Fire Systems
Fire Systems
Fire Systems
General
Design of fire systems shall provide design of fire alarm and fire-fighting equipment required to fully
comply with Codes, Standards and permitting requirements. Fire safety shall be in accordance with
local Authority for Civil Defence requirements, standards equivalent to those specified in National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard.
Chance of fire breaks between facilities to prevent fire spreading from one facilities to another. A fire
break gap of more than 6 meters (20 feet) shall be provided between facilities.
Design shall consider and mitigate in the design against fire risks including but not limited to:
Shall consider in the design the minimum requirements for fire safety as follows.
a. Location of Fire extinguishers and wet firefighting systems.
b. Fire Plans which need to be posted in all facilities. These shall show locations of fire
exits / escape routes and fire extinguishers.
c. Location smoke detectors, manual call points and fire alarm control panel in all buildings.
Alarms shall terminate in a fire alarm panel and hooter situated in the Reception and
Security building. The local fire alarm panel has the provision for connecting to the Qarn
Alam main fire control panel (if required to be connected in future).
d. Fire detectors shall be hard-wired to a suitable power supply with battery back-up.
e. Emergency lighting shall be installed in all facilities and buildings. All exit doors to be
indicated with illuminated exit signs on the inside and white lights installed at the exterior
doors. Prominent signage shall also be used to highlight positions of fire-fighting
equipment.
f. Personal assembly points shall be planned in the design, and locations clearly identified to
occupants.
g. All emergency doors / escape routes shall be fitted with panic bars and exits clearly
identified and illuminated. Fire instructions shall be posted in English and Arabic.
h. There shall be NO smoking policy within the facilities.
1.1.2. Firefighting systems
Design data for the firefighting system installation shall reflect as per the NFPA standards complying
with Local Civil-Defense approvals. The equipment for fire installations will be selected in
accordance with the design standards as long as the functionality corresponds to the requirements in
NFPA and UL listed and FM approved.
Adequate capacity water tank will be considered for fire water storage. This fire water tank will be
GRP panel type sectional water tank located at above ground tank within the building structure of
production /storage. Tank filling will be done by inlet connection from inlet line by water tanker. Tank
capacity for minimum of 1 hours supply fire water shall be considered.
The minimum water supply reservoir shall be designed in accordance with NFPA 13 and NFPA 22.
Light 30 30
Ordinary 60-90 60
Whole system fire water demand shall be done as per NFPA 13 & 14.
1. Firewater demand shall be calculated in accordance with NFPA 14 for Class II and Class III
system where facilities are protected by only fire hose reels and external fire hydrant.
2. Class II systems; minimum flow rate for hydraulically most remote hose connection shall be
100 gpm (379 lpm). Additional flow shall not be required where more than one hose
connection is provided.
3. Class III systems; minimum flow rate for hydraulically most remote standpipe shall be 500 gpm
(1893 lpm). The calculation procedure shall be to size each standpipe for 250 gpm (946 lpm)
at two hydraulically most remote hose connections.
4. Common supply piping, for multiple risers, shall be calculated and sized to provide the
required flow rate for all standpipes connected to such supply piping, with total not to exceed
500 gpm (1893 lpm).
Based on the above the main fire water pumps shall be designed based on the maximum
firewater demand with the maximum delivery pressure required at the remote/ farthest location
in the network under worst conditions. The main firewater pumps shall be considered N+1
philosophy to provide the standby to the firewater pumps operations.
The firewater pumps are selected based on the maximum fire water demand of 500 GPM
(electric duty + diesel standby) and the maximum delivery pressure of 7 bar.
In mechanical plant room, fire pumps (electric duty + diesel standby + electric jockey pump)
shall install including pump control panels.
1.1.3.3. Firewater Distribution Ring main
Firewater ring main shall be designed to provide the fire water at the required flow and pressure
in all sections of facility at worst case conditions. The ring main shall be provided with block
valves such that sections of ring main can be isolated for maintenance. The isolatable sections
shall be selected such that the required quantity of water can still be supplied from other
hydrants with fire hoses having maximum length of 80 meters.
