In the event of fire, you need to ensure the safety of people in the buildings you are responsible for. When it comes to fire safety measures, there are two approaches: active and passive. Let’s take a look at what that means.
An active fire-safety system is responsive, it aims to detect and stop fire. Passive fire protection is typically part of the fabric of the building and intended to maintain compartmentation and ensure containment of fire and smoke.
- Help people to escape from buildings where a fire has ignited
- Reduce the damage to the building and building content
Both systems work together to provide an effective fire-safety system.
Active fire protection
Active fire protection can be manual or automatic. For example, someone spots a fire, grabs a fire extinguisher and deals with it, or smoke from a fire triggers a smoke alarm.
Active fire systems include:
Fire alarm systems – these give an early warning, allowing time for people to escape.
Portable fire extinguishers – these will be provided at various points throughout the building, as appropriate. There are different types of fire extinguisher and using the wrong one could make things worse, so it’s best if they are used by trained individuals.
Public address voice alarms – a public address system can be triggered to play pre-recorded messages telling people how to act, where to go to exit the building, and where to gather once outside.
Disabled refuge area – a safe, temporary waiting area where disabled or mobility impaired people can gather while waiting to be evacuated from the building.
Passive fire protection
Passive fire protection is built into the structure of a building and prevents the spread of fire without additional intervention, some systems such as smoke dampers also control the movement of smoke to assist in creating a safe exit route out of the building. However, these are things that need to be correctly installed and used, plus regularly tested and maintained. ‘Passive’ shouldn’t mean ‘ignored’.
Passive fire systems include:
Compartmentation and firestopping – designed into the building with the intention of restricting the spread of heat, flame, smoke and noxious gases.
Internal fire doors – can reduce the spread of fire, smoke and/or gases, allowing time for people to exit safely.
Fire curtains – these can be fixed, such as when used in a roof void, or else stored in a head box in the ceiling of an open-plan area. In the latter case, the system would be active, and triggered when fire is detected.
Fire and smoke dampers – installed where ducts from the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system pass through walls or floors and breach a fire compartment. They might be triggered by an active fire protection system, such as an alarm, or activated by heat.
It all works together
Both passive and active fire systems work together in the event of a fire to safeguard people and property. It’s important each plays its part and does what it should when needed.
The primary function of any fire safety system is to provide safe egress of people from a burning structure. The largest threat to occupants is smoke. Smoke spreads quickly and smoke inhalation is the number one cause of death from fires.
Testing and maintenance are key elements that impact how effective fire systems will be. If you are concerned or unsure as to the condition of fire dampers, for example, get in touch – we can help you stay compliant and give you peace of mind that, should they be needed, nothing will stop them from operating as they should.
