Your Building Fire-Safety Checklist

firesafedoors on July 20, 2022

Fire doors are vital, but they aren’t the be all end all of fire safety. Here are 5 free measures to ensure your building’s occupants are well protected.

Just like buying a car, your fire-safety products aren’t self-sufficient after the purchase. You have to routinely check your products, book maintenance and ensure their performing as effectively as possible. Fortunately, a lot of fire safety checks are completely free and pretty low-effort too. These are 5 essential measures to help you keep your building and its occupants safe from any potential fires.

Exit Doors

It’s imperative that your fire doors and exit doors are easy to open from the inside. Just imagine the horror of making it to the exit only to discover the door is jammed or locked. If you haven’t used these doors in a while, it’s definitely worth double-checking they’re good to go in the case of an emergency.

Keep A Clear Path

All the relevant walkways to exit doors should be 100% clean of clutter and obstruction at all times. The last thing you want in an emergency situation is someone tripping over because someone left a box near the exit door. Or, even worse, having to lift something to simply access the exit.

Image: Getty

Flammable Objects

It’s also crucial to check for flammable objects in your building. One of the most effective means to keep occupants safe is by limiting the time it takes for a fire to spread. If you need to keep flammable objects in your building, they should be safely secured and well out of the way of any fire doors or exit routes.

Book Regular Checkups

After installing a fire door, you should always ask your installer how frequently the door needs to be inspected. We’d highly recommend booking an inspection for the suggested date for peace of mind. This is also true for other fire-safety paraphernalia such as fire sprinklers and fire extinguishers. There’s also plenty of sound legal requirements when it comes to fire safety in Australia, so it’s always best to be on top of upkeep to avoid any potential penalties or fines. If you have questions about maintenance and inspections, give us a call on the number below.

Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms are your best friend. It may not seem like it when they go off during your steak cook up, but in the case of a fire, smoke alarms are the ultimate tool for getting everyone in the know and alert. That’s why it should be routine to replace their batteries and click the test button to ensure they’re functioning correctly.

Have a fire door related enquiry? We’re happy to help. Contact Fire Safe Doors at [email protected] or call (02) 9070 0732, and we’ll work through a plan for your needs. 

The 5 Most Common Causes of Workplace Fires

firesafedoors on July 13, 2022

A workplace fire is the last thing you want to think about during your busy workday, but to keep yourself and your colleagues safe, it is important to consider the common causes of workplace fires.

Electrical Fire

With the amount of technology and electronic equipment lying around in any workplace, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that electricity is one of the most common causes of workplace fires.

To reduce the risk posed by electricity in your office, ensure all electrical work is performed by a trained electrician, and never overload a power socket.

Credit: CoWomen

Clutter

If you’ve ever seen a pile of paper burn, you’d understand exactly why clutter is on this list. If every desk in your workplace is stacked with bit of paper and post-it notes, the office won’t stand a chance in the event of a fire.

The best way to avoid this risk is by striving to be a paper-free office. Not only is this better for the environment, but it could be the difference between losing everything, and losing nothing in a blaze.

Flammable Liquids

Some workplaces will hold more flammable liquids than others, but pretty much every office has a cleaning cupboard, which is most likely where you would find the products in question.

Luckily, the government has regulations regarding flammable liquids which, if followed, should prevent fire. According to these guidelines, liquids with a flashpoint of 93°C or less should be stored in a cool, dry place, in a tightly sealed container.

Human Error

All it really takes to start a fire is one person doing something wrong. It could be as simple as overloading a powerpoint. To prevent this, ensure every member of your workplace has a basic understanding of fire safety at a minimum.

You don’t need to train the entire office to be a fire warden, but it is important that they understand the hazards that could lead to a fire, and what to do if they see one.

Negligence

If an employee neglects to follow their fire safety training, or general common sense, they can easily put their workplace at risk of fire.

