2022-08-11
The Dubai Statistics Centre (DSC) reported from 2019 to 2021 a gradual increase in the number of reported fire accidents; however, in the same period, a decrease in the number of deaths caused by fire.
Contemplating this, we think about the importance of fire and life safety products and their role in saving lives and reducing property losses. We also consider that as per the prescribed codes and regulations that there is a consideration for all active and passive fire and life safety systems. This is because not one fire protection, life safety system, or passive fire protection product alone can provide the needed protection. All installed materials, products, and systems must work together to minimise risk and prevent loss, injuries and death from fires, electrical and other hazards.
If you can imagine that in a building during a fire incident, the fire alarm system’s purpose is to detect a fire incident and alert occupants of the fire and evacuate the facility, while the firefighting system(s) activate to contain the room of origin within the compartmentation and/or extinguish the fire, at the same time as, the smoke control system and the emergency light system aid the building occupants to egress safely from the building, all these systems plus the assistance of passive fire protection systems that isolate the fire and assist in keeping the building structure from collapse.
These passive elements include structural, load-bearing and non-loadbearing components, like fire-rated wall systems, fire-rated glazing and doors systems, fire-rated shutters, rollers and hatches, sprayed fire resistive materials (SFRM) applied to structural elements, fire-rated ducts and dampers, joint and opening protectants like firestop sealants which bolster a buildings fire and life safety protection.
Active and passive fire protection has evolved to exist and function symbiotically together, and one without the other is “like one hand that doesn't clap”.
Of course, it is equally important to have all active and passive fire protection products tested and certified by a recognised and approved third-party testing and certification body. This assures repeatability and that the products purchased and installed are one and the same as the product tested and certified.
Equally crucial is that all installed products and systems are registered and approved by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), like Civil Defence, and are inspected and/or witnessed in situ as part of the onsite testing and commissioning and final acceptance as per the prescribed code and project specification requirements.
If you would like to learn more about our testing & certification of active and passive fire protection products and systems, contact us at 04-520-1800 or ask@emirateslaboratory.com
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Ensuring a safer and sustainable future together - معا لضمان مستقبل أكثر أمنا واستدامة
You can read the statistics report of the Dubai Statistics Center here : https://www.dsc.gov.ae/Report/DSC_SYB_2021_06_21.pdf