FIRE SAFETY

MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL

SYSTEM
Dr. Sasitharan Nagapan
FOC Week
 TOPIC CONTENT
Principles of Fire

Passive Fire Protection

Building Utilization
Compartmentation
Means Of Escape

Active Fire Protection

Fire Detection System
Fire Extinguisher
Sprinkler System
Mechanical Compartmentation

Fire Safety Rules & Regulations

Definition of Fire
According to NFPA
Fire: A rapid oxidation process with evolution
of light and heat in varying intensities.
A chemical reaction between a fuel and an
oxidant.
Any instance of destructive and uncontrolled
burning, including explosion, of combustible
solids, liquids, or gases.
Any instance of destructive and uncontrolled
burning, including explosion
Definition of Fire
Fire is a combustion or burning, in which
substance combine chemically with
oxygen from the air and typically give out
bright light, heat and smoke.
Principles of Fire
To build a fire, it helps to understand
the basic principles of a fire.
Fuel (in a nongaseous state) does not
burn directly. When heat applied to a
fuel, it produces a gas. This gas,
combined with oxygen in the air, burns.
Understanding the concept of the fire
triangle is very important in correctly
constructing and maintaining a fire.
Principles of Fire
The three sides of the triangle represent
air, heat, and fuel. If any of these
removed, the fire will go out.
The correct ratio of these components is
very important for a fire to burn at its
greatest capability.
 CAUSES OF FIRE

Short circuit
Careless and unaware attitude among
users
Dangerous activities held in building
Overheating
Pipe Leakage
Intentionally burning
Factors contribute to fire
Combustible materials used in building
Combustible goods placed in building
Poor fire fighting system in building
Poor space arrangement
Improper installation of fire fighting
equipments
Malfunction of fire fighting equipments.
Water shortage in fire fighting system
Classes of Fire
When deciding on what fire protection is appropriate for any given situation, it is important to assess the types of fire hazard that may be faced.

Class Type of Fire Fire Fighting Agent

Fires that involve flammable solids such as wood, cloth, Water, Dry Chemical Powder,
A
rubber, paper, and some types of plastics Foam

Fires that involve flammable liquids or liquifiable solids

such as petrol/gasoline, oil, paint, some waxes &
plastics, but not cooking fats or oils AND Fires that CO2, Dry Chemical Powder,
B
involve flammable gases, such as natural gas, hydrogen, Foam, Halon
propane, butane

Fires that involve any of the materials found in Class A

and B fires, but with the introduction of an electrical CO2, Dry Chemical Powder,
C appliances, wiring, or other electrically energized objects
in the vicinity of the fire, with a resultant electrical shock Halon
risk if a conductive agent is used to control the fire

Fires that involve combustible metals, such as sodium,

D Dry Chemical Powder
magnesium, and potassium
 PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION
DEFINITION :

- Passive fire protection (PFP) is defines

as protection through ignition delays,
reduce rate of burning and fire spread
through use of fire-resistant walls, floors,
and doors (amongst other examples).
- It is an integral component of the three
components of structural fire protection and
fire safety in a building.
ASPECTS OF PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION:

- Building Utilization
- Compartmentation
- Mean of Escape
 BUILDING UTILIZATION
Building utilization mean the number of persons
using an undivided space, such as a meeting
room, classroom, auditorium, hotel room or
stadium.

As with building codes, fire-protection authorities

often set a limit on the number of people that can
occupy a space.

Reason of limitation number of person are :

To ensure occupant must be able to leave
the building through the available number of exits
in a reasonable amount of time, without tripping
or trampling each other In a panicked situation,
possibly blinded by smoke.
 COMPARTMENTATION
Compartment means any part of a building which is
separated from all other parts by one or more
compartment walls or compartment floors or by both such
walls and floors; and for the purpose of the Part, if any part of
the top storey of a building is within a compartment, the
compartment shall include any room space above such part of the
storey. (UBBL: Part VII)

Compartmentation is dividing spaces into small compartments

which may contain single or multiple rooms.

The purpose of compartmentation is to limit the spread of fire,

smoke and flue gases

Examples of compartmentation :
1. dividing office area into working place, office equipments
room ( photostate & paper shredder machine ) and storage
area ( papers, files)
2. dividing hospital area into treating room, operation theater
and chemical storage area
 COMPARTMENTATION
Method of compartmentation :
The construction of such compartments and all its
components must focus to achieve fire resistance rating
which all components are subject to stringent Listing and
approval use and compliance in countries, where product
certification is mandatory.

Type of component :
1) Fire - resistant elements
2) Interior furnishing / ceiling
FIRE - RESISTANT
ELEMENTS

Firewalls are constructed of concrete or concrete blocks

FIRE - RESISTANT ELEMENTS
Fire-resistance rated door

This I beam has a fireproofing material

sprayed onto it as a form of passive fire
protection.
INTERIOR FURNISHING /
CEILING

Spraying
fireproofing to
the ceiling
using a
gypsum based
plaster
 MEANS OF ESCAPE
DEFINITION :

OSHA define an escape route or an exit

route as a continuous and non-
obstructed path of exit travel
from any point within a
workplace to a place of safety.

