Fire prevention in construction
Biosite's best practise Wireless Fire Alarm and First Aid System
Challenges when choosing a fire prevention system
Specifying an appropriate fire alarm system on a construction site can be a significant challenge, with the layout and requirements constantly evolving as the project progresses. This, coupled with a range of definitions and guidance on the requirements for the type of fire prevention system used temporarily on site, can lead to confusion when choosing a solution.
The multitude of considerations means that it is important to take into account specific site challenges and tailor a solution that is suitable for the duration of a project. Often this could mean considering the benefits of features that go beyond what is currently recommended or required for site fire safety.
Sector-specific challenges when considering a choice of fire prevention system include:
- What level of protection is required or should be considered
- How to ensure worker safety and protection against fire in different scenarios, e.g. multi-story building, infrastructure project etc.
- Where and how a fire system should be installed
- How to protect the building or environment on a refurbishment or renovation project
- How to ensure a fire system is operational and how should systems be performance tested
- What the impact of an evacuation scenario would be; effective worker evacuation, minimising site disruption
- The variety of temporary fire alarm systems available on the market.
An ideal temporary wireless solution
- Bi-directional evacuation function, allowing operatives out and emergency services in, whilst an automatic roll call will be printed, listed by subcontractor
- Innovative integrity check function automatically tests all call points are working, without a manual check
- Zoning function and integrated evacuation button aligned to designated areas on site, to maximise safety and minimise disruption. The zoning function also helps keep equipment and costs to a minimum
- Independent fire alarm and first aid reset functions, with different alarm tones to distinguish between alerts
- Detailed system data displayed on the base unit, such as number of units connected, battery alerts, dropped connections and notification of unit removal
- Smoke and heat detectors, fire extinguishers and mobile display units (trolleys) are also available. Trolleys are ideal for sites where units cannot be fixed to a wall, for example a historic building where protection of the existing structure is crucial.
The role of temporary fire systems
With these challenges and risks in mind, it is important to carefully consider the type of fire alarm system used on site. Traditional fire systems, be that permanent, wired or more basic systems such as a bell or horn, are often not suited to most construction site environments.
Biosite’s Wireless Fire Alarm and First Aid system has been designed and manufactured in-house to provide a feature rich, efficient and cost effective solution to manage fire safety on site. The system is EN54 certified and has been designed to meet the specific challenges facing construction, including the changing needs of the environment.
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