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Significance Of An Emergency Action Plan

By rain in 

Developing an emergency action plan is vital to the safety of employees, residents, and customers for businesses.  This emergency action plan may be mandated by your insurance company, or the Authority Having Jurisdiction(AHJ) for your area.  The purpose of this plan to ensure that the employers and employees have a proper plan in place and know exactly what do to in an emergency situation.D


Developing your Emergency Action Plan

The initial stage of any emergency action plan is finding out what types of scenarios you need to plan for.  Every emergency action plan should include a plan for fire emergencies, power outages, and severe weather emergencies.  Some will also include any or all of the following: bomb threats, tornado warning, hurricanes, intruder alerts, gas leaks, water leaks, unresponsive person, concussed person, and many more of the like.  It is better to have over-planned the amount of scenarios than under-planned so that your employees, customers, and or residents have a plan in place in case of an emergent situation.

Training

Doing annual trainings is essential to creating a successful plan.  It is great to have a plan in place but if an emergency situation is happening, it is better to know what to do rather than have to look it up.  You can react in a positive manner instead of guessing what to do and creating a situation that is detrimental to the safety of others.  Staff knowing what their role is in helping everyone get to safety and keeping them out of harms way is important in helping everyone keep from becoming panicked.  Everyone reacts differently to situations, but everyone is better prepared if they have practiced the scenario prior to an actual event happening.

Fight vs. Flight

If you have annual trainings with fire extinguishers with either your local fire department or fire protection company, you and your staff will be more comfortable knowing when it is safe to fight the fire versus just evacuating everyone as quickly as possible.  There are times where fighting the fire can be beneficial to saving lives and property and others that can be detrimental to the safety of lives if the fire is to large or the hazard is not safe to extinguish.  Having trainings as part of your emergency action plan can help everyone be more prepared to be able to tell the difference between staying to fight or fleeing and getting everyone to safety.

These are only a few of the many benefits to developing an emergency action plan.  This plan is only as good as it is designed to be.  Using experts in the field makes a big difference between a well designed plan and a poorly designed plan.  Having trainings in place also make a big difference between successfully executing the plan and chaos ensuing an emergency unfolding.  Working with a fire protection company can help make sure you are prepared in the event of a fire.  They will help you determine the best course of action for the people inside the building and developing the roles for those involved.  Use your resources available today and contact a local fire protection company to find out how they can help you develop your best possible emergency action plan.


Fire Safety & Protection In Learning Institutions

By rain in 

When it comes to fire protection in schools, you will want to be prepared. From elementary schools to college campuses, a lot of young lives are at stake when a fire breaks out in a school. Having the proper fire protection systems and fire safety measures in place can help your students stay safe if a fire occurs at school.

Types of Fire Protection for Schools

Schools must have proper fire protection in place for the students, staff, and building to be protected. Depending on the school and the hazards present, schools will need fire sprinklers, fire suppression, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers.

  • Fire Sprinklers – Fire sprinklers are an important part of any fire protection system. When a fire sprinkler system works properly, it can prevent a fire from spreading to another part of the building and greatly reduce property damage.
  • Fire Suppression – Fire Suppression systems may be needed in schools in kitchens, laboratories, and other places with special hazards. Commercial kitchen hoods are probably needed if your school has a cafeteria that is preparing large amounts of food. Many schools have labs with hazardous chemicals. These labs may need fire suppression systems to effectively extinguish a fire.
  • Fire Alarms – In order to alert students and staff of a fire in a school, a fire alarm system is needed. Fire alarms give people in the building time to get out safely by alerting them that there is a fire.
  • Fire Extinguishers – Having extinguishers throughout your school can help prevent small fires from spreading. If there is a small fire, having a fire extinguisher nearby can help save lives and prevent costly property damage.

Teaching Fire Safety at School

Staff and students in your school should be educated on fire safety practices. Make sure that teachers are educated on how to use a fire extinguisher and the locations of fire extinguishers throughout the school. Teach your teaching staff the evacuation routes throughout the building and make sure they know the protocol for fire emergencies.

