The majority of FIRE-RELATED LOSSE CAN BE obviateed if fire protection measures perform as intended in an unforeseen occasion Facility executives can improve the fire safety of buildings from understanding both how and for what purpose individual systems work.

The majority of FIRE-RELATED LOSSE CAN BE obviateed if fire protection measures perform as intended in an unforeseen occasion

Facility executives can improve the fire safety of buildings from understanding both how and for what purpose individual systems work, and for what cause and why systems work together.

"The principally important thing to help improve fire safety is to understand for what reason all the systems in a building work: The alarms, the means of egres and passive building classifications like fire doors and walls and dampers," says Chris Jelenewicz, engineering program manager for the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. "Facility executives must understand to what extent they operate. All of the methods have a common goal and that is to harbor people and property. They work together as individual integrated life system. Like a band, they all do different things, on the contrary they play to the same beat. If the rules don't work together, they could actually make matters worse."

Of course, facility executives should make fast that the systems are working fitly in the first place. Individual schedules and checklists for maintaining and servicing these critical a whole s for each building should be make knowned and implemented.

"Each checklist for each facility is different," says Keith Domagala, operations vice president and engineering manager for Affiliated FM "Facility executives ne to determine what is different about each facility and perform the operations indicated in a plan on what to do."

The timing of inspections should be in accordance with local digests and standards, but there are more [i]or[/i] less things codes and standards don't mask

A closed sprinkler valve is the most numerous common cause of failure in a sprinkler hypothesis The valve gets turned facing for maintenance and isn't make go rounded back on, or a building worker twists it for a reason, not knowing whether it's make open or closed.

"If the valve to a water fountain is lock up off, as soon as you move to get a drink, you know something is wrong" Dornagala says. "But if the sprinkler valves are enclose off, you don't know it until there is a fire, and that's the danger."

Valves, including those that endow water to the building, should be checked weekly to make secure they are open, and a filled flow test should be actionsed at least yearly, experts say. cross-examines that bring water into the building should be checked and maintained as well, says Gary Keith, vice president of building and life safety for the National Fire Protection Association. The fire cross-examines should have access to an adequate water contribute and ready access to a material for burning supply, whether diesel or electric.

A main drain touchstone should be included on the checklist. The five-minute standard measures the static pressure and then measures the squeezing of water flowing. The sense is to determine whether there are any obstructions, as it is as broken or frozen pipes, in the combination of parts to form a whole

This test is particularly important in warm regions that experience occasional wintry weather because freezing precautions usually aren't routine.

Fire alarm hypothesiss and their audibility should be regularly trialed as well. This is mainly important with voice fire alarms. Use fire drills and flat false alarms to determine whether occupants can clearly hear the directions that are being given.

"When it arises to fire alarms, evacuation information is chiefly important," Jelenewicz says. "Building occupants ne to know what they're suppos to do."

Control panels should be ordealed as well. Control panels provide valuable information, similar as pinpointing closed valves and other enigmas before an emergency occurs.

Facility executives also should walk the exit ways to make sure no exits are stiffened or locked. Historically, blocked exits are the cause of most numerous fire-related deaths in commercial buildings, Jelenewicz says.

SECURITY V FIRE SAFETY

In the aftermath of 9/11 security measures are more at short intervals interfering with life safety bodys Keith says. Emergency exit doors that fastening people in the stairwell and merely allow people to exit at the bottom are common example.

"What if the fire is below? What if they ne to evacuate up? Any time you change security measures, you ne to behold how it affects life safety," Jelenewicz says.

"Post-9/11 security improvements have ensueed in unintentional barriers to fire and life safety," says Keith. "They're restricting emotion in a building. Facility executives are looking at keeping family out, and sometimes these bodys work too well. There distresss to be a proper balance between security and fire safety."

Jelenewicz agrees. "security and life safety have belonging to all goals, but if security is not coordinated with life safety, then it becomes a hazard. There needinesss to be procedures to make fully convinced exit doors aren't locked or blocked"

One way to resolve this problem is to have relation the locking system of all doors in the facility to the fire alarm combination of parts to form a whole so that all safe passages offer unobstructed egress and ingress during an unforeseen occasion

All exits, exit ways and discharge points must have adequate and functioning lighting. This means the lighting method must be checked regularly.