Fire safety

Fire safety is t he set of pract ices int ended t o reduce t he dest ruct ion caused by fire. Fire safet y
measures include t hose t hat are int ended t o prevent t he ignit ion of an uncont rolled fire and
t hose t hat are used t o limit t he development and effect s of a fire aft er it st art s.

Fire safety equipment at a construction site in China

Property loss caused by arson.

Fire safet y measures include t hose t hat are planned during t he const ruct ion of a building or
implement ed in st ruct ures t hat are already st anding, and t hose t hat are t aught t o occupant s of
t he building.

Threat s t o fire safet y are commonly referred t o as fire hazards. A fire hazard may include a
sit uat ion t hat increases t he likelihood of a fire or may impede escape in t he event a fire occurs.

Fire safet y is oft en a component of building safet y. Those who inspect buildings for violat ions of
t he Fire Code and go int o schools t o educat e children on fire safet y t opics are fire depart ment
members known as Fire Prevention Officers. The Chief Fire Prevent ion Officer or Chief of Fire
Prevent ion will normally t rain newcomers t o t he Fire Prevent ion Division and may also conduct
inspect ions or make present at ions.[1]

Elements of a fire safety policy

External fire escape stairs in a public building in Netherlands.

Fire safet y policies apply at t he const ruct ion of a building and t hroughout it s operat ing life.
Building codes are enact ed by local, sub-nat ional, or nat ional government s t o ensure such
feat ures as adequat e fire exit s, signage, and const ruct ion det ails such as fire st ops and fire rat ed
doors, windows, and walls. Fire safet y is also an object ive of elect rical codes t o prevent
overheat ing of wiring or equipment , and t o prot ect from ignit ion by elect rical fault s.[2]

Fire codes regulat e such requirement s as t he maximum occupancy for buildings such as t heat res
or rest aurant s, for example. Fire codes may require port able fire ext inguishers wit hin a building, or
may require permanent ly inst alled fire det ect ion and suppression equipment such as a fire
sprinkler syst em and a fire alarm syst em.

Local aut horit ies charged wit h fire safet y may conduct regular inspect ions for such it ems as
usable fire exit and proper exit signage, funct ional fire ext inguishers of t he correct t ype in
accessible places, and proper st orage and handling of flammable mat erials. Depending on local
regulat ions, a fire inspect ion may result in a not ice of required act ion, or closing of a building unt il
it can be put int o compliance wit h fire code requirement s.

Owners and managers of a building may implement addit ional fire policies. For example, an
indust rial sit e may designat e and t rain part icular employees as a fire fight ing force. Managers
must ensure buildings comply wit h fire evacuat ion regulat ions, and t hat building feat ures such as
spray fireproofing remains undamaged. Fire policies may be in place t o dict at e t raining and
awareness of occupant s and users of t he building t o avoid obvious mist akes, such as t he
propping open of fire doors. Buildings, especially inst it ut ions such as schools, may conduct fire
drills at regular int ervals t hroughout t he year.
Common fire hazards

Improper use and poor maintenance of gas stoves often create fire hazards.

Some common fire hazards are:[3]

Kit chen fires from unat t ended cooking, grease fires/chip pan fires

Elect rical syst ems t hat are overloaded, poorly maint ained or defect ive

Combust ible st orage areas wit h insufficient prot ect ion

Combust ibles near equipment t hat generat es heat , flame, or sparks

Candles and ot her open flames

Smoking (Cigaret t es, cigars, pipes, light ers, et c.)

Equipment t hat generat es heat and ut ilizes combust ible mat erials

Flammable liquids and aerosols

Flammable solvent s (and rags soaked wit h solvent ) placed in enclosed t rash cans
 Fireplace chimneys not properly or regularly cleaned

Cooking appliances - st oves, ovens

Heat ing appliances - fireplaces, wood-burning st oves, furnaces, boilers, port able heat ers, solid
fuels

Household appliances - clot hes dryers, curling irons, hair dryers, refrigerat ors, freezers, boilers

Chimneys t hat concent rat e creosot e

Elect rical wiring in poor condit ion

Leaking/ defect ive bat t eries

Personal ignit ion sources - mat ches, light ers

Elect ronic and elect rical equipment

Ext erior cooking equipment - barbecue

Fire code

An example of a fire code violation in the United States

Fire extinguisher in a public school

In t he Unit ed St at es, t he fire code (also fire prevention code or fire safety code) is a model
code adopt ed by t he st at e or local jurisdict ion and enforced by fire prevent ion officers wit hin
municipal fire depart ment s. It is a set of rules prescribing minimum requirement s t o prevent fire
and explosion hazards arising from st orage, handling, or use of dangerous mat erials, or from ot her
specific hazardous condit ions.[4] It complement s t he building code. The fire code is aimed
primarily at prevent ing fires, ensuring t hat necessary t raining and equipment will be on hand, and
t hat t he original design basis of t he building, including t he basic plan set out by t he archit ect , is
not compromised. The fire code also addresses inspect ion and maint enance requirement s of
various fire prot ect ion equipment in order t o maint ain opt imal act ive fire prot ect ion and passive
fire prot ect ion measures.

