Page 41 - Insurance Times January 2024

temperature ignition materials, quick fire spread materials, Components to consider:
interior decorative materials are not allowed in the escape First-aid extinguishers: To deal with initial stage of fire - to
routes. Adequate number of doors and corridors are to be be provided to cover all vulnerable area of the building.
provided for that purpose; all the rooms are to be connected
with corridor and all the floors to be connected with stair
Hose-reel assembly system: To deal with small fires to
cases. Head room height minimum should be of 2.4 meters.
minimize water damage & it should be provided in all floors.
Down comer/wet riser system: To deal with fire with plenty
Ramp ratio should be of 1:8 connected with corridor for of water & water-storage to be provided with all floors.
physically challenged, children and elderly people: Two
stair cases are to be provided one should be in side and the
Automatic fire detection and fire alarm systems: To detect
other one should be facing outside of the buildings. The
heat, smoke, fumes and flames appropriate detectors are
maximum travel distance from inside of the building to
to be installed in all appropriate points in all floors of the
outside should be 30 meters. The total area of the building building.
is to be sub divided. Safety points or refuge points are to be
provided at the appropriate places. Proper illumination level, Automatic water/ water moist or water foam sprinklers
signage needs to be provided. All this will help for quick system/ gas suppression system: For automatic
evacuation for safeguard many lives. suppression of fire followed/ simultaneously by automatic
detection of fire and to be installed in floors on specific advice
Active Provisions: of suitability and applicability.
'ACTIVE' means the existing pro-active arrangements for
Public address system: To give specific instructions/
fire-fighting to deal with large sized fires - even for the fires
at great heights in case of high rise buildings when information of the occupants, in responding to an emergency.
To be provided at all floors with a facility to address either all
concerned. These are the external components either
floors or selective floors of refuge area at a time.
temporary or permanently attached with the building and
are activated by external sources of energy at the time of
Automatic smoke vents: This mechanism should be
fire in the building. The elements include portable fire
extinguishers, fixed first aid fire-fighting equipment's like provided especially for basements and enclosed part of the
building.
hose reels, fire hydrant installation like dry / wet risers and
yard for hydrants' installation, manual/automatic fire
Emergency lights, evacuation plan, mock drill and training
detectors and alarm systems, fixed automatic fire fighting
are vital elements of life safety requirements.
systems, water sprinklers and emulsifiers systems, CO2 fire-
fighting systems, mobile fire-fighting systems, nearby public
Integrated buildings management: It is a modern feature
fire brigades and mutual aid systems.
to control the building by Appling various safer electrical
system, which is an essential requirement for the
Objectives of Active Provisions: multistoried buildings.
1. To provide immediate detection of fire and give loud
alarm of fire on its occurrence; Moreover, human preparedness with a plan will see a more
efficient rescue operation in case of fire incidents, some of
2. To provide immediate suppression effect on fire either
the steps that may be fruitful are given as below:
automatically or manually on its notice;
1. The maximum occupancy limit of a building should not
3. To prevent fire spreading as well to extinguish the fire be exceeded.
at its incipient stage, whenever possible;
2. In case of temporary structure erected to host a
4. To reduce the destruction and loss due to fire by its function, an exclusive fire brigade and an ambulance
containment; should be on the stand by for any emergency situation.
5. To reduce the generation of smoke, fumes from the out- 3. The occupants should be aware of the regulations and
break of the fire; well advised to do the needful in case of fire.
6. To minimize time of hazard time required for reaching 4. The occupants should have a clear picture of the exit
the maximum level of fire hazard. routes available and the location of fire extinguishers.

The Insurance Times January 2024 37