In this article we will explore fire safety in commercial buildings.
Fire safety in commercial buildings encompasses any and all precautions, procedures, strategies, and systems used to decrease the risk of a fire occurring and the damage inflicted from fires that do occur.
Although it is important everywhere, fire safety in commercial buildings is particularly important when you are a building owner, as the well-being of all occupants—employees and customers—falls onto your shoulders.
In addition to ensuring the physical security of building occupants, fire safety systems are important because they do the following:
- Provide compliance with local fire codes → eliminate legal consequences
- Aid fire fighters in their work
- Minimize property damage and repair costs
- Inhibit the release of environmental pollutants
- Promote community-wide safety efforts
- Boost reputation among investors, employees, and customers alike
In order to reap the benefits that fire safety systems offer, however, you must not only collaborate with competent people for the installation and maintenance of these systems, but you yourself must be well versed in how they work.
To help you with this, we’ll go over the types of fire safety systems commonly found in commercial buildings, as well as common threats to fire safety in commercial buildings and how to combat them.
Systems of Fire Safety in Commercial Buildings
Systems of fire safety in commercial buildings can typically be categorized as one of two things: active or passive.
Active Fire Safety Systems
Once activated by stimuli—be it smoke, heat, or other—these systems take action to alert occupants of danger and to suppress said danger. In addition to systems of fire safety in commercial buildings being split into the categories of “active” or “passive,” those that fall under the “active” category can be further classified as either detection or suppression systems.
Detection Systems
Detection systems, sometimes referred to as alarm systems, are made up of components that detect smoke, heat, flames, carbon monoxide, water flow, etc. and/or alert occupants of the presence of such hazards via visual or auditory alarms.
Some systems also include mass warning systems that can broadcast messages to guide occupants in their evacuation.
Suppression Systems
As you can likely deduce from the name, suppression systems function to smother, and hopefully fully extinguish, fires.
Best for early-stage fires, fire extinguishers come filled with different types of extinguishing agents, depending on the type of fire they are intended to put out. To learn more about types of fires and their corresponding extinguishers, see our article How to Inspect a Fire Extinguisher in 1 Minute.
Unlike extinguishers, which have to be manually operated, sprinkler systems go into action once they sense a certain level of heat and/or smoke. All 4 types of sprinkler systems use water to both cool down the affected and surrounding area of a fire and to extinguish flames.
Wet pipe systems
Made up of pipes filled with pressurized water ready to release upon detection of heat
Best for: buildings with high occupancies (ex. hotels)
Dry pipe systems
Made up of pipes filled with either pressurized air or nitrogen (the pressure only decreases to allow for water flow upon the detection of danger)
Best for: unheated buildings (ex. warehouses)
Pre-action systems
Hybrid of wet and dry pipe systems that requires two separate triggers to activate
Best for: facilities housing sensitive materials (ex. museums)
Deluge systems
Comprised of open sprinkler heads and dry pipes so that water releases from all heads at once when activated
Best for: buildings storing hazardous materials (ex. chemical plant)
However, sometimes fire safety in commercial buildings mandates that fires be put out by something other than water—for grease fires, for example. This is where fire suppression systems come in! (While sprinklers do technically fall under the umbrella of suppression systems, they are often regarded as their own category.)
Clean agent systems
Deploy gaseous agents to suppress fires and leave no residue behind
Relevant standard: NFPA 2001
Best for: properties housing sensitive and valuable equipment (ex. data centers)
Water mist systems
Though they use water, these systems use significantly less than any sprinkler system does and the water they use it atomized
Relevant standard: NFPA 750
Best for: confined spaces with electrical equipment or artifacts inside (ex. heritage buildings)
Dry chemical systems
Distribute powdered chemical over fire to disrupt combustion
Relevant standard: NFPA 17
Best for: large, industrial spaces (ex. paint booths)
Wet chemical systems
Prevent re-ignition by spraying a fine mist of liquid substance (commonly potassium carbonate) over the fire
Relevant standard: NFPA 17A
Best for: places at risk of class K fires (ex. restaurants)
Carbon dioxide systems
Gas is released to suffocate fire by means of oxygen reduction
Relevant standard: NFPA 12
Best for: areas that are typically unoccupied (ex. generator rooms)
Condensed aerosol systems
Suppress flames with an agent made up of particulates and gas
Relevant standard: NFPA 2010
Best for: small spaces where relieving pressure is a struggle (ex. electrical cabinets)
Passive Fire Safety Systems
In opposition to active systems, passive ones do not require any sensor activation or human intervention to do their job—that is, to inhibit the spread of fire.
