‘Fire suppression’ is a collective term for any engineering group of units that are designed to put out a fire. This can be achieved by applying an extinguishing substance such as water, foam or chemical compounds. This article explores the range of applications within a fire suppression strategy, so site teams and building owners can begin to comply with fire safety regulations and give peace of mind to building occupants and tenants alike.
Fire suppression systems are essential tools for preventing and controlling fires in both residential and commercial properties. These systems are designed to detect and extinguish fires automatically, often before they can cause significant damage or loss of life. In this blog, we will explore the importance of fire suppression systems and how they work.
How does a fire suppression system work?
A fire suppression system will have built-in components to detect fires as early as possible. These components will first identify the presence of flames and smoke. The suppression system will then initiate an alarm, so the blaze can be subdued before it has the chance to spread. A fire suppression system can be considered an ‘active’ fire protection method because the system is triggered in response to the presence of fire. As will be explored further in this article, a fire suppression system also contains a range of components that ‘actively’ work to extinguish flames and smoke.
Why use an automatic fire suppression system?
Just like a traditional system, an automatic fire suppression system will consist of an element that detects heat and smoke and a suppression agent container. There will also often be a manual activation system that acts as a failsafe in the case that the automatic system isn’t triggered.
The main benefit of an automatic fire suppression system is that they eliminate the need for human activation or intervention. Not only does this reduce the risk to occupants’ safety, but it is also ideal for extinguishing fires in remote or less accessible areas of a building or estate.
Furthermore, automatic fire suppression systems are a particularly worthy investment for industries and companies containing flammable materials or high-value goods.
This type of preventative measure could be looked upon favorably by insurance providers, who may reward business owners and landlords with lower premium rates for taking this type of precaution.
Types of fire suppression systems
Water-based systems: These systems use water to extinguish fires. They are the most common type of fire suppression system and are often found in residential properties.
Foam-based systems: These systems use foam to extinguish fires. They are often found in industrial and commercial properties where flammable liquids are present.
Gas-based systems: These systems use gases such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen to suppress fires. They are often found in computer rooms, data centers, and other locations where water or foam could cause damage.
The Importance of Fire Suppression Systems
Fire suppression systems are essential tools for preventing and controlling fires in both residential and commercial properties. They offer numerous benefits, including:
- Increased safety: Fire suppression systems can help keep people and property safe by suppressing fires quickly and efficiently.
- Reduced property damage: Fire suppression systems can help reduce property damage by suppressing fires before they can spread.
- Lower insurance premiums: Installing a fire suppression system can often lead to lower insurance premiums, as it reduces the risk of fire-related damage.
- Compliance with regulations: Many local and state regulations require the installation of fire suppression systems in certain types of properties.
Which industries commonly use fire suppression systems?
- Industrial and manufacturing – This article has made multiple references to the presence of highly flammable materials in industrial settings, but it’s also worth mentioning that industrial and manufacturing plants also contain large amounts of raw materials. Therefore, one of the biggest risks of fire (excluding personal safety) is the potential disruption to supply chains, making a fire suppression system a critical investment.
- Warehousing and storage – Storage facilities will usually make the most of available space, providing that it complies with workplace health and safety regulations. A fire suppression system would effectively manage the risk of having large amounts of potentially flammable goods in close proximity, and provide the amount of coverage needed to protect a large commercial space.
- Data centres and server rooms – After power supply issues, fires are the most common data centre outages. They also have an average downtime of over 24 hours, and for the many businesses and organisations relying on data centres for their activities, the impact can be catastrophic. Data centres and server rooms also contain a large amount of electronic equipment that is highly sensitive to changes in temperature. For both of these reasons, a fire suppression system is an imperative investment.
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