In the recent decades, significant improvements in fire protection have been achieved at European level thanks to the continuous adjustment and implementation of fire safety strategies. As a result of these comprehensive approaches, fire deaths have decreased by 65% over the past 30 years, according to a study by the Modern Building Alliance. However, more have to be done as fire safety in buildings remains a major societal concern. It is estimated that around 5,000 people die annually in Europe as a result of fire.
Almost every type of building, structure or public space is a subject to fire safety measures. According to regulatory authorities, reliable fire protection must ensure, at a minimum, that the risk of fire is reduced and that in the event of fire people can leave the building safely. To achieve this, fire safety in buildings requires a holistic approach – from fire prevention to fire suppression and extinguishment. An effective fire safety strategy contains seven steps that must be taken to ensure the safety of people, property and buildings.
1. PREVENTION
First of all, the occurrence of a fire must be prevented. Understanding the reasons and risk factors for this is a starting point for undertaking effective prevention efforts through a complex of technical and organizational measures. A risk assessment identifies potential fire hazards based on a number of criteria, then considers how these risks can be reduced or, if possible, eliminated entirely.
2. DETECTION
When a fire occurs despite prevention measures, it is important to detect the fire as early as possible to give the building occupants sufficient time to react, including safe evacuation or early fire extinction with a manual fire extinguisher. It is absolutely necessary for the building to have a suitable fire detection and alarm system, which has the ability, under any circumstances, to warn people in the building about the fire. The modern fire detection systems rely on various types of detectors for very early fire detection.
3. EARLY SUPPRESSION
In case of a fire, it can be stopped within the first minutes by a manual fire extinguisher or by an automatic fire extinguishing system. Usually, the system is activated automatically by heat and only at the place where the fire occurs. The modern fire industry relies on effective extinguishing technologies, suitable not only for ordinary fire hazards, but also for special and high fire hazards in an industrial working environment.
4. EVACUATION
In case of a fire and inability to extinguish it immediately, safe evacuation of the building’s occupants is the first priority. It is essential to have properly designed escape routes that are easily accessible at all times, they are short, well-lit and smoke-free. Smoke-free routes can be achieved by smoke and heat exhaust systems or by fire compartment measures. The occupants must be familiar with the building evacuation plan and trained in its use. Therefore, the escape routes should be included in building design as an important part of the holistic approach to fire safety.
5. COMPARTMENTATION
Fire compartmentation ensures the fire and its smoke are contained in the compartment of origin and do not spread to other rooms. It also aims to protect safe escape ways such as corridors and stairs. Fire compartmentation is achieved by physical barriers that include fire walls and floors, fire doors and the fireproof sealing of joints and penetrations. In case of a rapid fire spread on the facade, the reliability of the fire compartmentation strategy might be compromised.
6. STRUCTURAL SAFETY
In case of a large fire, the structural safety of the building needs to be ensured so that it will not collapse. Structural safety is not only a matter of material combustibility. Current knowledge allows for the design of fire safety structures in both concrete and steel, as well as in wood, composites and elements with combustible products. Additional methods based on experimental studies can be used to improve the fire performance of structural systems during real fire tests.
7. FIREFIGHTING BY FIRE SERVICES
When a fire occurs, the fire services should arrive as soon as possible to evacuate the occupants, fight the fire and prevent any further spread. Firefighting requires state-of-the-art equipment, constant training and sharing of knowledge. When come to risk sites, such as high-rise buildings, the building design requests specific firefighting facilities which allow for a faster reaction, such as specific water supply, firefighting elevators and others.
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