Fire Prevention and Protection

fire prevention and protection Fire Prevention

To protect the lives of guests, employees and the general public who may visit and use the facilities of a hotel. A basic knowledge regarding fire should assist in  preventing fires and extinguishing extinguishing them quickly quickly if they occur. occur. The Fire Triangle Three components are necessary for a fire to start, if one of the three is not present, or is removed, then the fire does not happen or it is extinguished. The three parts are - Fuel something to burn. - Air oxygen to sustain combustion !to keep the fire fir e going" - #eat gas, electricity, etc.

To extinguish extinguish a fire the three principal methods are - $tarving removing the fuel. - $mothering removing the air !oxygen". - %ooling removing the heat. The fuel is that which burns, heat is that which sets the fuel alight and oxygen is needed for fire to burn. &liminate one of these and the fire goes out. For example, should the clothes of someone working in the kitchen catch alight, then quickly lay them down and wrap a fire blanket round the person and place them on the floor.

The oxygen has been taken from the triangle.

TYPES OF FIRE

Class 'A' Fire

Fires occurring in ordinary dry combustible materials such as wood, textiles, paper, rubbish etc are called class 'A'. (n these fires quenching and cooling effect of quantities of water or solutions containing high percentage of water are of first importance. Fire extinguishers used are soda acid, water, water glycol.

Class ‘B' Fire

Fires in highly inflammable liquids such as petrol, diesel, paints are called class ')'. These can be extinguished by smothering* )lanketing effect !suffocating the fire  by cutting off supply". The fire extinguishers used are foam, dry chemical powder or %+ !fog or foam". Class 'C' Fire

Fires in inflammable pressure gases like /, natural gases, # are called class '%'. )lanketing effect is used to extinguish by dry chemical powder %+

Class '' Fire

Fires involving combustible metals such as aluminium, 0inc, sodium, potassium where special media and techniques are used.

Class 'E' Fire

1hen energi0ed electrical equipment is involved in a fire only dry chemical  powder* %+ !fog" extinguishers should be used. All other extinguishing media are conductive and thus risky to be operator. +nce de-energi0ed, all extinguishers can  be used. (n case of all electrical fires, mostly caused due to overloading. $hort

circuiting, firstly the power should be cut off and then fire suffocated by cutting off  the supply by covering it with a non conductor like %+2 dry chemical powder 

FIRE ETECTORS A! A"AR#S loni$ation S%o&e etector

This type of detector generally has chambers. The smoke particles entering the chamber get attached to the ions because of electrostatic attraction slow down their  movement. This causes a reduction in current flow. 1hen the current flow falls  below the predetermined level, the amplifier senses it and initiates the alarm. This detector refers to invisible part of combustion and is useful in early part of clean  burning fire. Optical S%o&e etector

This type of detector reacts to the visible product of combustion i. e. the particles of carbon and other chemicals, which give smoke. Two important components are light source and photoelectric cell. (n fire like condition, the smoke chamber scatters light on the photoelectric cell. The small electrical charge produced by this is amplified and actuates the detector and the alarm goes on. +ptical detector is more useful in situations where the protected risk is likely to rise to dense smoke. Radiation etectors a( Infra red) 3ain components of this detector are & cell, lenses and amplifier. ens and amplifier will allow only infrared radiation to fall on & cell. +n detecting radiation, the cell will feed the timer2integrator thro' filter2 amplifier to activate the alarm. )ut the pre-requisite is that the detector must see the flame  before raising the alarm. *( Fla%e flic&er t+pe)  This is used for large areas like open storage2aircraft maintenance area. The & cell is struck by deflected infrared radiation and the amplifier identifies the characteristic flicker. The integrator stops the motor so that the deflector can see the flame and allow radiation to fall on & cell. (f the infrared source is present for more than 4-45 seconds, the alarm goes. c( ,ltraviolet)  This also works on the principle of seeing the flame before activating the alarm. (t consists of amplifier, & cell of gas filled tube sensitive to 67 radiation. 1hen 67 radiation strikes the gas filled tube, it ioni0es the gas and a small current is set up turning the tube into conductor of electricity. 1hen the