A t ypical fire safet y code includes administ rat ive sect ions about t he rule-making and
enforcement process, and subst ant ive sect ions dealing wit h fire suppression equipment ,
part icular hazards such as cont ainers and t ransport at ion for combust ible mat erials, and specific
rules for hazardous occupancies, indust rial processes, and exhibit ions.

Sect ions may est ablish t he requirement s for obt aining permit s and specific precaut ions required
t o remain in compliance wit h a permit . For example, a fireworks exhibit ion may require an
applicat ion t o be filed by a licensed pyrot echnician, providing t he informat ion necessary for t he
issuing aut horit y t o det ermine whet her safet y requirement s can be met . Once a permit is issued,
t he same aut horit y (or anot her delegat ed aut horit y) may inspect t he sit e and monit or safet y
during t he exhibit ion, wit h t he power t o halt operat ions, when unapproved pract ices are seen or
when unforeseen hazards arise.

List of some typical fire and explosion issues in a fire code

Fireworks, explosives, mort ars and cannons, model rocket s (licenses for manufact ure, st orage,
t ransport at ion, sale, use)

Cert ificat ion for servicing, placement , and inspect ing fire ext inguishing equipment

General st orage and handling of flammable liquids, solids, gases (t anks, personnel t raining,
markings, equipment )

Limit at ions on locat ions and quant it ies of flammables (e.g., 10 lit ers of gasoline inside a
resident ial dwelling)

Specific uses and specific flammables (e.g., dry cleaning, gasoline dist ribut ion, explosive dust s,
pest icides, space heat ers, plast ics manufact uring)

Permit s and limit at ions in various building occupancies (assembly hall, hospit al, school, t heat er,
elderly care, child care cent ers) t hat require a smoke det ect or, sprinkler syst em, fire
ext inguisher, or ot her specific equipment or procedures

Removal of int erior and ext erior obst ruct ions t o emergency exit s or firefight ers and removal of
hazardous mat erials

Permit s and limit at ions in special out door applicat ions (t ent s, asphalt ket t les, bonfires, et c.)

Ot her hazards (flammable decorat ions, welding, smoking, bulk mat ches, t ire yards)

Elect rical safet y codes such as t he Nat ional Elect rical Code (by t he Nat ional Fire Prot ect ion
Associat ion) for t he U.S. and some ot her places in t he Americas

Fuel gas code

Car fire

Public fire safety education

Children evacuating a smoky building as a way to learn fire safety

Members of the United States Forest Service Fire Department teaching children fire safety

Most U.S. fire depart ment s have fire safet y educat ion programs.

Fire prevent ion programs may include dist ribut ion of smoke det ect ors, visit ing schools t o review
key t opics wit h t he st udent s and implement ing nat ionally recognized programs such as NFPAS
"Risk Wat ch" and "Learn not t o burn".[5]

Ot her programs or props can be purchased by fire depart ment s or communit y organizat ions.
These are usually ent ert aining and designed t o capt ure children's at t ent ion and relay import ant
messages. Props include t hose t hat are most ly audit ory, such as puppet s and robot s. The prop is
visually st imulat ing but t he safet y message is only t ransmit t ed orally. Ot her props are more
elaborat e, access more senses and increase t he learning fact or. They mix audio messages and
visual cues wit h hands-on int eract ion. Examples of t hese include mobile t railer safet y houses and
t ablet op hazard house simulat ors. Some fire prevent ion soft ware is also being developed t o
ident ify hazards in a home.[6]
All programs t end t o mix messages of general injury prevent ion, safet y, fire prevent ion, and
escape in case of fire. In most cases t he fire depart ment represent at ive is regarded as t he
expert and is expect ed t o present informat ion in a manner t hat is appropriat e for each age group.

Fire educator qualifications

The US indust ry st andard t hat out lines t he recommended qualificat ions for fire safet y educat ors
is NFPA 1035: St andard for Professional Qualificat ions for Public Fire and Life Safet y Educat or,
which includes t he requirement s for Fire and Life Safet y Educat or Levels I, II, and III; Public
Informat ion Officer; and Juvenile Fireset t er Int ervent ion Specialist Levels I and II.[7]

Target audiences

According t o t he Unit ed St at es Fire Administ rat ion, t he very young and t he elderly are considered
t o be "at risk" populat ions. These groups represent approximat ely 33% of t he populat ion.