Make sure that teachers communicate to students what they should do if a fire occurs. Make sure that students know how to exit the building during a fire and post the evacuation routes in classrooms and throughout the school. Be sure to practice fire drills regularly so that students and staff know how to react during a fire.

Fire Protection for Educational Buildings

MS Fire Systems can install fire protection systems in your school. We have designed fire sprinkler, alarm, and suppression systems for schools so that the building, students, and staff are safe if a fire occurs. MS Fire can also provide inspections and service of your fire systems so that they are ready to go in the event of a fire. Make sure your students are protected by MS Fire Systems about fire protection installation and service for your school.

How to Create a Fire Evacuation Plan

By rain in 

The last thing most of us expect in the safety of our own homes is an unforeseen and extreme event like a house fire. We see events like this on TV, or hear about them third-person, and think it can never happen to us. In fact, these types of events are more common than you may think.

If a fire does occur, a few seconds can make a big difference to help you and your family escape swiftly and safely. These tips can help you create a house fire evacuation plan:

  • Plan for everyone. Take into account the special needs of everyone in your household, including young children and elderly family members who may not be very mobile. Children don’t always wake when a smoke alarm sounds. Make sure someone is assigned to help them, and choose a backup person in case the assigned person is away at the time of the fire.
  • Find two ways out. Visit each room of your house and find two ways out, including windows and doors. Make sure all escape routes open easily so you can get outside, and install emergency release devices on any security bars on doors or windows.
  • Involve children in planning. Consider having your children help create a fire evacuation plan2. Draw a map of the home and have children mark two exit routes and the locations of smoke detectors.
  • Choose a meeting spot. Decide on a meeting place outside, such as a neighbor’s house, mailbox or stop sign. It should be in the front of the house so emergency responders can see you when they arrive. Agree not to go back into the house after you leave.
  • Check smoke alarms. Check that smoke detectors are properly placed and working. The National Fire Protection Association recommends installing them in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping room and on every level of the home.3
  • Be visible. Make sure that your house number can be seen quickly from the street by emergency responders.
  • Respond quickly. Make sure everyone knows that if the smoke alarm sounds, he or she needs to get out immediately.
  • Have a backup plan. If the planned exit routes are blocked and it’s not possible to leave the house, close all doors between you and the fire. Place a towel under the door and go to an exterior-facing window. Call the fire department to report your location.
  • Share with everyone. Go over the plan with everyone who lives in the house and with visitors and overnight guests.
  • Practice regularly. Practice and review the plan regularly (at least once a year).

With a smart and well thought-out plan in place, you can be one step ahead of the unexpected when you may not have the time or ability to think things through.

Practical Fire Extinguisher Placement Is Essential

By rain in 

No one wants to think about the possibility of a fire in their home. Having your home burn down in a fire is a nightmare scenario that happens all too
frequently. When it comes to home fires, the best thing you can do is to have a plan and the proper equipment close by and ready for use.

Putting out a fire quickly before it escalates is important both for personal safety and preventing property damage. The best way to respond quickly and control fires is to have a fire extinguisher within reach of the source. Time is of the essence in a fire emergency, and you don’t want to be running around the house in a panic looking for a fire extinguisher. With proper fire extinguisher placement, you will be prepared to act quickly in the case of a fire in your home.

Here are the best places to keep fire extinguisher in your home so that you can put out a fire quickly or at least prevent the rapid spread of fire:

fire-extinguisher for houses

The Kitchen

With 65% of all fires starting in the kitchen, this is the most important room to have a fire extinguisher in your home. Most kitchen fires involve grease
and can’t be put out with water. Grease fires have high flashpoints and burn extremely hot. A Class K extinguisher is necessary in
your kitchen because it is designed specifically to put out fires fueld by vegetable or animal oils and fats.

Don’t keep the kitchen extinguisher next to the stove. You don’t want to have to reach through the flames to get the fire extinguisher. It should be
located about 30 feet away from the stove. If you have a small kitchen, this might mean you need to mount it in an adjacent room, as long as it’s easily
accessible from the kitchen.

