Often when people think about fire safety equipment, fire extinguishers come to mind. Although they are very valuable to have in your building, it is not the only effective fire equipment available and needed for protection.
Here we highlight the different types of fire safety equipment available in South Africa. You should be able to determine from the below, what is needed in your building, as your environment and size of the building determines what is necessary.
Portable Fire Extinguishers
Various fire extinguishers are available in South Africa:
- Powder
- Foam
- Water
- Water-based
- CO2
Any building must be provided with portable fire extinguishers in readily accessible and unobstructed positions, and the quantity needed is determined by the class of occupancy, and the size of the building. The minimum charge is also dependent on the type of fire extinguishers e.g. 9L foam per 200m2 in a class A1 building.
Fire extinguishers installed must be installed, maintained, and serviced by a reputable and approved company according to SANS 1475-1 and with SANS 10105-1.
Owners of buildings that do not comply with the requirements of fire extinguishers and who hinder and prevent the escape of any person(s) in the case of a fire, or any other emergency shall be guilty of an offence.
Hose-reel
A hose-reel is a cylindrical spindle made of either metal, fiberglass or plastic. Its purpose is to provide a reasonably accessible and controlled supply of water to combat a potential fire risk.
Hose reels for the purposes of firefighting shall be installed in any building of two or more stories in height or in any single-story building of more than 250 m2 in floor area, at a rate of one hose reel for every 500 m2 or part thereof of floor area in any story, provided that such hose reels shall not be required in any building classified as H4 or in any dwelling unit in an occupancy classified as H3 where each unit is provided with independent access to ground level.
Hose reels installed must be positioned to ensure that the end of the hose will reach any point in the area to be protected. Hose-reel installation must comply with the requirements in SANS 543, and shall be installed in and accordance with SANS 10105-2 and SANS 10400-W.
Where no water supply is available, two 9kg DCP extinguishers or equivalent fire extinguishers shall be provided in place of each required hose-reel.
Fire Hydrants
Fire hydrants are a fitting in the street or a public place with a nozzle by which a fire hose may be attached to a water main. In the event of a fire, they can ensure fast water supply.
Hydrants should be made available in any building that exceeds 12m in height, and any building (except H4 classification), of any height with a total floor area that exceeds 1 000m2. Any hydrant required shall be provided at a rate of not fewer than one per 1 000 m2 or part thereof of total floor area and not fewer than one per story.
In industrial parks, permanent amusement park or exhibition ground, shopping centre or group housing, cluster housing, or townhouse complex, hose-reels should be positioned 6m from buildings, and not more than 70m from a building entrance.
Fire Blankets
A fire blanket is a safety device designed to extinguish incipient fires. They are suitable for fires that cannot be extinguished by water. They are good for stove pan fires, and electrical fires. They are fire resistant sheets that work by cutting off the fires oxygen supply to completely extinguish a small fire or reducing the size of a fire. Fire blankets are useful to wrap around a person whose clothes caught on fire or to spread over a contained fire.
Fire Detection Systems
Fire detection systems are designed to discover fires early in their development when enough time should be available for safe evacuation.
There is not much use for detectors if they are not connected to an alarm system.
The fire detection system and the number of smoke detectors required is dependent on class of occupancy, the floor area of the building in m2 and the storey height of the building.
There are various manufactures available ranging from quite common older brands to more modern systems with voice alarm.
Fire Doors
A fire door is a door with fire-resistant rating used as part of a passive fire protection system to reduce the spread of fire and smoke between separate compartments of a structure and to enable safe egress from a building or structure.
A fire door or fire shutter must be fitted with a self-closing or automatic closing device in accordance with SANS 1253.
There are various classes of fire doors and is dependent on its location in the building.
Fire Safety Signage
Fire safety signage is essential to assist people with how to escape a building in the event of a fire, or when a fire is suspected, especially those that are unfamiliar with the route. A clear and defined route all the way to exit, provides reassurance to people in a rather stressful situation.
Fire safety signage can range between emergency exit signs, emergency assembly points and location of fire equipment such as fire extinguishers.
It is the responsibility of the employer and owner of the building to display safety signage and by law are required to do so.
Fire Sprinkler Systems
A fire sprinkler or sprinkler head is the component of a fire sprinkler system that discharges water when the effects of a fire have been detected, such as when a predetermined temperature has been exceeded.
They reduce the risk of death or injury from a fire because they dramatically reduce heat, flames, and smoke, allowing people the time to evacuate a home.
Where a building is required to have a sprinkler system, any concealed space, such as a floor void, ceiling void or roof void, which has a height that exceeds 800 mm and an area of compartment of more than 100 m2 above any ceiling or an area of compartment of more than 500 m2 below any raised floor, must be equipped with a sprinkler system.
Look out for our June blog where we will dive deeper into fire sprinkler systems. With 50 years of combined experience, Elite Fire Protection is capable of ensuring that your fire equipment is installed, maintained and serviced so that you, your building/property and your people are safe from the devastating effects of a fire.
