"Automatic Sprinkler & Fire Detection System and Portable Fire Extinguishers – Commissioning & Post installation guide by Aakaar Building Solutions Private Limited, Gurgaon."
It is observed that in most of the buildings, where Fire detection and sprinkler systems have been installed, more often than not, the dust protection cover of the detector and the protective cover of the sprinkler head are not removed after commissioning of the said systems. Also, even after installation of the fire extinguishers, the locking wire & seal, meant for safety during transit, are not removed.
Can you guess what will happen if the said dust protection cover, protective cover and the locking wire & seal are still in place after commissioning? None of the abovementioned systems/equipment will work.
Several methods of inspection have been outlined in NFPA 25 (National fire protection association) for inspection, testing, and maintenance of such systems. Here we will highlight some of the important points pertaining to the safety covers, caps on the Smoke & Heat Detectors and the locking wire & seal on the Fire Extinguishers installed on your premises.
Sprinkler heads are supplied with a safety cover to protect the same against damage during transit and installation. Soon after the sprinkler lines are pressurized, the safety cover over the sprinkler head, be it an upright, pendent and/or the sidewall type, should be removed.
What would happen if the protective cover over the sprinkler is not removed;
1. The Quartzoid bulb of the sprinkler head comes with a predetermined temperature setting of, 57°, 68° or 79° C and so on, so that the bulb may sense the predetermined temperature and burst, thus allowing the water to flow in a set pattern to protect the affected zone. But, if the sprinkler head/s were still to have the safety cover in place even after commissioning of the system, it will not allow the Quartzoid bulb to sense the rise in temperature as fast as it is expected to, thus causing an inordinate delay in activation of the system and impeding the flow of water through the sprinkler head for spray over the affected area. If the safety cover is in place, the Quartzoid bulb will burst only when it comes in physical contact with flame after it has burnt the protective cover, and by then the fire would have engulfed the entire area and caused immense damage.
2. As a result of the abovementioned delay in activation of the sprinkler system, the fire would have spread and caused irreparable damage. This, in spite of having a sprinkler system in place, but an improperly commissioned system !!
Smoke and/or Heat Detectors come with a dust protection cover. The cover is kept in place to protect the detector from mechanical damage and ingress of dust till completion of installation. The cover is to be removed at the time of commissioning of the system and thereafter the same should not be mounted on to the detector under normal circumstances. If the cover were to be left in place, it will not allow the ingress of smoke or products of combustion into the Smoke detector and transmission of heat into the Heat detector, as the case may be, thus making these detectors ineffective. Once the devices are installed and commissioned and handed over to the owners, the detector covers should be removed.
What would happen if the protective cover of the Smoke & Heat detector is not removed;
1. If the smoke detector is installed/commissioned and left covered with its protective cap, in the event of fire no smoke will enter in the detector chamber and in the case of Heat detector, the sensing element of the said detector will not be able to sense the increase in the ambient temperature and therefore, neither of these detectors would be able to generate a fire alarm.
2. As a result of the delay in detecting the outbreak of fire, fire and smoke would spread and cause irreparable damage to property and endanger the lives of the people present in the building. This, in spite of having a smoke/heat detection system in place, but improperly commissioned !!
Note: Electronically operated Smoke & Heat Detectors are essentially installed in a building to detect fire/smoke in its incipient stage, allowing enough time to the occupants of the building and/or the Security/ Fire Fighting personnel deployed there, to take immediate corrective action and extinguish the fire.
Fire Extinguishers are transported from the manufacturer’ s premises to the site of installation with its Safety Clip or the Safety Pin duly secured with locking wire and a seal to protect it from getting discharged during transit. The locking wire and the seal is to be removed at the time of installation of the Fire Extinguisher so that when required, the operator can operate the fire extinguisher without any loss of time.
What would happen if the protective locking wire and the seal are not removed?
1. During an emergency, fire fighters/people will not be able to operate the Fire Extinguisher instantly as one would lose time in trying to remove the locking wire and the seal to release the safety clip/pin, thus causing a delay in extinguishing the fire thereby allowing the fire to spread and cause damage to property and endanger human lives.
2. Portable Fire Extinguishers are also known as First-Aid fire fighting appliances, which, as the name suggests, are meant to tackle a fire in its incipient stage. And, if the operator is unable to operate the portable or the first-aid fire extinguishers within the first few minutes of detection of fire, then the very purpose of installation of the said fire extinguishers is defeated, because the delay caused in operating the fire extinguishers would have allowed the small fire to turn into a conflagration, rendering the portable fire fighting appliances ineffective.
In the interest of the safety of the occupants of buildings and the property, Aakaar Building Solutions recommends that all facility managers should have the abovementioned post-installation checks put in place in their existing installations and ensure safety of the occupants of the buildings as well as the entire property.
• Addressable Fire Detection & Alarm System
• Automatic Sprinkler System
• Fire Hydrant System
• Public Address and Voice evacuation System
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