Essential Fire Safety Measures Every Housing Society Should Implement
The importance of fire safety cannot be understated. It’s literally a matter of life and death whether buildings are designed with fire safety in mind. With more home constructions being carried out in urban areas, it’s more important than ever to design housing societies to minimise fire hazards and employ effective fire safety measures.
As a member of a housing society, you should take serious measures to protect your family members’ and neighbours’ lives. You can do this by checking if every building in your housing complex is fire-safe. Ensure all fire-safety norms are followed in your housing society by going through our comprehensive list.
Keep Open Access to Evacuation Routes
One of the most important fire safety requirements is that your society’s buildings have open and constant access to evacuation routes. Society members should be able to access multiple escape routes, including alternate staircases, windows, emergency escapes, etc. Moreover, public areas such as hallways, stairs, doors and outdoor areas should have no obstructions and allow firefighters to bring in their fire fighting system in high rise buildings.
Implement Fire-fighting Measures
In the event of a fire, your local fire brigade needs to have ready access to water to extinguish large flames. High-rise buildings need to have fire hydrants at strategic locations and vertical pipelines carrying water to all floors. Large buildings need to have both underground and overhead tanks with separate pipelines providing multiple points of water access in case of a pipe burst.
Install Smoke Detection and Suppression Systems
Early detection of fire can enable the staff to take preventive measures that stop the spread of flames. Automatic fire alarm systems are mandatory fire and safety requirements as they assist in detecting fire within the first few minutes of an accident, preventing its spread. Moreover, your building should have adequate smoke suppression systems with automatic sprinklers, smoke curtains and fire doors.
Place Exit Signs and Building Plans
Signages are an essential part of comprehensive fire safety requirements for high-rise buildings and large complexes. Since people tend to be fearful and confused during an emergency, they require clear instructions. Therefore, large buildings need clear exit signs on every floor with bright colours and bold lettering identifying the nearest exit. They also need to have emergency lights for power outages and building plans showing all exits.
Check Staircase Fire Safety Norms
According to the fire safety rules for residential buildings, high-rise buildings must have at least two staircase exits with 1 to 2-metre width. Moreover, fire doors should be present on escape routes, as well as at entrances of the lift lobby and staircases. High-rise buildings also need to provide separate elevators for firemen, which have higher speeds than regular elevators.
Have Automatic Sprinkler Systems Installed
Nowadays, nearly every building has an automatic sprinkler system as a part of its fire safety measures. Automatic fire sprinklers are designed to activate when the sprinkler head is heated to a certain temperature. They keep dumping water till the water supply is turned off, ensuring the flames are completely extinguished. Make sure that your housing society complex has multiple sprinklers in common areas and individual units.
Use Flame-retardant Material for Interiors
When designing a housing complex, ensure that the interiors are not made solely of wood, paper, and textiles, as these materials are highly flammable. Purchase only furniture made from fire-resistant materials and use flame-retardant paint on wooden materials. Some reputable furniture sell fire-resistant materials, which you can incorporate to design the interiors.
Carry our Regular Fire Drills
Every housing society should regularly go through its fire safety measures and evacuation procedures to familiarise its members. Regular fire drills should be conducted with all residents and staff to teach everyone how to conduct themselves during an emergency. In addition, all maintenance staff should participate in learning sessions to know how to use fire extinguishers, hold drills, and detect fire hazards.
Ensure Compliance with National Building Codes
The National Building Code (NBC) has laid various guidelines to ensure fire safety measures for different categories of buildings. Check if a housing society complex complies with national and state codes and has the necessary approvals certifying its building plans. To get these approvals, a building must have all necessary arrangements required for fire safety, including evacuation routes, booster pumps and water pipelines.
Coordinate with the Local Fire Brigade
For a nominal fee, you can get your housing complex assessed by your local fire department. Regular coordination with the fire bridge will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of fire safety measures taken by your staff. They can easily identify hazards, including unsafe storage of hazardous materials, blocked escape routes, and potential death traps.
Final Words
As a responsible member of a housing society, you should coordinate with members to make sure that the complex is built to code with all safety precautions. Stay informed about the various fire safety measures to protect your family and neighbours, and conduct regular drills to ensure everyone stays prepared.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the essential fire safety equipment for a building?
Fire extinguishers, hoses, fire blankets, etc., are some of the essential building fire safety equipment that should be stored at a high-rise building.
How to ensure that residents can easily evacuate a high rise building?
Take measures such as designing multiple escape routes, keeping an evacuation plan, conducting regular drills and clearing all hazards from the vicinity of the route.
How to prevent fire in a housing society?
To prevent fire in your housing society, you can take precautions such as designing safe buildings, using fire-proof material for furniture and installing automatic sprinkler systems to prevent fire from spreading.