There are many factors that we can consider when it comes to a fire risk. We can include fire hazards such as flames, sparks, hot objects, flammable chemicals, or chemical accelerants. With this, it’s important to take precaution and create plans or strategies to avoid these things from causing fire to spread.
One thing to learn are different types of fire to learn how to combat them. Class A fires are solids, which means, it could be solid objects in the building such as furniture, cardboard, paper, fixtures, fittings, and the likes. Class B fires are liquids. These could be fluids considered flammable or explosive. Some of these liquids could be solvents, fuels, inks, adhesives, or paint. Next is Class C which are gasses. Some examples of these are natural gas, or LPG. Lastly, Class D which are metals. Since metals are good conductors, these can help spread fire. Plenty types of metals can melt at high heat and can make combatting fire more complicated. But there are also other factors and elements to be considered here such as electrical fires since electricity can be a source of ignition for fire.
When building structures, we should always make it our role to prepare and avoid disasters from happening. Preparing fire safety can provide everyone a set of practices to prevent the damages that fires can cause. Some practices can include having smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, or exit plans for people to safely get out of a structure. But having a detailed strategy can greatly contribute to preventing fires instead of combating them. So, it’s always worth it to take a fire risk assessment.
A fire risk assessment identifies, analyzes and evaluates possible risks. It can determine if a structure can be safe for occupation. Having this assessment can benefit you in multiple ways. An initial inspection can take 1-4 hours depending on the size and complexity of the location. It’s advisable to get this regularly every four years in order to take into account the possible changes in a location and to update your plans and strategies for fire safety. These strategies include evaluating the threats of fire, identifying individuals At-Risk, lessening/eliminating the chances of fire, preparing/training individuals for certain situations, and reviewing your records for any changes that you might need.
Get yourself a fire risk consultant. An experienced professional can provide you: qualitative or quantitative fire risk assessments, combustible cladding fire risk assessments, site systems or element specific fire risk assessments, risk reduction and mitigation, and temporary or permanent risk management. They can investigate and identify fire risks and develop suitable and cost-effective mitigation measures to give you that peace of mind you’re looking for. With vast experience and creative fire engineers, you’re sure to get cost-effective solutions to preserve human life and assets.
