There are several incidents in our lives over which we have little control. For instance, traffic (especially here in India) has become a mere fact of life and there is nothing we can do that could have a significant impact. Erratic weather conditions leading to floods or other natural disasters is also something that is beyond our individual capabilities. Another type of occurrence that we have no reasonable influence over are finance-related aberrations like the stock market crashing or the economy getting pulled down into a recession. Yet, the only way to move forward with the day is by thinking about all the events that we can control like fires.

Instances of a fire at your workplace or home can put lives in serious jeopardy. Moreover, it can ruin furniture and damage expensive devices. Despite what most people believe, fires are fairly commonplace. In fact, a recent study found that over 3,500 fires broke out in American office buildings just last year. In addition, the NFPA also reported that these fires resulted in the deaths of 4 people while injuring dozens more. Not to mention, nearly $110 million dollars’ worth of property damage can be attributed to fires every year.

Worried about these alarming figures? You should be! Protection against fires must be the utmost priority for all landlords and business owners. Here’s a nifty compilation of all the fire safety devices that you should keep at hand in your factory or office building:

• Fire Warning Systems

  When a fire breaks out in your office, the first step to protection is making sure that everyone knows there’s a fire. By immediately alerting the building’s occupants, they are less likely to panic and cause a stampede. This is why fire alarms or any type of detection system is a must-have in firefighting. This is where fire alarms come into the picture. There are several state-of-the-art fire alarm systems available on the market today. But if you’re looking to purchase one, be sure to check if the alarms are loud enough and visible enough to raise awareness about a possible fire situation.

  Apart from fire alarms, installing smoke, heat, or carbon monoxide detectors is also recommended. This type of equipment can be used to discover gas leaks or potentially flammable material as well.

• Fire Extinguishers

  Today, most of the fire protection equipment available to customers are automatic. Yet, we need a manually-controlled device as well in order to put out any minor fires. Even a piece of paper or dustbin that is on fire can be detrimental in a sensitive environment like a manufacturing facility. The way to put out such small-scale fires without causing any major disruptions is by using a portable, red cylinder known as the fire extinguisher. Fire extinguishers are everywhere because they serve a lot of purposes. Extinguishers come in various forms depending on the type of fire that is most likely to occur at a particular spot. The different types include water, foam, CO2, and dry gas extinguishers to name a few.

• Sprinkler Systems

  Although fire extinguishers do the trick for homes and small offices, it does not provide sufficient cover for large-scale facilities like warehouses or airports. To fulfil this purpose, we have sprinklers. Sprinkler systems form a critical component of any fire safety plan. An average sprinkler system is made up of pipelines, valve heads, pump control valves, pressure valves, gravity tanks, and so on. They are further categorized into two main types, namely: wet pipe and dry pipe sprinklers.

  Essentially, a wet pipe sprinkler system uses water to put out the flames. As soon as the heat from a nearby fire is detected, the wet pipe sprinklers are activated and release the water that is stored in its pipes at a high pressure. Conversely, a sprinkler system is known as dry pipe if the extinguishing agent is highly-pressurized air or nitrogen gas instead of water. Thanks to recent advances in fire safety technology, a foam-based sprinkler system has also been developed which is primarily used in airport hangers and chemical factories.

• Fire Blankets and Escape Routes

  Although extinguishers and sprinklers are effective in fighting fires, it is possible to take certain fire protection measures without much investment in expensive machinery. For instance, installing fire retardant doors and emergency lights is a vital step to fire safety. This is due to the fact that such passive fire protection equipment plays a huge role in the safe evacuation of people. Having fire blankets on hand is also a great idea that can help your employees get to safety.

• Fire Hydrants

  Even with all of the fire safety devices mentioned in this list, it is possible that you may fail at controlling the fire. In that case, there’s only one thing to do: call in the fire department. When the fire truck rolls in, the firefighters need a reliable source of water to connect their hoses. Fire hydrants qualify as that source.

Finally…

All of the fire safety equipment mentioned in this article are not ever-lasting. Like any device, they need to regularly inspected and maintained over time. If you’re confused about how to check up on the equipment, call in the expert i.e. SRJ Piping India.