current flow becomes greater than the preset value the alarm goes. -eat etector) This type is used to detect fire in its more advanced stage when the temp starts to rise. These work on the principle of a" 3elting or fusion in metals2plastics.  b" &xpansion in solids2liquids2gases. c" &lectrical effect. )ased on the above, there are four types of heat detectors, i.e. a" 6sing feasible alloys based on reaching preset temperature value.  b" 6sing principle of expansion. c" inear 8 used for long areas like cable tunnel. d" )eam combined heat and smoke.

FIRE A"AR#S

A fire alarm system is an active fire protection system that controls all the fire alarm components in a building. Fire alarm systems are sub9ect to stringent  bounding. The design of fire alarm systems is required to be performed by competent engineers with experience in fire protection, who are licensed within the geographical area. A fire alarm system should include, but not limited to, alarm initiating devices, alarm notification appliances, control units, fire safety control devices, annunciators, power supplies, and wiring. A !:A%T" digital alarm communicator transmitter should be connected to a pair of  dedicated telephone lines to transmit an alarm signal only to a central station that is responsible for dispatching the fire department. The connection to the fire department is usually via a central station monitoring company. (f a connection to the fire department is not already present, the facility will need to determine if there are two telephone lines available for this connection. The main fire alarm control unit should automatically transmit alarm signals to a listed central station using a digital alarm communicator transmitter.

FIRE E.TI!/,IS-ERS

1ater Type Fire &xtinguishers 0ater Soda Acid

This type of fire extinguisher is used for class 'A' fires. (t consists of an iron cylinder that is painted red from outside and contains sodium bicarbonate solution. +n top of it a small bottle of acid, usually sulphuric acid is fixed. 1henever the cylinder is required to be used, it is inverted and the knob strikes the ground, the acid bottle breaks on impact and %+ is produced which comes out with great force and stops the contact of +, with the fire and fire is extinguished. This is now mostly out of use as the chemical e9ected can cause damage to the surrounding. 0ater /as Cartridge(

The water content of this steel cylinder is ;2< liter and the expelled gas, generally %+ is contained in a cartridge fitted inside the body of the F&. The expelled water  is pure water. =emoval of a safety pin2plug and pressure on the operating lever sets the process in motion. 1ith exertion of pressure of gas on the surface of water2 it is forced out of the no00le .The discharge can be controlled by the lever. 1ater !$tored ressure" The function is practically same except that whole container is pressuri0ed or > is  pumped in until the pressure reaches specified limit.

Foa% Fire E1ting2ishers Che%ical Foa%

This is also used for class 'A' fires. These have now been replaced by more modem F&s. The chemical reaction in the F& produces foam containing %+ bubbles and the gas pressure itself causes the discharge. Self Aspiring Foa%)

#ere a foam solution !foam concentrate in water" is stored in a container, usually <2; (trs capacity and either discharged by a gas cartridge of %+ fitted in the body of F& or by compressed air or >v which has been pumped in. )oth can be used with some low free0e depressant.

CO3 Fire E1ting2isher

ortable Fire &xtinguishers are often installed in kitchens in hotel and large restaurants and in fish frying establishments since %? does not contaminate the oil

when discharged onto it. The discharge horn should be directed at the heart of the fire, starting at the edge and sweeping across the surface of the burning material. The discharge range of the %? F& is fairly limited. After using it indoors, the room should be ventilated. 1hen using it in open air, the operator should stand upwind and apply the gas in downwind direction. r+ Che%ical Po4der Fire E1ting2isher

This can be used for class 'A', ')', and '%@ fires. The most common extinguishing agents are sodium bicarbonate or baking soda. The extinguisher is charged with dry chemical and a small tank of %?. The %? gas exerts pressure on the dry chemical and forces it out of the no00le directly to the fire. The powder strikes the fire and the heat from the fire breaks down the chemical that releases %? gas cooling and smothering the fire.