From smoking indoors, to failing to check if they remembered to turn the oven off, there are multiple examples of negligence that could cause a fire. By placing friendly reminder signs around the workplace, you can prevent some instances of neglect, but overall, this is in the hands of your employees and coworkers.

Have a fire door related enquiry? We’re happy to help. Contact Fire Safe Doors at [email protected] or call (02) 9070 0732, and we’ll work through a plan for your needs. 

Life Safety Doors Explained

firesafedoors on July 7, 2022

Life Safety Doors are a term used to describe advanced smoke doors. These doors prevent smoke leakage and indeed, save lives.

Throughout the years, many customisations and advantages have become available to the world of fire safety. There was a time when fire exits didn’t have the easy push-release bars and even a time where smoke detectors weren’t mandatory.

Another key fire safety upgrade was an effective means of preventing smoke leakage. That’s where life safety doors come in.

Life Safety Doors

What are Life Safety Doors?

Life Safety Doors are doors that fulfil the safety requirements found in the Australian Standards Building Code 1530.7. This code is passed by doors that can effectively prevent smoke leakage. Most Life Safety Doors will also pass the relevant fire resistance codes, AS1530.4 and AS/NZ1905.1. Life Safety Doors should be installed with a designated FRL (Fire-resistance-level) in mind, to ensure the door meets the legal safety standards required of the building.

How Are Life Safety Doors different to Smoke doors?

There’s a crucial difference between smoke doors and life safety doors. Life Safety Doors refer ONLY to the smoke doors that have been proven effective in preventing smoke leakage that typically protrudes through a doors’ edges. Life Safety Doors must have seals installed to block smoke from seeping through, while smoke doors may not have been tested to meet this criterion.

When you consider that an estimated 50-80% of fire related deaths are caused by smoke inhalation rather than the fire itself, the necessity of a door that prevents smoke from passing through is undeniable.

If you would like to get your fire doors upgraded or checked to meet this level of safety, we have certified installers ready to help.

Have a fire door related enquiry? We’re happy to help. Contact Fire Safe Doors at [email protected] or call (02) 9070 0732, and we’ll work through a plan for your needs. 

The Science Behind Fire

firesafedoors on June 30, 2022

We see fire almost every single day, whether you’re cooking dinner, lighting a candle, or simply trying to stay warm. But how much do you know about the science behind fire?

At Fire Safe Doors, we’re experts in fire protection. But in order to protect against something, first you need to understand it.

Fire is often mistaken as a thing rather than an event. It’s often referred to as one of the four main elements, along with air, earth, and water. But fire isn’t actually an element at all.

Credit: Duong Nhan

Fire is the result of a chemical reaction between heat, oxygen and fuel, which means it can be extinguished by starving the flame of one of these components.

The colour of a flame corresponds to the amount of oxygen the fire has access to, and the more oxygen there is, the hotter the flame. Low-oxygen fires often emit a yellow flame, and on the other end of the scale, fires that are high in oxygen appear bright blue.

As far as scientists are aware, Earth is the only planet in the universe that has enough oxygen for fire to be able to burn.

Fire spreads faster than you might think, taking less than 30 seconds for a small flame to become out of control. This is why it is necessary to never leave a flame, or heater unattended.

Some materials are better fuels for fires than others due to a combination of factors. But in general, fires spread through houses quicker than they did about thirty years ago due to the quantity of cheaper, synthetic materials used in furniture and furnishings.

We hope you’ll never need a fire door, but install ing one is an absolute necessity to slow the spread of a fire as much as possible.

As you might expect, the majority of household fires start in the kitchen, which can almost always be extinguished with a fire blanket if you notice it quickly enough. This is why you should learn how to use a fire blanket and install one in an easily accessible area of your kitchen.

Have a fire door related enquiry? We’re happy to help. Contact Fire Safe Doors at [email protected] or call (02) 9070 0732, and we’ll work through a plan for your needs. 

What Are Ballistic Doors?

firesafedoors on June 22, 2022

Fires aren’t the only force you may need protection from. Here’s our overview of ballistic doors, from construction to application.

