Fires unfortunately occur on a regular basis. While there are a variety of reasons for this, many fires could be prevented when fire safety codes are strictly followed. When businesses schedule regular fire alarm service, which includes fire alarm inspections, fire alarm maintenance, and fire alarm repairs, this can make a significant difference in the overall outcome should a fire occur.
Fires can obviously break-out in all types of buildings. High-rise fires, for example, can be particularly challenging due to potential issues with exits. While some high-rise buildings may have both elevators and stairways, others may only have one or the other. In older buildings, there may be retractable or non-retractable fire escape ladders, which may be difficult for some individuals to maneuver.
Many fires occur due to a lack of regular maintenance and electrical malfunctions. In instances where dry and/or wet chemical system failures occurred, it was usually due to a lack of maintenance. This was the case with 44% of the fires that were investigated. When structural fires were large enough to activate dry and/or wet chemical suppression systems, these systems operated with 81% of these fires, however.
Overall, non-chemical suppression systems were found to be effective 96% of the time with large oven ranges in commercial kitchens. It is also a standard practice for restaurant and other types of kitchens to have hand-held fire extinguishers strategically-located throughout working areas.
Some of the fires that occurred in hospitals were were due to electrical malfunctions. This was the the case with 19% of the non-confined hospital fires. Given this, equipment should also be inspected on a regular basis in order to ensure that it is not a fire hazard.
When buildings have both early-warning systems and automatic sprinklers, this can potentially reduce injuries, fatalities, and property damage by 50% or more. It’s also important for businesses, including residential and other types of enterprises, to have regular fire drills and solid evacuation plans. In order to determine whether or not these early-warning systems are in optimal working order, a fire alarm service should be contacted for an inspection. If repairs and/or a replacement is needed, this can be taken care of immediately.
