Facilities Manager's Desk Reference, 3rd Edition

17Fire Safety and Legislation

17.1 Introduction

Fire safety and legislation is an area in which the FM (facilities manager, or facilities management) needs a good working knowledge. Firstly, the FM needs to be aware of safety aspects in terms of design and space planning. Secondly, the FM is often the duty holder for general fire safety of occupied space. Fire needs three things to be present – fuel, an ignition source and oxygen – as illustrated in Table 17.1. Fire prevention depends on avoiding these three elements coming together. The absence of one of these elements can prevent a fire starting.

The main consequences of fire are:

• Death.
• Personal injury.
• Building damage.
• Flora and fauna damage.
• Loss of business and jobs.
• Disruption to transport.
• Environmental contamination.

Fires can be extinguished by four main methods:

• Cooling.
• Smothering.
• Starving.
• Chemical reaction.

Heat is transmitted in fires by several means – convection, conduction, radiation or direct burning. These principles govern how buildings are designed to prevent and control fires. Fires are classified according to the fuel source and the means of extinguishing them (see Table 17.2).

Table 17.1 The components of a fire

Sources of ignition	Naked flames External sparks Internal sparks Hot surfaces Static electricity
Sources of fuel	Solids (paper, wood, plastics) Liquids (paint, varnish, adhesives, petrol, paraffin, acetone) Gases (liquefied petroleum gas, acetylene, hydrogen)
Oxygen	Air Chemicals ...