Ballistic Doors, also known as bullet-proof doors, offer a high level of protection against firearm attacks. As well as installing fire doors, we also manufacture and install ballistic doors for our clients.

Today, we’re running through the materials that make up a ballistic door, and whether your building may require this additional level of protection.

Image: Architectural Armour

How Do They Work?

Ballistic Doors come in a wide range of resistance levels, with some doors able to withstand handguns, and other doors withstanding rifles. Of course, all doors will eventually succumb to an onslaught of firearms, but the level of protection they can withstand remains a crucial asset. The level of protection that’s necessary should be discussed with your installer, as they will have a comprehensive understanding of the relevant Australian Building Codes you’ll need to meet.

Ballistic doors are typically designed with a steel frame, due to their robust and durable property. Then, the glass will be interlayered with laminated polycarbonate to further withstand the high-speed velocity of bullets. Polycarbonate is also used as a fire-resistant tool, due to its ability to withstand heat. Unsurprisingly, this type of glass is referred to as ‘impact-resistant’. This glass will still transmit light to almost the same level as normal glass, meaning the modern aesthetic of your building won’t be compromised.

Does my building need ballistic doors?

Ballistic Doors are most necessary for buildings that require high levels of security. This includes, but is not limited to, banks, schools, casinos, government buildings, and prisons. The building code of Australia should determine your installations.

Have a fire door related enquiry? We’re happy to help. Contact Fire Safe Doors at [email protected] or call (02) 9070 0732, and we’ll work through a plan for your needs. 

How To Use A Fire Extinguisher

firesafedoors on June 15, 2022

We all know what a fire extinguisher is, but when push comes to shove, would you know how to put out a fire with one?

According to FETA (Fire Extinguishing Trades Association), fire extinguishers put out approximately 80% of fires. That’s no small achievement! So it’s well worth learning how to operate them now, rather than during a fire.

There are only four main steps involved with correctly using a fire extinguisher, and thanks to Fire NSW, these steps have been condensed into a convenient acronym, PASS.

Firemen
Credit: Pixabay

Pull (Pin)

To prepare a fire extinguisher for use, you will first have to remove the safety pin, located at the top of the device. The pin stops the handle from being pressed, so you don’t accidentally use the extinguisher. Once the pin has been removed, give the device a quick test spray to ensure it is operational, and to get a gauge for the extinguisher’s range.

Aim

Standing at a safe distance, aim the extinguisher towards the base of the fire, because this is where the flame’s fuel is.

Squeeze

Squeeze the handles together to operate the extinguisher. If the discharge from the device is not hitting the base of the flame, correct your aim.

Sweep

Make a sweeping motion with the nozzle of the extinguisher to ensure the entirety of the the flame’s base is being covered by the extinguishing agent. If you’re attempting to put out a Class A fire, once the flame has been extinguished, probe the remains for smouldering that could reignite the fire and spray them once more.

When extinguishing a fire, it is recommended that you do so in pairs (provided there are people available to help.)

It is important to familiarise yourself with the location of the fire extinguishers in your home, and in your workplace, so you don’t lose precious seconds searching for the device in the event of a fire.

Have a fire door related enquiry? We’re happy to help. Contact Fire Safe Doors at [email protected] or call (02) 9070 0732, and we’ll work through a plan for your needs. 

Fire Rated Glazing, Explained

firesafedoors on June 9, 2022

Fire Rated Glazing is an ideal option for environments that need visibility as well as fire protection.

When we think of a fire door, we probably don’t think of a wide glass door. That’s because the majority of fire doors are built with steel and timber, not to mention the vermiculate core board, responsible for keeping the whole design insulant.

However, sometimes, for aesthetic or functional reasons, a solid material just won’t cut it. That’s where fire-rated glazing comes in. Let’s talk about how it works, its uses, and when to opt for the protective glaze.

How it works

The most important function to examine when discussing fire-rated glazing is its two different specifications; fire-protective, and fire-resistive.