An exit route consists of three parts:

Exit access
portion of an exit route that leads to
an exit.
Exit
portion of an exit route that is
generally separated from other areas
to provide a protected way of travel
to the exit discharge.
Exit discharge emergency exit in Stockholm's
part of the exit route that leads underground station "Universitetet"
directly outside or to a street,
walkway, refuge area, public way, or
open space with access to the
outside.
THE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION OF
THE EXIT ROUTES
Exit routes must be permanent Side-hinged exit doors must be used to
parts of the workplace. connect rooms to exit routes. These doors
must swing out in the direction of exit
travel if the room is to be occupied by more
Exit discharges must lead directly than 50 people or if the room is a high-
outside These exit discharge hazard area.
areas must be large enough to
accommodate the building Exit routes must support the maximum
occupants permitted occupant load for each floor
served, and the capacity of an exit route
may not decrease in the direction of exit
Exit stairs that continue beyond route travel to the exit discharge.
the level on which the exit
discharge is located must be Ceilings of exit routes must be at least 7
interrupted at that level by doors, feet,6 inches high.
partitions, or other effective
means that clearly indicate the An exit access must be at least 28 inches
direction of travel leading to the wide at all points. Where there is only one
exit discharge. exit access leading to an exit or exit
discharge, the width of the exit and exit
Exit route doors must be unlocked discharge must be at least equal to the
width of the exit access. Objects that
from the inside. They must be project into the exit must not reduce its
free of devices or alarms that width.
could restrict use of the exit route
if the device or alarm fails.
THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR EXIT
Exits must be separated by fire
resistant materials - that is,
one-hour fire-resistance rating if
the exit connects three or fewer
stories and two-hour fire-
resistance rating if the exit
connects more than three
floors.

Exits are permitted to have only

those openings necessary to
allow access to the exit from
occupied areas of the
workplace or to the exit
discharge. Openings must be
protected by a self-closing,
approved fire door that remains
closed or automatically closes
in an emergency.
MEANS OF ESCAPE
ACTIVE FIRE
PROTECTION
ACTIVE FIRE PROTECTION
Definition :

Active fire protection (AFP) is characterized

by items or system, which require a certain
amount of motion and response in order to
work, contrary to passive fire protection.

There are 2 kinds of active fire protections

1) Fire Detection
2) Fire Suppression
FIRE DETECTION
FIRE DETECTION SYSTEM

Fire detection system is designed to identify unwanted presence

of fire by monitoring environmental changes associated with
combustion.

There are 2 types of fire detection systems :

1) manually fire detection system

2) automatic fire detection system

Fire detection system components consist of:

1)Alarm
2)Manual call point
3)Detector (smoke, thermal / heat or flame)
Manual Fire Alarm Detection
Fire Occurrence

Fire Detection
Device

Manual Call
Point/Break Glass/
Phone

Alarm Trigger

Manually Call Fire

Department
Manual Fire Alarm Detection
Devices
Automatic Fire Alarm Detection

Fire Occurrence

Detected Devices
(Automatic
detector/Heat Detector)

Fire Alarm Trigger

Detected on Control
Panel (Show fire
location in building)

Automatic Connected to
Fire Department
Automatic Fire Alarm Detection
Devices

Smoke Detector Fire Control Panel

Heat Detector
FIRE SUPPRESSION
Fire suppression system is used in conjunction with fire detection
system to increase public safety. This system are governed by
the codes under the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)

Types of fire protection:

1) Fire Extinguisher
* Portable fire extinguisher
* Automatic fire extinguisher
2) Hydrants
* Hose reel
* Wet riser
* Dry riser
* Foam riser
3) Smoke Extraction & Ventilation
FIRE EXTINGUISHER
PORTABLE FIRE
EXTINGUISHER

Portable extinguishers are

intended as a first line of
defense to cope with
fires of limited size.
They are needed even
when a facility is equipped
with automatic sprinklers,
standpipe and hose, or
other fixed protection
equipment.
Fire extinguisher training is
provided by contacting the
Health and Safety Office
Fire Safety Section.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER
AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER

1) Sprinkler system
2) Gas / Foam system

Fire sprinkler system

Consisting of a water supply system, providing adequate
pressure and flow rate to a water distribution piping
system, onto whichfire sprinkler are connected.

There are 2 main types of fire sprinkler system:

1) Wet pipe system
2) Dry pipe system
FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM
Wet Pipe System

When an automatic sprinkler is exposed for a sufficient time to a

temperature at or above the temperature rating, the heat sensitive
element (glass bulb or fusible link) releases, allowing water to flow
from that sprinkler.