-alon Fire E1ting2isher

ortable #alon fire extinguishers are generally available in the range of ?. -  kg and are invariably of stored pressure type. 3ost #alon fire extinguishers have their  discharge controlled by a lever but a few have a striker, which may fire a controllable discharge. +nce used, these have to be recharged by manufacturers.

types of fire

Stationar+ E52ip%ent

(t includes Automatic sprinklers, fire hose system and permanently connected foam, %? dry chemical powder. A2to%atic Sprin&lers

They are generally mounted below ceiling height with a temp, detector used with each sprinkler. The temp. rise in the environment results in activation of a link on the detector which opens a water valve. The water is then sprayed on the ceiling and falls to the floor extinguishing the fire. (f the volume of fire increases, more sprinklers get opened up. +peration &ach sprinkler head is held closed independently by heat-sensitive seals. These seals prevent water flow until a design temperature is exceeded at the individual sprinkler heads. &ach sprinkler activates independently when the predetermined heat level is reached. The design intention is to limit the total number of sprinklers that operate, thereby providing the maximum water supply available from the water source to the point of fire origin. A sprinkler activation will do less damage than a fire department hose, as the fire department's hose streams provide around 5? 6$ gallons per minute !45 2s" whereas an activated sprinkler head generally discharges around B 6$ gallons per minute !4.5 2s". (n addition, the sprinkler will activate immediatelyC whereas a fire appliance takes an average of eight minutes to reach an incident.

TYPES 0et S+ste%s

Typical DwetD systems are simple and passive. They have water already pressuri0ed in the pipes held back by the sprinkler head. These systems require manual controls to activate, so long as adequate water supplies are provided.

r+ S+ste%s

$pecialty systems called DdryD systems, designed for unheated spaces, have a low DmaintenanceD air pressure in the pipes. 1ater is fed into the system when the sprinkler DfusesD allowing the maintenance air pressure to reach the minimum  pressure point. Dre-actionD systems are highly speciali0ed for locations where accidental activation is unacceptable such as museums with rare art works, manuscripts or books. re-action valves are connected to fire alarm initiating devices such as smoke detectors or heat detectors and virtually eliminate the  possibility of accidental water flow. el2ge S+ste%s

D:elugeD systems are systems that have open sprinklers, i.e. the fusible link is removed, so that every sprinkler served by the system will discharge water. This ensures a large and simultaneous application of water over the entire ha0ard. These systems are used for special ha0ards where rapid fire spread is a concern. Pre6action S+ste%s

Dre-actionD systems are similar to DdelugeD except the sprinklers are closed and the system is filled with compressed air known as Dmaintenance airD. These systems are desirable where water discharge through accidental damage to the system piping and2or sprinklers presents an unacceptable loss risk to valuable electronic components or other water reactive materials and2or equipment. As the name implies, these systems require that a DprecedingD and supervised event !typically the activation of a heat or smoke detector" take place prior to the DactionD of water introduction into the system's piping. There are basically three !B" types of   pre-action systems including interlock, non-interlock and double-interlock, all which offer differing levels of accidental water discharge protection. Foa% and /as S+ste%s

+ther specialty systems may have foam instead of water suppression agents for fire  protection in occupancies with flammable liquids, such as airport hangars. D%lean agentD gaseous systems, such as Argon2%?2>itrogen mixtures can be used in very small spaces where water cannot be used for suppression. -ose Reels

(t is a semi portable system in which the fire hose box is permanently located but the flexible hose can be moved throughout the building. The hose to fight the fire should be linen type. The linen hoses allow some water to seepage, which prevents their burning. The no00les are connected to large tanks, which contain extinguishing agent. The tanks are placed outside the room for protection as well as for recharging during the fire fighting operations.