To inactively stop the spread of flames inactively, passive systems utilize the design of a building to compartmentalize and block off a fire’s access to parts of the building.
Components of passive systems include:
- Fire and smoke dampers
- Fire doors
- Fire-resistant glass and walls
- Fire retardant building materials, such as cinder blocks
- Smoke baffles
- Load-bearing structural elements, such as beams and columns
Though they do not do anything to stop the spread of flames, exit lights and emergency lighting along exit pathways are also considered part of passive fire safety in commercial buildings since they aid in occupant evacuation.
Developments in Fire Safety Technologies
In recent years, there have been multiple technological advancements made in regards to fire safety in commercial buildings.
One such advancement is that of addressable fire alarms, which use a web of alarms connected to each other and a central monitoring system to pinpoint the exact location of a fire.
Similarly to addressable fire alarms, smart sprinklers are also able to identify a fire’s precise location using sensors. Consequently, they are able to release their extinguishing agent only where it is needed.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Knowing the areas of potential risk when it comes to fire safety in commercial buildings allows you to anticipate such risks and nip them in bud. Not only does this approach ensure safety and compliance, but it also keeps the cost of damages low.
Of course, fire safety in commercial buildings is not a one-size-fits-all situation; risks will vary from one building to another, so be sure to consider these factors when setting up your commercial building’s fire safety systems:
- Size and layout of building
- Building occupancy level
- Industry
- Local fire safety regulations
With all of that being said, let’s finally take a look at some of the most common hazards to fire safety in commercial buildings:
| Hazard | Examples | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical malfunctions | Overloaded circuits
Outdated or faulty wiring Damaged electrical cords Loose connections Improper use of extension cords and space heaters |
Provide direct instructions for how to shut down electrical equipment
Conduct regular inspections on equipment Have electrical systems inspected via infrared scans annually Do not daisy chain power strips |
| Inappropriately stored flammable materials* | Poorly ventilated, warm, and/or wet storage area
Storage containers left open when not in use Storage area near ignition or heat sources |
Keep storage areas organized
Train employees on the handling and disposal of flammable materials Store away from heat sources and in proper containers |
| Improperly maintained fire safety systems | Missed ITM for assets such as fire alarms, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, etc. | Commit to regular ITM for all assets
Keep record of every instance of ITM |
| Cooking fires | Built up grease
Unattended stoves Broken gas connections Misuse of cooking appliances |
Regularly clean equipment and grease interceptors/traps
Maintain an appropriate fire suppression system Train employees on how to use appliances |
| Miscellaneous | Improperly disposed cigarette butts
Unattended open flames Misuse of heating sources |
Train employees on how to identify and mitigate hazards
Enforce smoking policies |
*Flammable materials include cleaning supplies, cooking oils, gasoline, paint thinners, paper, cardboard, textiles, and industrial chemicals.
Maintaining fire safety in commercial buildings isn’t just about mitigating the number of hazards present—though the importance of doing so cannot be overstated. It is also about upkeep of the equipment intended to prevent, detect, and suppress fires.
Between all the different assets found in active and passive fire safety systems, each on their own ITM schedules, there is simply too much to remember. But forgetting isn’t an option either—missing even just one inspection or test can have fatal consequences. That’s why InspectNTrack is here to help you stay on top of it all. Using InspectNTrack, you can
- Schedule, assign, and track ITM tasks to completion
- Easily access key analytics
- Create and share reports
- And more!
Request a demo here to take your fire safety to the next level today.
