Fires can wreak havoc on facilities, be it commercial, industrial, institutional, residential, etc. Fire hazards can pose significant threats to these facilities. For instance, it can jeopardize the safety of occupants, damage property and assets, and disrupt business operations.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the local fire departments responded to an estimated 1.39 million fires in the United States in 2023. These devastating fires led to approximately 3,670 civilian fire deaths and 13,350 civilian fire injuries. Other than that, the property damage caused by the fires was estimated at $23 billion.
This highlights the dire need for proactive measures to safeguard facilities from fire hazards. Implementing effective preventive measures can help facilities reduce the chances of being affected by fires and mitigate potential losses while preventing code violations.
In this blog, we will discuss some practical steps you can take to make your facilities more fire-resistant and protect them from potential disasters. This can help us know better about how to prevent fires in the facilities.
How to Prevent Fires: Steps to Make Your Facilities More Fire-Resistant
Below, we’ve outlined some practical steps you can take to make your facilities more fire-resistant:
1. Identify fire risks
First and foremost, you need to understand the potential vulnerabilities of your facility. The first step in preventing fires in your facility is conducting a thorough risk fire assessment to identify hazards like obsolete electrical systems, flammable materials, and obstructed exits. You can seek help from certified fire safety experts to assess your facility’s compliance with local fire regulations.
When conducting regular assessments of fire risks, you can find significant gaps in your existing fire safety protocols and then work on addressing them proactively. For example, when you ensure the electrical systems installed in your facility are up to date, you can significantly reduce the risk of electrical fires. You’d be surprised to know that about 13% of all non-residential fires are caused by faulty electrical systems. Hence, it is crucial to install the updated ones.
You can streamline fire risk assessments using an advanced maintenance management solution like EZO CMMS. For instance, this solution can help you track inspections, schedule and perform preventive maintenance, and ensure compliance with fire safety standards. You can stay updated on fire safety tasks and reduce risks to prevent your facility from fire hazards.
2. Use fire-resistant materials
Another significant step you can take to prevent fire hazards in your facility is to use fire-resistant materials. Undoubtedly, the materials used in the construction of your facility play a crucial role in preventing fires. Using fire-resistant materials like fire-rated doors, steel structures, and flame-retardant coatings can help slow down the spread of fire and provide ample time to evaluate the building.
On the other hand, if your building has turned older, it is essential that you refurbish it with updated fire-resistant materials. Using fireproof insulation and fire-resistant drywall can improve your building’s resistance to fire. This all falls under the concept of building management.
3. Install advanced fire safety systems
Investing in advanced fire safety systems is another significant step in making a facility fire-resistant. It is crucial to install sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and fire suppression technologies within your building. With the advancement of IoT-connected devices, you can detect smoke, heat, or gas leaks in real-time. This enables you to respond quickly to such situations, potentially preventing fires from spreading in your facility.
Regularly maintaining fire safety systems is critical to ensure they work effectively. According to the NFPA research report “U.S. Experience with Sprinklers,” it was estimated that sprinkler systems when installed in a building, reduce the risk of death by 90 percent. This can only happen when they are properly maintained and function correctly. It is important to regularly perform maintenance on your fire safety systems and replace outdated or malfunctioning parts.
An advanced CMMS solution like EZO CMMS can help you automate the scheduling and tracking of maintenance activities for fire safety equipment. This way, you can ensure compliance and functionality of the systems at all times.
4. Train your staff and conduct fire drills
Without proper training and conducting fire drills for your staff, even your most advanced fire safety measures can fall short. It’s essential to ensure your employees are educated about fire prevention, emergency response plans, and evacuation procedures. Conducting regular fire drills with your staff ensures that they know how to respond in the event of an emergency. This will help reduce panic and confusion among them.
By conducting regular fire drills in your facility, you can identify any shortages in your evacuation plan and make adjustments where necessary. Compliance with local fire safety training requirements will increase the safety of your people and facility and reduce liability risks.
5. Create a comprehensive fire safety plan
Last but not least, creating a comprehensive fire safety plan helps you better prepare for managing fire emergencies. The fire safety plan should include significant details such as evacuation routes, designated assembly points, and a proper communication protocol for keeping the staff informed about emergency situations. It is important to make the plan available to everyone in the organization, so any staff member can access it easily. Also, the plan should be updated regularly to ensure it reflects any changes that have been made to your facility’s layout or operations.
Your facility’s overall risk management strategy should be integrated with a detailed fire safety plan so that you can be prepared for unforeseen fire accidents. Having a comprehensive plan not only improves the safety of your people and the facility but also showcases a commitment to safeguard your staff and assets.
