FIRE SAFETY INSPECTION (GEE 115)
COURSE MODULE
2nd Semester AY 2021-2022
By: Haylen O. Vergabera, RCrim.
LESSON I
FIRE SAFETY CONSTRUCTION
Concept
Fire safety construction can be regarded as that subset of fire engineering
which aims towards the elimination or reduction of fire hazards on building or
structures, selection and control of combustible contents and linings, design the
building geometry and layout. Its principal objectives relate to life safety and property
protection (P.S.B.R.C.).
Fire science is a subset of science that has direct contribution to make
towards fire safety and fire protection. It provides the basis on which the practice of
fire safety engineering can be built.
Strategies for Fire Safety
1. Prevention of Ignition. This strategy includes the following:
a. Control/eliminate ignition sources.
b. Control/eliminate materials that are easily ignited.
c. Use non-combustible materials.
d. Use materials of low ignitability.
2. Prevention or Delay of Flashover
Flashover is the period of rapid acceleration of the rate of burning. It is likely
to occur once the size of the fire exceeds a critical value relevant to the geometry
and ventilation of the compartment of origin.
Specific Tactics in Fire Safety Construction
1. Prevention- To ensure that the fire does not start by controlling ignition sources.
Among the five tactics, fire prevention shall be one to be given much attention by the
designer. It is only if this fails need the other tactics be attempted. The following are
the five components:
a. Management
b. Training
c. Housekeeping
d. Fire safety installation
e. Signs and fire notices
2. Communication- To ensure that, if ignition occurs, the occupants are informed
and any active fire system are triggered. Communication by itself, even if totally
successful, cannot save lives or property, but its key role in ensuring fire safety
means that it must be considered as one of the five tactics. If communication is
successful then escape and extinguishments can be attempted. But it is
unsuccessful, then only containment remains as an available tactics. The following
are the components:
a. Alarm and detection system
b. Observation
3. Escape- To ensure that the occupants of the building and the surrounding areas
are able to move to places of safety before they are threatened by the heat and
smoke.
Since life safety is the most important among the two objectives of fire safety
construction, then sufficient provision for fire escapes shall be incorporated in the
design of buildings.
Escape is the last available tactic that can be attempted in case all the other
fails. Escape requirements varies with respect to the type of building occupancy.
4. Containment - To ensure that the fire is contained to the smallest possible area.
limiting the amount of property likely to be damaged and the threat to life safety The
following are the objectives of containment
a Limiting the risk to occupants
b. Protecting essential areas such as escape routes
c. Cost-effective use of escapes provisions
d. Reducing the damage potential of a fire.
e. Facilitating the control of fire.
f. Reducing the capacity of conflagration
5. Extinguishments - To insure that the fire can be extinguished quickly and with
minimum consequential damage to the building.
The fire department is the entity that performs annual fire inspections. These
inspections point out risks and hazards in the facility, which are noted at the end of a
report to be remedied by employers. How this inspection is completed, when it is
completed, and what it’s done for may vary depending on the city regulations, the
local jurisdiction, and what the state requires. These inspections should not be taken
lightly as lives are on the line. Because of this, it is recommended that some
knowledge of the applicable codes, standards, and ordinances are understood, so
employees are able to meet or exceed the inspection instead of having to go back
and fix problems that could have been avoided in the first place.
FUNCTIONS OF FIRE SAFETY ENFORCERS
Responsibilities Of Designated Fire Safety Enforcers
The following shall be the main duties and responsibilities of Fire Safety Inspectors:
A. Inspect any building, structure or facility and/or any part thereof, hazardous operations,
storage facilities and transportation vehicles of hazardous materials to ensure compliance of
the Fire Code of the Philippines, this IRR and other related laws, regulations, standards and
ordinances within the area of responsibility;
B. Assess compliance with the fire safety requirements, identify and recommend corrective
actions for violations/defects and deficiencies and inform the owner/building
administrator/occupants of such actions to comply with the provisions of the Fire Code of the
Philippines, this IRR and other related laws, regulations, standards and ordinances; 33
C. Testify in any judicial and quasi-judicial bodies regarding matters relating to the Fire Code
of the Philippines and this IRR, and/or the performance of his/her duties related thereto,
when needed;
D. Conduct fire safety lectures, seminars/workshop and drills; and E. Prepare necessary
documents and maintain files and/or records.
What is a fire risk assessment?
A fire risk assessment is very similar to a normal risk assessment but it just focuses
on fire safety instead of chemical and other physical hazards in the workplace. With
a fire risk assessment, there must be one person who is responsible for keeping
everything up to date. This includes ensuring the correct safety practices are upheld,
completing the fire risk assessment, the inspection and maintenance of all the
firefighting equipment, and making sure all the staff are aware of their own
responsibilities when it comes to safety training and evacuations.
There are five steps to get started on a fire risk assessment, they are as follows:
1. Identify the fire hazards: Keep in mind the fire triangle when carefully
looking through an area for fire hazards. The triangle refers to the three
elements that cause fires: a source of ignition, a source of oxygen, or a
source of fuel.
2. Identify the people at risk: The employer should know the general makeup
of their staff to determine who is most at risk for these fires. But they also
must consider any visitors or customers to determine the most efficient
evacuation procedure.
3. Evaluate, remove, and reduce the risks: Take what was found in step one
and two and take action towards the removal of those fire risks. If complete
removal is impossible then reduction of the risk is needed. This is done by
assessing the condition of fire safety equipment which includes active
equipment like fire extinguishers and sprinklers as well as passive equipment
like fire doors that prevent fires from spreading. There must be a regimented
schedule implemented to regularly test equipment for functionality.
4. Training, planning, and record keeping: Once something is found to be a
hazard there must be accurate notes taken as well as the date to use as
reference for the future. The notes must also include steps to rectify the issue.
This information helps to determine what kind of evacuation plan would be
useful for that particular facility.
5. Review: Fire safety reviews in any facility should be done periodically.
However, a new risk assessment should be performed every time that
something has been changed in the environment or operations of the facility.
If all of these things are kept in mind, then these five steps are a good start to
completing a fire assessment. The thing to always remember is the more information
you have the better you will be prepared since that information helps with
determining the best action(s) for specific situations.
Training for Fire Safety
If a fire breaks out in your facility, employees rely on their training to ensure their
safety. While certain occupations, such as welders and electricians, require high
levels of training, every employee in any occupation should be trained on general
prevention and safety strategies so they understand how to keep their area—and
themselves—safe. OSHA 1910.39 establishes general training requirements that
each employee should receive, which covers:
An understanding of the fire hazards and potential ignition sources
within their vicinity. This is often the first step in a fire safety program.
Emergency exits. Training should cover the locations of the exits, how to
identify them, and which ones are nearest to an employee’s typical location.
Fire drills. These should be conducted regularly so workers can practice
what to do and where do go in the event of a fire.
Fire extinguishers. If extinguishers are provided for employee use, the
employer must implement training so workers are familiar with the principles
of the extinguisher and how to use it. This training should be conducted when
the worker is first hired, as well as once a year, and needs to include what
type of fire extinguisher should be used based on the materials in the area.
Additional training may be necessary depending on the risks and operations
associated with the facility. The employer is responsible for identifying these
additional needs and providing appropriate training. Extensive preparation and a
basic understanding of fire safety for each worker in your facility is critical to avoiding
fires in the first place, and to ensuring that both lives and property are saved if one
does break out.