The selection of extinguishers shall be done in accordance with NFPA 10. Fire extinguishers to
BS/EN 3 suitable for all classifications of fire shall be provided in all buildings and shall be located at
strategic areas. High capacity mobile Trolley type units shall be deployed at designated fire points,
containing suitable category fire extinguishing agent like Foam/ Dry Powder, CO 2, etc…
All buildings, electrical distribution equipment, fuel storage areas, generators, store rooms, etc…
shall be provided with sufficient quantity and type of fire extinguishers to adequately contain small
fires.
Guard houses shall be supplied with a multi-use (A B C) fire extinguisher unit. Office buildings, mess
halls, storage areas and recreation facilities shall be provided with ABC Extinguishers and CO 2
Extinguishers.
Fuel storage areas, kitchen/dining, chemical storage areas, warehouses, workshops, and generator
areas shall be provided with the following types of extinguishers:
ABC Extinguishers,
CO2 Extinguishers, and
Foam Extinguishers.
All fire extinguishers shall be complied to current NFPA and/or local codes and equivalent other
standards.
Flammable
LPG, acetylene, etc Powder
gases
Nature Class of Fire Example Type of Extinguisher
Fires that involve energized electrical
Electrical C CO2
equipment.
Fires in combustible metals, such as Dry powder (Specially
Reactive
D magnesium, titanium, zirconium, developed for particular
metals
sodium, lithium, and potassium metals)
Fires in cooking appliances that Powder
Combustible
K involve combustible cooking media AFFF
cooking oils
(vegetable or animal oils and fats) CO2
Safety signs shall be provided to indicate escape routes, to warn of hazards and to show the location
of fire and safety equipment, as appropriate and in compliance with ISO 3864 for format and colours.
As far as practicable, signs shall be pictorial and if text is required this shall be in English and Arabic.
Internal signs will be photo luminescent, other signs will be either light reflective or photo
luminescent as appropriate.
Emergency escape routes shall be provided in building design layout as follows:
a. Primary escape routes shall have a minimum (unobstructed) width of 1,500 mm and a
minimum (unobstructed) height of 2,200 mm.
b. Other escape routes connecting to a perimeter escape shall have a minimum (unobstructed)
width of 1,000 mm and a minimum (unobstructed) height of 2,200 mm.
c. Doors within escape routes shall be manually operable and shall open in the direction of
escape. Doors shall be the same (unobstructed) opening dimensions as the escape route
they form part of.
d. A minimum of two escape routes shall be provided for building.
e. A minimum of two independent and separate escape routes shall be provided from roof
areas where maintainable equipment is located.
f. All escape routes to emergency assembly points shall be identified by suitable safety signs,
by emergency / escape lighting and shall include a non-slip floor surface. In particular,
escape arrows indicating the direction of escape shall be provided at regular intervals and at
all junctions.
The project plot area shall be laid out to include assembly areas. The assembly areas shall be located
away from buildings and be of sufficient size to assemble the number of persons for which the
building has been designed to hold. Assembly area(s) shall be illuminated, accessible and signed.
The completed design work shall submit in the office of local civil defense authority and shall obtain
their preliminary approval prior to start project construction works. As-built of completed work shall
also be submitted in the office of local civil defense authority and shall complete their physical witness
and approval. This final approval will be used for obtaining building occupancy certificate from the
government authority.
The project facilities, external services are located in safe area. The classification of occupancies shall
be considered storage occupancy as per shall be as per NFPA 101, chapter 42, Sl.no. 42.1.2
Classification of Occupancy. For Hazard content shall be as per 42.1.5 and Chapter 6, sl.no. 6.2.2.
Classification of Hazard of contents- as follows.
General. The hazard of contents of any building or structure or facilities shall be classified as low,
ordinary, or high in accordance with
Low Hazard Contents. Low hazard contents shall be classified as those of such low combustibility
that no self-propagating fire therein can occur.
Ordinary Hazard Contents. Ordinary hazard contents shall be classified as those that are likely to
burn with moderate rapidity or to give off a considerable volume of smoke.
High Hazard Contents. High hazard contents shall be classified as those that are likely to burn with
extreme rapidity or from which explosions are likely.
Based on the Hazardous content of the hazardous waste yard is classified as ordinary/moderate
hazard as per NFPA 101 and accordingly fire protection system provided.