Global perspectives

Fire safet y has been highlight ed in relat ion t o global supply chain management . Sedex, t he
Supplier Et hical Dat a Exchange, a collaborat ive plat form for sharing et hical supply chain dat a,[8]
and Verit é, Inc., a Massachuset t s-based supply chain invest igat ory NGO, issued a briefing in
August 2013 which highlight ed t he significance of t his issue.[9] The briefing referred t o several
major fact ory fires, including t he 2012 Dhaka garment fact ory fire in t he Tazreen Fashion fact ory
and ot her examples of fires in Bangladesh, Pakist an[10] and elsewhere, compared t he incidence
of fire safet y issues in a manufact uring cont ext , and highlight ed t he need for buyers, suppliers
and local fire safet y enforcement agencies all t o t ake act ion t o improve fire safet y wit hin t he
supply chains for ready-made garment s and ot her product s. The briefing recommended t hat
buyers seek great er visibilit y of fire safet y and ot her risks across t he supply chain and ident ify
opport unit ies t o improve st andards: "buyers can encourage change t hrough more responsible and
consist ent pract ies".[9]

Fire safety plan

Fire escape plan of a hotel in Taiwan.

A fire safety plan is required by all Nort h American nat ional, st at e and provincial fire codes based
on building use or occupancy t ypes. Generally, t he owner of t he building is responsible for t he
preparat ion of a fire safet y plan. Buildings wit h elaborat e emergency syst ems may require t he
assist ance of a fire prot ect ion consult ant . Aft er t he plan has been prepared, it must be
submit t ed t o t he Chief Fire Official or aut horit y having jurisdict ion for approval. Once approved,
t he owner is responsible for implement ing t he fire safet y plan and t raining all st aff in t heir dut ies.
It is also t he owner's responsibilit y t o ensure t hat all visit ors and st aff are informed of what t o
do in case of fire. During a fire emergency, a copy of t he approved fire safet y plan must be
available for t he responding fire depart ment 's use.

In t he Unit ed Kingdom, a fire safet y plan is called a fire risk assessment .[11]

Fire safety plan structure

Key cont act informat ion

Ut ilit y services (Including shut -off valves for wat er, gas and elect ric)

Access issues

Dangerous st ored mat erials

Locat ion of people wit h special needs

Connect ions t o sprinkler syst em

Layout , drawing, and sit e plan of building

Maint enance schedules for life safet y syst ems

Personnel t raining and fire drill procedure

 Creat e assemble point /safe zone

Use of fire safety plans

Fire safet y plans are a useful t ool for fire fight ers t o have because t hey allow t hem t o know
crit ical informat ion about a building t hat t hey may have t o go int o. Using t his, fire fight ers can
locat e and avoid pot ent ial dangers such as hazardous mat erial (hazmat ) st orage areas and
flammable chemicals. In addit ion t o t his, fire safet y plans can also provide specialized
informat ion t hat , in t he case of a hospit al fire, can provide informat ion about t he locat ion of
t hings like t he nuclear medicine ward.[12] In addit ion t o t his, fire safet y plans also great ly improve
t he safet y of fire fight ers. According t o FEMA, 16 percent of all fire fight er deat hs in 2002
occurred due t o a st ruct ural collapse or because t he fire fight er got lost .[13] Fire safet y plans can
out line any possible st ruct ural hazards, as well as give t he fire fight er knowledge of where he is in
t he building.

Fire safety plans in the fire code

In Nort h America alone, t here are around 8 million buildings t hat legally require a fire safet y plan,
be it due t o provincial or st at e law.[14] Not having a fire safet y plan for buildings which fit t he fire
code occupancy t ype can result in a fine, and t hey are required for all buildings, such as
commercial, indust rial, assembly, et c.

Advances in fire safety planning

As previously st at ed, a copy of t he approved fire safet y plan shall be available for t he responding
fire depart ment . This, however, is not always t he case. Up unt il now, all fire plans were st ored in
paper form in t he fire depart ment . The problem wit h t his is t hat sort ing and st oring t hese plans is
a challenge, and it is difficult for people t o updat e t heir fire plans. As a result , only half of t he
required buildings have fire plans, and of t hose, only around 10 percent are up-t o-dat e.[14] This
problem has been solved t hrough t he int roduct ion of digit al fire plans. These fire plans are st ored
in a dat abase and can be accessed wirelessly on sit e by firefight ers and are much simpler for
building owners t o updat e.

