Passive Fire protection

The Importance of Fire Extinguisher Inspections

Inspections Keep your Extinguishers Working

Performing quick inspections of your extinguishers on a monthly and yearly basis can go a long way in keeping your extinguishers working. It may seem like a waste of your time, but fire extinguishers can help you prevent a small fire from growing into a large fire that causes a lot of expensive damage to your property. Over time, fire extinguishers can become damaged without you realizing it. Regular inspections are necessary to be sure that your extinguisher will work when a fire breaks out.

Inspections for Code Compliance

NFPA standards require that your fire extinguishers be inspected on a regular basis. To remain code compliant, you should hire a fire protection professional to perform brief visual inspections on a monthly basis and a more in-depth inspection on a yearly basis.

Monthly Extinguisher Inspections

A monthly inspection of your extinguisher is a visual inspection that makes sure your extinguisher is charged and ready to use. During a monthly inspection make sure that:

The fire extinguisher is in the right place, well-marked, and easily accessible
The pressure gauge is showing the fire extinguisher is fully charged
The pin and tamper seal are intact
The fire extinguisher is not visibly damaged or corroded
Make sure nameplate and operating instructions are facing outward
Check the service tag on the extinguisher and sign and date to record the inspection

Yearly Fire Extinguisher Inspections

Yearly fire extinguisher inspections are more in-depth inspections. On a yearly basis, fire extinguishers components must be checked to make sure they are working correctly. Yearly inspections include:

Check the extinguisher for damage to the exterior
Check the service date for six-year maintenance and hydro test.
Making sure the agent is loose and not settle.
Look at the pressure gauge to make sure it is charged and not leaking
Make sure the pull pin on the extinguisher works
Reseal the pull pin
Clean the fire extinguisher

Source: https://fireprotectionblog.com/importance-fire-extinguisher-inspections/

Fire Protection in Schools

When it comes to fire protection in schools, you will want to be prepared. From elementary schools to college campuses, a lot of young lives are at stake when a fire breaks out in a school. Having the proper fire protection systems and fire safety measures in place can help your students stay safe if a fire occurs at school.

Types of Fire Protection for Schools

Schools must have proper fire protection in place for the students, staff, and building to be protected. Depending on the school and the hazards present, schools will need fire sprinklers, fire suppression, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers.

Fire Sprinklers – Fire sprinklers are an important part of any fire protection system. When a fire sprinkler system works properly, it can prevent a fire from spreading to another part of the building and greatly reduce property damage.

Fire Suppression – Fire Suppression systems may be needed in schools in kitchens, laboratories, and other places with special hazards. Commercial kitchen hoods are probably needed if your school has a cafeteria that is preparing large amounts of food. Many schools have labs with hazardous chemicals. These labs may need fire suppression systems to effectively extinguish a fire.

Fire Alarms – In order to alert students and staff of a fire in a school, a fire alarm system is needed. Fire alarms give people in the building time to get out safely by alerting them that there is a fire.

Fire Extinguishers – Having extinguishers throughout your school can help prevent small fires from spreading. If there is a small fire, having a fire extinguisher nearby can help save lives and prevent costly property damage.

Source: https://fireprotectionblog.com/fire-protection-schools/

Fire Protection for High Rise Buildings

When it comes to fire safety, high rise buildings have additional challenges that are not found in low rise buildings. In high rises, the time it takes to exit a building is longer, the number of people in the building is higher, and fire department accessibility may be more difficult.

If you live or work in a high-rise building, there are some safety measures you should take in order to stay safe during a fire. When choosing somewhere to live, be sure that you select a building that is fully sprinklered. Ask your landlord about the fire protection systems the building has including sprinklers, fire alarms, and voice communication.

You should make sure that you know the locations of all available stairs and exit routes that you can take to evacuate the building. During a fire in a high-rise, the time to evacuate is limited so being prepared and knowing the exit routes is very important.

Author: julie.heltunen

Source: https://fireprotectionblog.com/fire-protection-for-high-rise-buildings/

Passive Fire protection

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Fire man’s suit

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Fire Blankets