Angus has been involved in developing and writing British and International Fire & Safety standards since the mid-1980s. The list of standards that he has participated in is impressive and includes BS5839-1, BS8629, EN54-18 and ISO7240-2. Angus utilises his extensive experience to provide an authoritative perspective on the key issues that affect the Fire & Security Industry today.
Portable Fire Extinguishers play a very important role in the preservation of life and property as they can be used to stop a small fire developing into a large fire. For educational and healthcare premises this presents a difference between a complete evacuation and no evacuation. Fire Training must be supplied to people who would be expected to attempt to extinguish a fire. All staff should be familiar with the location and basic operating procedures of the portable fire extinguishers provided; in case they need to use them.
All fire safety equipment should be installed and maintained by a “competent person”.
BS 5306-8 ‘Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises Part 8: Selection and positioning of portable fire extinguishers – Code of practice’ is very explicit regarding Fire Extinguisher types and positions. When carrying out the annual service of Fire Extinguishers, our Fire Extinguisher engineer may have identified changes that are necessary to comply with the British Standard. These recommendations will be made based on design requirements including the following:
Location and accessibility
Fire Extinguishers should be always available for immediate use. Normally, fire extinguishers should be located:
- in conspicuous positions on brackets, on floor stands or within cabinets
- where they will be readily seen by persons following an escape route
- most suitably, near to room exits, corridors, stairways, lobbies, and landings
- in similar positions on each floor, where floors are of similar appearance
Fire Extinguishers to tackle class B, class D, class F and fire involving electrical equipment should be located so a prospective operator comes across them before class A Extinguishers. This recommendation is most relevant where the prospective operator might not have received adequate training in the selection and use of Fire Extinguishers.
Travel distance
Fire Extinguishers should be sited near to the fire hazard concerned, but not so near as to be inaccessible or to place the operator in undue danger in case of fire.
They should be sited in such a way that it is not necessary to travel from the site of any fire to reach an extinguisher further than the following maximum distances:
Where the prospective operator is required to pass through doorways to reach the nearest fire extinguisher, the above travel distances should be reduced to maintain a short time between the discovery of a fire and the moment at which the prospective operator is able to start fighting the fire with the extinguisher concerned.
Minimum quantities of class A extinguishers required
Class A materials are generally present in all buildings and occupancies. The minimum quantity of fire extinguishers with an A rating should be calculated as follows:
1. for any storey with a floor area less than or equal to 400 m2, there should be:
• at least two extinguishers with a class A rating
• having a combined minimum total fire rating of 26A
2. for any storey with a floor area exceeding 400 m2, there should be:
• at least two (2) extinguishers with a class A rating; having
• a combined minimum total fire rating of 0.065 × floor area of the storey (in square metres)
Got a question about a Fire Extinguisher? Need Fire Safety Compliance advice? Get in touch today!
For over 45 years, Fixfire® has been providing quality products, systems and services for Life & Property Protection. Whatever your requirement, please call our Compliance Team for expert advice and a refreshingly different approach.
Freephone 08000 891999
Following the recommendations of BS5839 Part 1 2017 (Fire Alarm British Standard), it is a mandatory requirement to have an up to date, clear and accurate Fire Alarm Zone Chart adjacent to your Fire Alarm Control Panel and any repeater panels you have in your premises.
The purpose of the Zone Chart is to assist persons responding to an alarm to quickly identify the specific location in the building and to help the Fire Brigade understand the building layout before they enter.
When the Fire Alarm System is installed, the building is divided into Fire Zones. Any Manual Call Point (Red Box) or Fire Detector that is fitted will trigger a particular zone when activated.
The Zone Chart shows the division of each zone area with a ‘You are Here’ arrow to identify the position of the Fire Alarm Panel. The view of the building should be orientated in relation to the Fire Alarm Panel position to minimise confusion.
What is involved in producing a Zone Chart?
- Hard copy
- Or preferably AutoCAD (dwg) format
You have a legal duty of care to dispose of waste legitimately and safely via a licensed waste carrier. Failure to do so can result in prosecution, even if you have outsourced the disposal to a third party.
The Fixfire® Extinguisher Recycling Process is your reassurance that any Fire Extinguishers we remove from your premises have been disposed of in a safe and legal manner. 97% of each processed Fire Extinguisher is recycled.
Our contracted Extinguisher Recycling Unit (ERU) is a dedicated facility offering a service for the safe processing and recycling/disposal of fire extinguishers. The facility operates closely with the local Water Authority and the Environment Agency to develop safe, efficient and environmentally friendly processes, ensuring that ISO14001 certification is upheld.
Got a question about Fire Extinguisher Disposal? Need Fire Safety Compliance advice? Get in touch today!
For over 45 years, Fixfire® has been providing quality products, systems and services for Life & Property Protection. Whatever your requirement, please call our Compliance Team for expert advice and a refreshingly different approach.
Freephone 08000 891999
False Fire Alarms remain a huge concern within the education sector- interrupting already carefully scheduled, planned and well-prepared lessons or even causing major disruption and distress to exams.
Clearly, these false alarms cause significant inconvenience and disruption to students, staff, and visitors. They compromise everyone’s safety in the school and present a significant risk to the local community since the Fire Brigade will prioritise the school over other emergency callouts.
Solutions you should consider:
The first and most straightforward way is to use anti-tamper products.
Fixfire® supplies a wide range of solutions designed to protect Fire Alarm Devices from inadvertent damage or deliberate misuse/vandalism.
Products include:
- Local plastic cover flaps which attach directly to manual call points.
- The stopper consists of a clear, tamperproof, tough polycarbonate cover, frame and spacer that retrofits over a break glass call point. When lifted to operate the break glass unit, its optional battery powered integral sounder emits a piercing 96dB (at 1m). Immediate attention is drawn to the area and a prankster will either run or be caught!
- A range of steel web stoppers designed to protect fire detectors and warning devices. They are constructed from heavy-duty galvanised steel rod which is plastic-coated for durability and external use.
- A range of polycarbonate enclosures are available for the protection of devices such as fire alarm control panels and associated control equipment. The enclosures combine tough rugged construction with stylish design and offer excellent protection with a key lock for authorised access.
We also provide anti-tamper devices for fire extinguishers and associated products.
KeyCall® is a patented anti-ligature Fire Alarm and Access Control call point. It is designed to use the same key as the doors, providing simple operation for staff whilst eliminating nuisance activations by service-users.
KeyCall® has been developed by Fixfire® specifically for approved applications where standard versions would be vulnerable to abuse.
It is one of the best solutions for SEN schools and it is also compatible with a wide range of Conventional and Addressable Fire Alarm Systems.
Got a question about False Fire Alarms? Need Fire Safety Compliance advice? Get in touch today!
For over 45 years, Fixfire® has been providing quality products, systems and services for Life & Property Protection. Whatever your requirement, please call our Compliance Team for expert advice and a refreshingly different approach.
Freephone 08000 891999
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