-resistance rating but when an opening is created for conduit, cable or some other service element, the original fire-resistance rating is compromised. A properly firestopped opening restores the barrier’s ability to resist the passage of fire.

Within a facility, a comprehensive fire protection program is comprised of both active and passive components. Active fire protection measures are those that take direct physical action to reduce both fire and smoke.

Active components include sprinkler systems, smoke control systems and fire extinguishers, and the detection devices that activate the systems. Firestop products fall under the umbrella of passive fire protection.

These are components like fire-rated doors, walls/floors and ventilation dampers that work together to contain a fire and prevent it from spreading beyond the point of origin. Passive design and construction measures compartmentalize a building. Firestop products are used to ensure compartmentalization.

Would you like to know more about how Protest ES Ltd can help protect your business, staff, and visitors, thus keeping you safe and legally compliant with the latest regulations?

Please do not hesitate to contact us, by calling this number: 01604 696113 today. Or contact us via email: enquiries@protestesltd.co.uk