One Fire Extinguisher On Each Floor

Every floor of your home needs at least one fire extinguisher. Mount it on the wall in a central location about 4 to 5 feet above the ground. Don’t hide
the fire extinguisher behind drapes or curtains and don’t store fire extinguishers in closets. They need to be in plain view or you will not be able to
find them when you need them.

Keeping extinguishers out in the open prevents them from getting covered with clutter. Safety is going to trump aesthetics in this case, but you can always
consider a fire extinguisher cabinet for a more concealed look. Make
sure everyone who lives in your home is aware of the locations of the fire extinguishers and how to use them.

The Garage and Workshop

If you have a garage or a workshop, then you probably use these spaces to store some flammable materials. Paints, oil, gasoline, solvents and other
chemicals are all extremely combustible. When working with tools in a workshop, you might generate sparks that could lead to a serious fire. Keeping a fire
extinguisher in this area is a must.

If you have recreational vehicles like campers, motorcycles, ATVs, or boats on your property, you will want to place a fire extinguisher near them as well.
They contain fuel and other flammable material that might start a fire in the right conditions.

The Laundry Room

Your dryer is another likely place for a fire to start. The lint that collects in your dryer is highly flammable and might catch fire when the dryer is in
operation due to high temperatures. Clean the lint trap after every load to reduce this possibility. The dryer exhaust tube may also fill with lint, be
sure to clean this out every six months. These practices will help prevent fires, but just in case, you will want a fire extinguisher in or near your
laundry room.

The Patio and Grill

Patios are ideal for enjoying the great outdoors. If you have a grill or a fire pit, then you will want to place a fire extinguisher nearby. Gas grills can
be especially dangerous because the propane fuel is explosive. If you grill over charcoal, the grease from cooking and the hot coals may cause a serious
fire. Decks and patios are great spots for a fun gathering, but you need to keep safety in mind as well.

The Bedrooms

Since most fires happen at night, you may want to keep a fire extinguisher in each bedroom. If there is a fire blocking your path out of the house, a fire
extinguisher can be very useful for escaping. This may seem like overkill, but it is better to be safe when it comes to fire in your home.

Sources of Heat

Fireplaces, chimneys, furnaces, and wood stoves are all obviously potential fire hazards. You should make sure you have a fire extinguisher close to these
places in your home. If you have a utility room or basement area with electrical panels and other appliances like your furnace or hot water heater, you
should keep a fire extinguisher there as well. The combination of electric circuits and hot appliances can lead to fires.

Keep Your Home Safe With Proper Fire Extinguisher Placement

If you can reach a fire extinguisher within 6 seconds of the start of a fire, then you can put out or control a fire in its early stages. This quick action
will not only prevent massive property damage, but it may save your life and the lives of your loved ones. Don’t wait until you need a fire extinguisher tothink about this. Take a look at your home today and make sure you have these fire extinguishers in your home everywhere you need them.

______________________

MS Fire Systems supplies high standard & quality Dry Chemical Fire Extinguishers, Class K Kitchen Fire Extinguishers, and Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguishers for your business and office needs. We also produce an unbeatable quality of Fire Extinguisher Cabinets and other Fire Extinguisher Accessories. Be sure to contact us.

Oxygen Corrosion in Fire Sprinkler Systems

By rain in 

Oxygen corrosion in fire sprinkler systems is caused by a number of things, but can be reduced and controlled if it’s managed correctly. The introduction of oxygen gas is the primary driver of corrosion related failures in water-based fire sprinkler systems. In order for the corrosion reaction to take place in these systems, oxygen gas and liquid water must be present and make intimate contact with steel piping.

