The Importance of Fire Sprinkler Systems in Commercial Properties

Ensuring there are fire protection protocols in the company’s building is often a no-brainer for most business owners. The protocols are a measure put in place to preserve the safety of the business and its employees from the risks and losses attributed to fires. Protecting your business and workers from fires is a legal requirement; as such, it is a measure that should be given top priority when trying to safeguard your investment. Ensuring there are fire protection protocols in the company’s building is often a no-brainer for most business owners. The protocols are a measure put in place to preserve the safety of the business and its employees from the risks and losses attributed to fires. Protecting your business and workers from fires is a legal requirement; as such, it is a measure that should be given top priority when trying to safeguard your investment.

Fire Safety Protocols and Planning

Only 35% of companies have safety measures in place to address any event of fires. That number is very worrying since the law expects every business to have at least a minimum standard of fire safety. It is prudent for companies to embrace the culture of fire safety, especially among the employees. Every worker should be conversant with the set fire safety procedures and know the fire exit points in the building.

So How Can Commercial Fires Be Prevented?

Fire sprinkler systems are designed to control or put out fires thus can be used to contain a fire until the firefighters arrive at the scene and handling things from there. Most sprinklers are designed to have a quick response releasing up to 24 gallons of water per minute while the standard fire hose releases around 80 – 125 gallons of water per minute.
Most commercial buildings have fire sprinkler systems installed as the primary fire disaster management unit. But few buildings know the importance of these fixtures regarding fire incidents, which is very worrying. Most significantly, this form of fire prevention and protection receive less due credit that it should.

If you are planning to install fire sprinkler systems in your business premises, then here are some of the benefits offered by commercial sprinkler systems worth considering.

• Sprinkler Systems Are Practically Fault-Free

Research on fires found that 90% of fire sprinkler systems that were activated responded to large fires within the buildings, and of this only one out of ten sprinkler systems failed to work. Usually, a sprinkler system fails to work because of poor or inadequate maintenance. It is a fact that points toward the importance of regular inspections and repair of commercial fire sprinkler systems and replaces those that are faulty.

• Fire Sprinklers Can Minimise Potential Losses in Half

Fires can be a hugely devastating problem that can damage the building and injure or kill people trapped inside the building. A recent study found automated fire sprinklers paired with early warning systems had a fast and better response to fires thus limiting the potential damages, injuries or loss of life by more than half; these numbers are impressive.

• Fire Sprinklers Help Save Lives

While the idea is for the fire sprinklers to put out fires, their primary role would be to lower the number of deaths and injuries that would occur when structures are on fire. The National Fire Protection Association did a study that found no more than two lives have ever been lost in a structure that had full sprinkler protection systems installed and were fully functional due to proper maintenance.

For the above, it is evident that full sprinkler systems are a vital part of any fire protection protocols of a commercial building. If you have a sprinkler system installed, then ensure it gets routine fire alarm inspection to ensure the fire response equipment functions without a glitch. The inspections will make a big difference between life and death thus the need to ensure the system is working when it counts.

It is important to have a commercial fire sprinkler and alarm system that is sound enough to protect and preserve lives as well as the integrity of the building. Combining the sprinkler systems with an early warning system significantly reduces the likelihood of loss of life and property by 50%.