London Fire Prevention & Containment Service

Fire Prevention

A long-term workable and effective strategy should be developed to reduce hazards and the likelihood of a fire starting.

All reasonable provisions should be made to reduce the possibility of fires occurring due to accidental ignition. Control of combustible materials should be achieved by attention to good housekeeping principles. By carefully considering the type of material, the quantities kept and the storage arrangements, the risks can be significantly reduced.

At its simplest Fire Prevention means separating flammable and combustible materials from ignition sources which can largely be achieved through:-

• Housekeeping and storage
• Storage and use of dangerous substances
• Safe use of equipment
• Electrical
• Smoking
• Managing building work and alterations
• Particular hazards in escape routes
• Security
• Textiles, furniture, bedding and sleepwear

To reduce the risk to persons in the event of a fire, it is necessary to consider how to control or restrict the spread of fire, smoke and or poisonous gases. A fire in a building can generate smoke that is thick and black, obscures vision, causes great difficulty in breathing, and can block the escape routes. Smoke is a serious threat to life which should not be underestimated.

Fire is spread by three methods:-

• Convection
• Conduction
• Radiation

Fire and smoke spread by convection is the most dangerous and causes the major proportion of injuries and deaths. When fire starts in an enclosed space such as a building, the smoke rising from the fire becomes trapped by the ceiling and then spreads in all directions to form an ever-deepening layer over the entire room space. The smoke will pass through any holes or gaps in the walls, ceiling and floor into other parts of the building. The heat from the fire gets trapped in the building and the temperature rises.

Metal and some other materials can absorb heat readily and transmit it to other rooms by conduction, where it can set fire to combustible items that are in contact with the heated material.

Radiation transfers heat in the air in the same way that an electric bar heater heats a room. Any material close to a fire will absorb the heat until the item starts to smoulder and then burn.

The provision of compartments, sub-compartments and the enclosure of fire hazard rooms will provide a physical barrier to a fire. The building should be divided into different fire-resisting compartments by fire-resisting doors, walls and floors. This may restrict the spread of fire, smoke and or poisonous gases.

• Doors
• Fire Separation
• Fire Spread through Cavities
• Ventilation Systems
• Fire Spread on Internal linings
• Fire Spread on External Walls
• Fire Spread from Neighbouring Buildings