Final thoughts
Developing and implementing an effective fire safety plan for your facilities and preventing them from fire hazards is not only about adhering to regulations. It is more about proactively protecting your facility and your people.
By thoroughly understanding the risks, installing advanced fire safety systems, using fire-resistant building materials, educating staff, conducting regular fire drills, and developing and implementing a comprehensive fire safety plan, you can significantly prevent fire incidents from impacting your facility. Along with that, you can significantly reduce building maintenance costs that incur because of these incidents.
You can start by evaluating the current fire safety measures and then take necessary action to make your facilities more fire-resistant. It’s noteworthy that investing in a fire prevention plan today can save previous lives, assets, and business operations tomorrow.
Additionally, using advanced tools like EZO CMMS, the efficient fire department inventory management software, can help you streamline your fire risk assessments, especially when it comes to scheduling preventive maintenance. With correct facility maintenance and facility management strategies, you can ensure your facilities and assets are kept in optimal condition.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a material “fire-resistant”?
Fire-resistant materials slow or resist flame spread. Examples include steel, fire-rated drywall, concrete, treated wood, fireproof coatings. They provide more time during a fire before collapse.
Is mass timber safe in fire-prone buildings?
Mass timber chars externally in a predictable way, forming an insulating layer. It can meet fire ratings comparable to non-combustible materials when designed properly.
Are wood or concrete structures more fire-resistant?
Concrete is naturally noncombustible and holds up longer. Wood must be treated, cladded, or protected (e.g. encased in gypsum) to achieve fire resistance.
What role do vents and openings play in fire spread?
Open or combustible vents can let embers in and allow flames/smoke to spread rapidly. Using ember-resistant screens or noncombustible vent materials helps cut risk.
How far should vegetation or flammables be cleared around buildings?
Maintain “defensible space”: close ground (5-10 ft) cleared of combustibles, shrubs and trees trimmed; keep space between structures and flammable items.
What is a fire rating (e.g. 1-hr, 2-hr) and why does it matter?
It’s how long a building component can resist fire before failing (structurally or barrier integrity). Higher ratings give more time for evacuation and firefighting.
Do all rooms, like server/IT rooms, need fire-rating?
Not always. It depends on local code, risk profile, and what’s inside (presence of critical assets, flammable materials). At least fire detection, suppression, and passive protections are strongly recommended.
How cost-effective are fire sprinklers versus other fire protection measures?
Sprinklers are highly effective in reducing loss of life and building damage, though initial cost is higher. But combined with good design & materials, they often reduce overall risk/costs.
What are quick upgrades for existing buildings to improve fire resistance?
Upgrades include installing fire-rated doors, using fireproof insulation, sealing gaps/cracks, replacing old siding with noncombustible materials, ensuring clear gutters and maintenance around potential ignition sources.
How important is regular fire safety training and drills?
Very. Even with best materials & systems, human response and preparedness are crucial. Drills ensure staff know evacuation paths, system locations, and fail-safe procedures.
What is “home hardening” or facility hardening?
Using fire-resistant exterior materials, installing ember-proof vents, using non-combustible landscaping immediately around facilities, upgrading roofing and doors – all to reduce ignition risk.
Can building design (site, orientation) reduce fire risk?
Yes. Choosing a site away from wildfire risk zones, designing with natural defensible spacing, orienting structures to minimize prevailing wind exposure can help.
How does roofing material impact fire performance?
Highly. Materials like metal, tile, concrete are much more fire-resistant. Roofs also need noncombustible underlayment and to block ember ingress.
What maintenance activities are often neglected that increase fire risk?
Neglecting cleaning of debris/gutters, replacing damaged cladding, checking vent screens, replacing worn seals, failing to maintain suppression systems.
How can building codes and standards aid facility fire resistance?
Codes set minimum fire ratings, require fire detection/suppression, define spacing and materials. Meeting or exceeding them ensures baseline safety.
What are ember resistant zones and why are they needed?
Zones immediately around buildings where flammable materials are removed, ground cover is noncombustible, and clearances maintained. They protect against airborne embers starting fires.
How do you protect openings like windows and doors from fire spread?
Use fire-rated glazing, tempered or laminated glass, sealed frames, proper weather-stripping, and noncombustible shutters or covers.
How can EZO help in making facilities more fire-resistant?
They can help track fire safety inspections, schedule preventive maintenance on fire systems, manage compliance with local fire codes, maintain asset data for fire safety equipment and ensure readiness.
