DESIGNING

FOR

FIRE SAFETY
SAFETY
IN PUBLIC AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDINGS
SOURCES OF FIRE

Natural fire

Wild fire

Man-made fire

Incidental fire

COMPONENTS OF FIRE

Fuel

Oxygen (Air)  A 

Heat

Fire starts when all three components are

present and in order to stop a fire, one
component must be removed.
y
AIM OF FIRE SAFETY IN DESIGN
The aim of design for fire safety in public buildings is to:
Inhibit the growth and restrict the spread of fire within a building

FACTORS AFFECTING THE AIM OF FIRE SAFETY

Size of the building i.e. floor area, building volume, building height

Spatial configuration within the building

Functions/use(s) accommodated within the building and the occupants’
requirements

Construction materials, linings and claddings

Construction type (i.e. dry wall construction , prefabricated construction etc.)

Services

Furniture
 DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS

Involve a fire service engineer from the design stage.

Observe all design criteria for fire safety such as:

Site design:

Site layout must be simple and possess distinct separation between pedestrian
and vehicular movement

There must be provision of fire fighting equipment such as hydrants and risers
(either wet or dry or both) on site

There must be quick and unrestricted access to fire fighting equipment provided

Recommended set back distances must be observed. This is to facilitate access
for fire fighters to all sections of the building
 DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS

Building Design:

There must be provision of fire detection systems such as smoke
detectors, fire alarms within the building

Provision of fire fighting equipment within the building; equipment such as fire
hose reels, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, wet/dry risers, fire blankets, fire
buckets etc.

Use of fire suppression materials e.g. fire retardant paints, fire rated doors (half
hour, one hour and 11/2 hour), fire proof ceiling and floor insulations and finishes.
 DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS

Building Design:

Provision of clearly defined fire escape routes

Provision of emergency lighting (with back-up power
supply)for escape routes and major circulation areas

Provision of emergency power supply for passenger and
platform lifts, escalators, travelators etc.
DESIGN PRECAUTIONS

Protect all load bearing/structural elements

Compartmentalize the building design such that in the event of fire, the
growth/spread can be restricted to particular “compartments”

Design the building following a zoning pattern based on the level of fire risks
of the various functions accommodated in the building. Three major fire risk
zones
High risk
Medium risk
Low risk

Provide for regular maintenance of fire fighting equipment

Provide regular/consistent, easily accessible locations for firefighting
equipment within the building

Source: Metric Planning Standards, Whole building design Guide- Fire Protection