There are so many complex, moving parts when it comes to preventing a fire. But, as a landlord, something which you may not appreciate is how quickly things can escalate once a fire has broken out – and the difference something as simple as a fire partitioning system can make.
So, what are they?
To put it in layman’s terms, a fire partitioning system is something which forms a boundary between the area in which the fire breaks out and the rest of the building. The aim is to delay the spread of smoke and the fire itself, allowing more time for those in the vicinity to escape and for the relevant safety services to arrive. For example, in a residential setting, each individual home (i.e. flat or apartment) will be compartmentalised along with electrical rooms, high-risk areas etc.
Gaining control when it matters
When a fire breaks out, time is of the essence – and a properly compartmentalised building could save lives. When effectively designed and installed, a dry-lined fire partition system will be tested to contain a fire at its origin for a minimum of 60 minutes; it also reduces the spread of smoke which is the primary cause of death for fire victims, accounting for 50-80% of fatalities.
Time to respond
The truth is, try as we might, we simply cannot prevent every fire – but having properly installed fire partitioning in place can give you the ability to react and respond. It’s about buying time – and those extra moments could be crucial.
A fire partitioning system could be the difference between lives saved, and lives lost. It could be the difference between thousands of pounds of damage, and significantly less.
As we mentioned in our last blog, we’ve been keeping busy during lockdown and expanding our service portfolio. Which is why we’re excited to announce that we’re now FIRAS certified to install dry lined partitioning systems – just another value-added solution we can provide our clients across London and the Home Counties.
We can’t stop every fire from happening, but Excel Fire’s portfolio of passive fire prevention, timber fire door and now fire partitioning system installation accreditations could bring you a sure sight closer to doing so. We can’t wait to be back out and about, helping our clients fulfil their fire safety responsibilities, conducting fire risk assessments and consulting on all of the above – so, if you think we might be able to help you, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team today to talk anything and everything fire safety.