Fire protection advice

April 2011 Fire & Safety

Our homes are usually ignored and left to chance when it comes to fire protection. This is due to ignorance and lack of legislation concerning fire protection in private homes that are not in complexes. Considering the fire accidents that happen, especially during winter, one needs to take due diligence in ensuring that their life and those of their loved ones are protected against fire.

One of the most effective ways to protect your home against fire is to install battery-operated smoke detectors in the house. The smoke detector will not prevent the fire but will alert you, thus enabling you to contain it, if it is still in its early stages. The number of smoke detectors will be determined by the design of the house; two to four would suffice for most houses. Also recommended is a portable fire extinguisher installed at a place where it is easily accessible.

Considerations in providing fire detection systems for commercial and industrial premises are stipulated in the SANS 10139. A comprehensive risk assessment has to be done to determine what system will achieve and realise optimal performance.



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