E%plo+ee Training

(n the hospitality industry, fire prevention should be the r esponsibility of every employee. The first step in fire management is to provide the means to reduce fire damage through alarms and suppression. The second critical step is employee training. The causes of most fires in the service industry are 4. (ncendiary 2 $uspicious . &lectrical distribution B. %ooking equipment E. $moking 5. Appliance, tools, or air conditioning <. #eating equipment . +thers These fire problem areas should be brought to the attention of all employees,  particularly those who are responsible for the operation and servicing of various  building equipment. Fire training includes fire prevention, operation of fire suppression equipment, and alarm response. &ach of these topics must be discussed with every employee. Additionally, there is currently considerable interest in the hospitality industry in the concept of an in-house fire response team. /enerally, the fire response team includes at least two employees from every shift, with the duties of the fire response team chief being handled by the chief engineer and2or the director of security. (t is essential that members of the fire response team have hands-on familiarity with fire-fighting equipment, know all the exit locations in the building, and understand current evacuation procedures, as well as the operation of the building's evacuation alarm system. #owever, it should also be noted that the actions of the fire response team during an emergency are essentially limited to the time between the fire alert and the arrival of the local fire department.

/2est Safet+

(n addition to the fire training and2or education provided employees, the manager must never overlook the guests, customers, patients, members, and other building occupants. Fire codes will usually require the posting of exit and evacuation diagrams and instructions in guest rooms and in public areas of the building. This information might be supplemented with information about the meaning of various alarm signals !alert versus evacuation", how guests will instructions in a fire emergency !by telephone or over a speaker in the guest room", and what to do if a guest is handicapped and needs special assistance !provide a special telephone number".

Fire -a$ards

A fire ha0ard is any situation in which there is a greater than normal risk of harm to  people or property due to fire. Fire ha0ards can take the form of ways that fires can easily start !as a blocked cooling vent, overload electrical system", ways fires can spread rapidly !such as insufficiently protected fuel store or areas with high oxygen concentrations" or things which in fire pose a ha0ard to people !such as materials that produce toxic fumes when heated or blocked fire exits". Fire safety is a component of building safety. (t concerns safety measures to  prevent the effects of fires and is the result of proper use of fire protection measures. $ome elements include  #aving built a facility in accordance with the version of the local building code that was in effect at the time a building permit was applied for.  3aintaining a facility and conducting oneself in accordance with the provisions of the fire code, from the moment that the building was occupied. &xamples of such lawful conduct include, but are not limited to, the following  >ot exceeding the maximum occupancy listing for any part of the building !making sure that an area isn't so full of people that they can't all get out quickly in an emergency".  3aintaining proper fire exits and proper signage of them !e.g., exit signs pointing to them that can function in a power failure".  lacing and maintaining fire extinguishers and fire alarms in easily accessible  places.

 roperly storing2using, and2or banning of flammable materials that maybe needed inside the building for storage or operational requirements !such as solvents in spray booths".  =outinely inspecting public buildings for violations, issuing orders to comply and  potentially prosecuting or closing buildings that are not in compliance, until the violations are corrected or condemning it in extreme cases.  (nstalling and maintaining fire alarm control panels for quick detection and warning of fire.  +btaining and maintaining a complete inventory of firestops.  (nsuring that all spray fireproofing remains undamaged.  3aintaining a high level of training and awareness of occupants and users of the  building to avoid obvious mistakes, such as the propping open of fire doors.  %onduct fire drills at regular intervals throughout the year. A fire code !also called fire prevention code or fire safety code" is a model code adopted on a regional basis and enforced by fire prevention officers within municipal fire departments. (t is a lawful set of rules prescribing minimum requirements to prevent fire and explosion ha0ards arising from storage, handling or use of dangerous materials or from other specific ha0ardous conditions. The fire code complements the building code. The building code includes construction requirements to minimise fire spread, enable suppression and detection and to  provide for safe and rapid evacuation in the event of a fire. Although both codes address similar issues, the fire code is aimed primarily at preventing fires in the first place, including outside of buildings, and that necessary training and equipment will be on hand and the design basis of the building, which includes a  basic plan set out by the architect, is not compromised. The fire code also addresses inspection and maintenance requirements of various fire protection equipment in order to maintain optimal active fire protection and passive fire  protection measures, with the aim of preserving stringent bounding.