Factors that accelerate the corrosion reaction and increase leak frequency include:

  • More air introduction, more corrosion (direct, linear relationship)
  • Higher temperatures increase the oxygen corrosion reaction rate
  • Trapped pools of water in dry (pre-action) systems are the primary location for corrosion
  • Trapped air pockets (21% oxygen) in wet pipe systems are the primary location for corrosion
  • Compressor run frequency is directly tied to oxygen introduction to dry (pre-action) systems
  • Compressors add acidic condensate moisture to the fire sprinkler system
  • Thin walled sprinkler piping will exhibit through-the-wall oxygen pits faster than thicker walled piping

Oxygen corrosion in fire sprinkler systems causes two (2) primary problems:

  1. The reaction of trapped oxygen gas with steel piping creates a void (pit) in the metal surface that over time with repeated introduction of oxygen will penetrate the pipe wall to cause a leak.
  2. The oxygen corrosion reaction produces water insoluble iron oxide (hematite) debris which can create obstruction risk over time within the fire sprinkler system piping. In extreme cases, the accumulation of corrosion debris can completely clog the sprinkler piping.

Managing Corrosion: Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler Systems

Reducing and controlling oxygen corrosion in wet pipe fire sprinkler systems can be accomplished by reducing or eliminating the periodic introduction of oxygen rich air to the fire sprinkler system. Air is most often introduced to wet pipe systems during tenant modifications and to perform code-mandated system testing. Unfortunately, the process of repairing corrosion related leaks in fire sprinkler system piping exacerbates the problem because the process actually adds more air to the system when it is taken out of service to perform the repair.

Corrosion

The most cost-effective approach to reduce the cumulative effect of oxygen corrosion in wet pipe fire sprinkler systems is the installation of an automatic air venting device. These simple devices automatically vent air while the system is filling. This results in reduction of accumulations of trapped air at the high points of the system’s piping. Although the automatic air vents cannot completely stop the corrosion, they can certainly reduce the cumulative effect of oxygen corrosion. The greater the amount of ventilated air, the less the corrosion will take place.

The only way to completely stop oxygen corrosion in wet pipe fire sprinkler system is through a process called Wet Pipe Nitrogen Inerting (WPNI). In this approach, nitrogen gas is used to dilute and displace oxygen from the fire sprinkler system piping before it is filled with water. This process eliminates the opportunity for oxygen gas to cause corrosion.

Managing Corrosion: Dry and Pre-Action Fire Sprinkler Systems

Corrosion can only occur in dry pipe systems if liquid water is present within the system piping. Water can be introduced to the piping in several different ways:

  • Initial hydrostatic testing of the system during commissioning
  • Condensate water introduced by the pressure maintenance compressor
  • Periodic code-mandated system testing

Unfortunately, it does not take very much liquid water to support the oxygen corrosion reaction. Low point drains and pitching can remove some of the water from the system piping, but never enough to completely stop the oxygen corrosion. In the case of condensate moisture from the compressor, new water is introduced every time the compressor cuts in to maintain the system pressure.

There are two (2) ways to stop corrosion in dry pipe systems:

  1. Completely remove all of the water
  2. Completely remove all of the oxygen gas

The concept of removing all water from the system piping and keeping it out is impractical and virtually impossible; however, it can be accomplished by using nitrogen gas. Dry Pipe Nitrogen Inerting (DPNI) is a process for diluting and displacing oxygen gas from the dry pipe system. The process includes using nitrogen gas to maintain the system pressure within the piping. DPNI has three fundamental components:

  1. Nitrogen generator
  2. Integral venting device
  3. Fill and purge breathing controller in the nitrogen generator

The fill and purge pressure cycling is used as means to displace air in the fire sprinkler piping, because it is the only process that can completely remove the oxygen gas before it has a chance to cause corrosion. Simply injecting nitrogen gas at the riser and then venting it at the end of a branch line, a process called sweep purging, will not displace the oxygen in the extremities of the piping.

Using the fill and purge breathing process allows for placement of the integral venting device directly on the riser. During the fill portion of the cycle, the system pressure is raised by injecting nitrogen gas. The purge portion consists of nitrogen diluted gas flowing toward the vent. After a fixed number of cycles over a 14-day period, all of the oxygen gas is removed and the piping is completely nitrogen inerted.

Contact MS Fire Systems for inspection and installation of your fire sprinkler systems.