Fire-protective glazing will prevent smoke and fire from spreading, however, it will not combat heat transfer. This means that the glass on the other side will still be dangerous to touch, and objects on the other side of the fire will still heat up – people included. If you’ve ever stood close to a campfire you’ll know just how fierce that heat can be.

On the other hand, fire-resistive glazing will prevent smoke and fire from spreading as well as conducting heat. This means the high temperature will be less easily transferred to the opposing room. This radiant heat is contained via a ‘fire-resistive assembly’, which means the multiple layers of glass are separated with interlayers, designed to resist heat.

Which type of glazing does my building need?

Obviously, fire-resistive glazing is the most optimum glaze to achieve the ultimate, longest-lasting fire protection. That being said, your building may already have enough fire-safety exits or measurements in place for it to pass the legal requirements without the premium glaze. Of course, you can still opt for the fire-resistive glazing if you’d like, but it may not be necessary depending on your building’s situation.

It’s crucial that you double-check with your installer about which type of glaze is required for your building to stay up to the relevant fire building codes, of which there are many. Whatever glaze your building requires must be based on these codes. We’ll be happy to inform you further through an inspection or installation

Have a fire door related enquiry? We’re happy to help. Contact Fire Safe Doors at [email protected] or call (02) 9070 0732, and we’ll work through a plan for your needs. 

Alarms, Extinguishers & Other Fire Safety Devices

firesafedoors on May 25, 2022

The fire door is an integral aspect of fire safety, but so are other devices such as smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and sprinklers. Let’s run through their utility and how to use them.

If a fire starts in your building, the safest option is always to call 000 and evacuate. However, with sufficient fire safety training and the right tools at your disposal, it’s possible to distinguish a fire before it becomes an emergency. Today, we’re running through those tools and how (and when) to use them.

A word of caution – if you are not adequately trained or practised in these procedures, don’t be a hero! Evacuate and call triple 0. Approach this post as an educational tool – reading alone is not substantial enough to ignore standard protocol.

Smoke Alarms

Smoke Alarms are a passive form of fire protection that quickly alert everyone in the near vicinity of a potential fire threat. One of the most important ways to keep smoke alarms effective is by installing them in the right places. For example, smoke alarms should be installed on the ceiling or high on the wall as hot air rises.

Installing a smoke alarm within 3 metres of any cooking appliance is a must. Unsurprisingly, most fires begin in the kitchen, so it’s crucial to make sure your smoke alarm is active and functional there.

A few final pointers:

  • Smoke Alarms should be tested once a month
  • Avoid installing alarms near windows (drafts can set them off unneccesarrily)
  • If you have more than one smoke alarm, interconnect them.
Image: StayWise

Fire Extinguishers

According to FETA (Fire Extinguishing Trades Association), fire extinguishers put out approximately 80% of fires. That’s no small achievement! So it’s well worth learning how to operate them now, rather than during a fire.

Pull the pin – At the top of the extinguisher, there’s a pin. Pulling it will break the seal. Now, the handle can be pushed down to release the water. But before you do, you must be aiming correctly. You need to combat the fire from a safe distance and point the nozzle right at the base of the fire – that’s the most effective place for elimination.

Once you’re squeezing the handle and releasing water, aim from left to right, ensuring all corners of the fire are covered.

Sprinkler Systems

This active fire protection method is a fantastic tool for fire safety and should be an essential installation for any environment with increased flammable risk.

Sprinkler Systems have a design that allows them to release water automatically as soon as fire becomes prevalent. Each sprinkler contains a bulb filled with alcohol-based liquid, purposely designed to smash the glass from expansion. Expansion occurs when the room becomes hot, triggering a release of water.

Talk to a verified sprinkler installer to ensure a safe, reliable installation that triggers only when necessary.

Have a fire door related enquiry? We’re happy to help. Contact Fire Safe Doors at [email protected] or call (02) 9070 0732, and we’ll work through a plan for your needs.