Insurance companies

Fire is one of t he biggest t hreat s t o propert y wit h losses adding up t o billions of dollars in
damages every year. In 2019 alone, t he t ot al amount of propert y damage result ing from fire was
$14.8 billion in t he Unit ed St at es.[15] Insurance companies in t he Unit ed St at es are not only
responsible for financially covering fire loss but are also responsible for managing risk associat ed
wit h it . Most commercial insurance companies hire a risk cont rol specialist whose primary job is
t o survey propert y t o ensure compliance wit h NFPA st andards, assess t he current risk level of
t he propert y, and make recommendat ions t o reduce t he probabilit y of fire loss. Careers in
propert y risk management cont inue t o grow and have been project ed t o grow 4 t o 8% from 2018
t o 2028 in t he Unit ed St at es.[16]

See also

Ablat ion – Removal of mat erial from an object 's surface by erosion

Building informat ion modeling – Process used t o design and document building and
infrast ruct ure designs

Emergency evacuat ion – Urgent removal of people from an area of imminent or ongoing t hreat

Endot hermic process – Physical process t hat t akes up heat (or elect rical energy) from
surroundings

Fire Equipment Manufact urers' Associat ion

Fire drill – Met hod of pract icing orderly evacuat ion in case of a fire

Fire sprinkler – Component t hat discharges wat er t o prot ect buildings

Fire-adapt ed communit ies

Firest op pillow

Firework Code

Int umescent

List of fires

List ing and approval use and compliance

Product cert ificat ion

Safet y Cent re

References

1. lifesafetydev. "Fire Safety" (https://www.lifesafetyassoc.com/fire-safety/) . Life Safety Systems.

 Retrieved 2020-11-12.

2. "Planning , Drawing & Designing" (http://matrixfireengineers.com/planing.php) .

matrixfireengineers.com. Retrieved 2020-11-12.

3. "Fire Safety" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140119053214/http://www.h2ofiresprinklers.co.uk/fire_s

afety) . Fire Protection Specialists. Archived from the original (http://www.h2ofiresprinklers.co.uk/fire_s
afety) on 19 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.

4. "Articles - Fire Code | Safety Media Inc" (https://safetymedia.com/page/articles-fire-code) .

safetymedia.com. Retrieved 2020-11-12.

5. NFPA eLearning On-line catalog (http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=213&itemID=17658&U

RL=Learning/Training%20and%20professional%20development/Online%20learning)

. "September 2011" (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2011/09/) . Magazine. Retrieved

2020-11-06.

7. "Buy NFPA 1035: Standard on Fire and Life Safety Educator, Public Information Officer..." (https://catalo
g.nfpa.org/NFPA-1035-Standard-on-Fire-and-Life-Safety-Educator-Public-Information-Officer-Youth-Fires
etter-Intervention-Specialist-and-Youth-Firesetter-Program-Manager-Professional-Qualifications-P139
7.aspx) catalog.nfpa.org. Retrieved 2020-11-12.

. BSI, Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex) (https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/our-services/auditing-an

d-verification-services/supplier-audits-and-second-party-audits/sedex/) , accessed 28 May 2022

9. Sedex Information Exchange, Fire Safety briefing (https://www.sedex.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/0

9/Sedex-Briefing-Fire-Safety.pdf) , August 2013, accessed 28 May 2022

10. Zia ur-Rehman, Declan Walsh and Salman Masood, More Than 300 Killed in Pakistani Factory Fires (htt
ps://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/world/asia/hundreds-die-in-factory-fires-in-pakistan.html) , New
York Times, published 12 September 2012, accessed 28 May 2022

11. "Fire safety in the workplace" (https://www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities/fire-risk-ass

essments) . GOV.UK. Retrieved 21 August 2021.

12. American, Jerry, "Fire Safety Disaster", Canadian Healthcare Facilities Volume 28 Issue 3, ed Amie
Silverwood. Spring 2008, 26.

13. Fire Fighter Fatalities in the U.S. in 2002. Fema, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, July 2003

14. "Canadian firm generates digital fire safety plans", Building Strategies, ed. Susan Maclean. Spring 2007,
14

15. "NFPA report - Fire loss in the United States" (https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-

and-tools/US-Fire-Problem/Fire-loss-in-the-United-States) . www.nfpa.org. Retrieved 2020-10-21.

1 . "13-2099.02 - Risk Management Specialists" (https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-2099.02) .

www.onetonline.org. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
External links

Sample Fire Code Table of Cont ent s from Int ernat ional Code Council (ht t p://www2.iccsafe.or
g/st at es/Seat t le/seat t le_ fire/PDFs/Table%20of%20cont ent s.pdf)

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