Fire Prevention in Facilities

Fire prevention aims to prevent the loss of life, property damage, and operational downtime within any building. Fires result in devastating loss of business revenue, loss of employee productivity, and costly liability claims resulting from the fire affecting surrounding buildings. Fire prevention strategies should provide life and property protection. According to FMLink, here are some useful pointers:

Precautions against Fire

Traditional fire prevention programs emphasize precautions designed to keep a fire from starting. The property owner or manager should take steps to:

• Control smoking materials and open flames

• Store flammable and combustible liquids safely

• Use electrical equipment correctly

• Purchase fire-safe furnishings, decorations, and interior finishes

• Control special hazards

Fire-Safety Education

Fire prevention relies on people knowing about fire and the effects of fire. Through educational programs, fires and extinguishing methods are identified and discussed. In addition, building occupants are taught to identify and correct fire hazards, plan building and office evacuation routes, choose and use fire extinguishers, and inspect for fire. A manager is responsible for the continuous and repeated education necessary to develop fire prevention habits among building occupants.

Boosting tenant participation in a fire prevention program is critical. Tenants may be encouraged to become involved through motivators such as:

• Involving local fire officials

• Making tenants aware of recent fires that indicate the need to participate

• Organizing company-wide evacuation drills

Fire Protection and Life-Safety Systems

Fire protection and life-safety systems include building exit systems, fire alarm systems, and fire suppression systems. Fire prevention codes specify proper maintenance and repair of these systems. Fire protection involves the installation and use of structural and operational systems to minimize the impact of fire on people and property.

Fire protection systems can be classified into two main categories:

• Passive fire protection

• Active fire protection