Health

How Can Fire Protection Equipment Save Your Life?

​​There’s no telling when a fire might break out in your home or workplace, but with the proper fire protection equipment in place, you can rest assured that you and your employees will be safe. 

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the most important pieces of fire protection equipment and explain how they can save your life.

What Is Fire Protection Equipment?

Fire protection equipment includes items that are built to withstand high temperatures. They are used to prevent, contain, or extinguish fires to keep everyone safe.

Fire protection equipment is categorised into active or passive– depending on how it activates.

Active equipment requires a trigger to get activated. An example of active fire protection is a smoke detector, where there has to be smoke for it to start working.

On the other hand, passive fire protection refers to the equipment that is always on. Fire doors, for example, are considered passive equipment. They do not require any source of fire to activate. Instead, they are installed as part of the building’s structure and function to limit the spread of flames if a fire ensues.

Let’s discuss these passive fire protection and why they’re worth the investment.

Types Of Fire Protection Equipment And How They Can Save Your Life 

Fire can cause damage to windows, ceilings, walls, destroy building materials like wood and carpet. Fire can also cause injuries to people trying to escape the fire.

There are several types of fire protection equipment that you should install in your home or business so that you can survive without significant damage.

Here are some options.

Fire Doors

Fire doors keep smoke out of a building. They can be placed between rooms within the same building or between buildings.

They can be made from insulated glass, fiberglass, or steel. These materials are designed to resist extreme temperatures and prevent the spread of flames. They are easy to install and can often be placed instead of a regular door. 

Fire doors can also be connected to frames of the windows using metal hardware, metal strap, or hold-down device to work properly during a fire. Depending on the room structure and function, they can also be placed close to the floor and ceiling.

Fire Windows

Window systems are designed to protect buildings from fire and prevent smoke from coming through windows.

Windows can be used to block the spread of fire and smoke. They can protect utility and service lines from damage and preserve privacy for customers, workers, and occupants.

No one wants smoke to enter the building through their air ducts or vents when there is a fire, and because of this, you should consider installing a window system into the air ducts of your home. Fire windows are significant to safety.

Most fire windows are dual-paned glass windows. They slow down the spread of fire through the double glass panel. Some windows are also made of heat-treated tempered glass, which is significantly stronger than regular glass material for windows.

Fire Curtains

Fire curtains are made of metal to separate fire areas from other building parts. They can be set to form a wall or a door, similar to a fire door, or put up from the ceiling to create an enclosed area.

They are specially designed for fire areas such as laboratories and small apartments. 

Unlike fire doors, curtains can be installed in many different locations, including where there is a lack of walls, such as in open-plan spaces.

Additionally, lifts and lobbies, which tend to be the most critical escape routes for a building’s occupants, can utilise fire curtains to help control smoke and fire spreading through the lift shaft. 

They can also be used to hold back smoke and fire.

Fire curtains are usually made of fiberglass.

Fire Attenuation Screens

Fire attenuation screens are another passive fire protection that function as fire barriers.

They are made of metal, typically placed in openings such as doors and windows to help prevent the spread of fire inside buildings. The screens can be used in both interior and exterior openings.

These screens are designed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke and slow down the ignition and cooling of fires. They can also be used to hold back smoke and fire. 

Intumescent Coatings

Intumescent coatings help make metal much more resistant to fire. They are applied to surfaces where a fire could damage the metal, such as doors, hatches, and walls.

Intumescent coatings are made of extruded material rolled into a tube. They can also be sprayed onto a surface in liquid form or contained in a non-spillable liquid. 

Fire protection systems use intumescent coatings to protect the metal from fire damage by making it much more resistant to heat and burning. Intumescent coated metal surfaces can withstand temperatures up to 600 degrees Celsius.

The intumescent coating usually reacts to fire and start flaring, but they are not flammable. Even when the flames start, they do not spread or grow as untreated metal does.

This is because the heat of the fire causes a chemical reaction in the coating that activates it. The fire protection coating makes steel even stronger by reacting to heat and fire.

Final Thoughts

All of these fire prevention methods are designed to make sure that your home and business are protected from fire and smoke.

If installed correctly, they can save lives and help you keep your home safe.

The last thing you want is a fire to destroy your property and personal belongings. 

Several types of protection equipment all serve the same purpose, but you need to find a solution that fits your needs best. If you’re after the best fire doors in Perth, make sure you reach out to Australian Fire Control, WA’s leading passive fire protection company. 

Stay safe!