It’s quite common to walk past the fire equipment at your workplace and never give it a second thought – either because you’ve never had to use it or you haven’t been trained in its use.
One of those pieces of fire equipment are sprinkler systems, the system of pipes and outlets across factory and office ceilings that identify a fire and deliver water in an efficient spread around the building.
All sprinkler systems are connected to a mains water supply, resulting in all the pipes containing water that is constantly under pressure. This means water is quickly and immediately sprayed when the system is activated.
Your sprinkler system works in conjunction with your smoke detectors; while your alarm system alerts you to the fact there is a fire in your building – and in some cases, calls out Victorian emergency services – your sprinkler system works to reduce the impact of the fire, and most importantly, saves lives.
As a fire starts, the surrounding air is heated and starts to rise towards the ceiling. When the hot air reaches a sprinkler head and reaches a pre-set temperature, it is activated and sprays water in an pattern that has been carefully designed to cover the maximum building floor area as possible.
The spray not only cools the air, but attacks the fire itself; it also covers any flammable materials, electrical or other items in the space, helping slow the speed and spread of the fire.
As always, it’s best to get expert help in determining how you can stay fire safe and legally compliant.
For more information about sprinkler systems, or to book an appointment with one of our fire services team, simply give us a call!
