We all know the devastating effects caused by fire and how
quickly it can spread. But is your place
of work prepared for a fire, and what measures are in place to help to prevent
a fire from spreading?
Fire Curtains
Fire curtains are commonly used in areas which are at a
greater risk of fire. For example,
canteen servery hatches, school kitchens and department stores. These areas are at high risk of fire due to
cooking equipment, not forgetting that fire can cause damage which can be worth
hundreds of thousands of pounds in areas which have high stock levels. Fire curtains can be manufactured to blend in
well with the existing surroundings and are therefore aesthetically pleasing.
How Do Fire Curtains Work?
Fire curtains will spring into action once a fire has been
detected. The curtain will rapidly close
to floor level, and will stop a fire from spreading. At MDS, our fire curtains can hold back a fire
raging at 1000° for up to 4 hours. Although
the curtains aren’t able to extinguish the blaze, they can effectively stop the
fire from spreading throughout the building, therefore helping to prevent
further damage and devastation from being caused and may even help to reduce
the loss of life should the building be occupied at the time of the fire.
Fire Shutter Doors
Fire shutter doors are also effective at providing
protection from fire. These can be
utilised for either internal or external openings and will again hold back a
fire for a specified length of time.
Sprinkler Systems
As well as preventing a fire from spreading, it’s also
important to extinguish the fire as soon as possible. Sprinkler systems are commonly fitted in
public areas with high levels of traffic, such as shopping centres, gyms and
cinemas, where there may not be straightforward fire exits for all parts of the
building. Once the fire detection system
has identified a fire, the sprinkler system will set to work extinguishing the
fire whilst the fire service are on their way to the building.
Fire Extinguishers
All public buildings and places of work will need to provide
relevant fire extinguishers which can be used by either a designated fire marshal
or even a member of the public should a fire ignite. With correct training or common sense,
smaller fires may be extinguished before they become too large. In any event, the fire service should always
be called to attend the scene of a fire.
To find out more about the fire curtains and fire shutter
doors available from MDS Industries, please visit their website.