Dry Pipe System

When one or more of the automatic sprinklers is exposed to for a

sufficient time to a temperature at or above the temperature rating, it
opens, allowing the air in the piping to vent from that sprinkler.
Each sprinkler operates individually.
As the air pressure in the piping drops, thepressure differentialacross
the dry pipe valve changes, allowing water to enter the piping system.
Water flow from sprinklers needed to control the fire is delayed until
the air is vented from the sprinklers.
For this reason, dry pipe systems are usually not as effective as wet
pipe systems in fire control during the initial stages of the fire.
FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM

Direct System
In-Direct System

Dry System: No Water in range pipe

Wet System: Water Ready in range pipe
Sprinkler Systems
Wet Pipe Systems
By a wide margin, wet pipe sprinkler systems
are installed more often than all other types of
fire sprinkler systems.
They also are the most reliable, because they
are simple, with the only operating components
being the automatic sprinklers and (commonly,
but not always) the automatic alarm check
valve.
An automatic water supply provides water
under pressure to the system piping.
Sprinkler System-Wet Pipe
Sprinkler System-Wet Pipe
Sprinkler Systems
Dry Pipe Systems
Dry pipe systems are installed in spaces in which the
ambient temperature may be cold enough to freeze the
water in a wet pipe system, rendering the system
inoperable.
Dry pipe systems are most often used in unheated
buildings, in parking garages, in outside canopies attached
to heated buildings (in which a wet pipe system would be
provided), or inrefrigerated coolers.
Dry pipe systems are the second most common sprinkler
system type.
In regions using NFPA regulations, dry pipe systems cannot
be installed unless the range of ambient temperatures
reaches below 40F.
Sprinkler System-Dry Pipe
Operation
Water is not present in the piping until the system
operates.
The piping is filled with air below the water supply pressure.
To prevent the larger water supply pressure from forcing
water into the piping, the design of the dry pipe valve (a
specialized type of check valve) results in a greater force on
top of the check valve clapper by the use of a larger valve
clapper area exposed to the piping air pressure, as
compared to the higher water pressure but smaller clapper
surface area.
Sprinkler System-Dry Pipe
When one or more of the automatic sprinklers is exposed,
for a sufficient time, to a temperature at or above the
temperature rating, it opens, allowing the air in the piping
to vent from that sprinkler. Each sprinkler operates
individually. As the air pressure in the piping drops, the
pressure differential across the dry pipe valve changes,
allowing water to enter the piping system. Water flow from
sprinklers, needed to control the fire, is delayed until the air
is vented from the sprinklers. In regions using NFPA 13
regulations, the time it takes water to reach the
hydraulically remote sprinkler from the time that sprinkler
is activated is limited to a maximum of 60 seconds
Sprinkler System-Dry Pipe
Sprinkler System-Dry Pipe
Disadvantages of using dry pipe fire sprinkler systems include:
Increased complexity - Dry pipe systems require additional control
equipment and air pressure supply components which increases
system complexity.
Higher installation and maintenance costs - The added complexity
impacts the overall dry-pipe installation cost, and increases
maintenance expenditure primarily due to added service labor
costs.
Lower design flexibility - Regulatory requirements limit the
maximum permitted size (i.e., 750 gallons) of individual dry-pipe
systems, unless additional components and design efforts are
provided to limit the time from sprinkler activation to water
discharge to under one minute. These limitations may increase the
number of individual sprinkler
Sprinkler System-Dry Pipe
Other disadvantages:
Increased fire response time - Because the piping is empty
at the time the sprinkler operates, there is an inherent time
delay in delivering water to the sprinklers which have
operated while the water travels from the riser to the
sprinkler, partially filling the piping in the process
Increased corrosion potential - Following operation or
testing, dry-pipe sprinkler system piping is drained, but
residual water collects in piping low spots, and moisture is
also retained in the atmosphere within the piping. This
moisture, coupled with the oxygen available in the
compressed air in the piping, increases pipe internal wall
corrosion rates, possibly eventually leading to leaks.
FIRE SPRINKLER
Types sprinkler head : Glass bulb, Fusible link, Chemical, Open
GAS / FOAM SYSTEM

Gas or foam water fire

sprinkler system is a special
application system,
discharging a gas such as
CO2 or mixture of water
and low expansionfoam
concentrate, resulting in a
foam spray from the sprinkler.

These systems are usually

used with special hazards
occupancies associated
with high challenge fires,
such asflammable liquids,
electrical room, computer and
database room and airport
hangars
FIRE HYDRANTS

Fire hydrants consists of hose

reel and riser.
There are 3 types of riser
which are:
1) Dry Riser
2) Wet Riser
3) Foam Riser
HYDRANTS SYSTEM
Dry riser No water in riser pipe

Wet riser Water ready in riser pipe

SMOKE EXTRACTION & VENTILATION
Objectives
1) to aid fire control by eliminating smoke, heat, toxic and inflammable
gasses from the source of fire
2) to retain visibility of escapers
3) to provide clear access for firefighters
Fire Safety Products/Devices
 FIRE SAFETY RULES &
REGULATIONS
DEFINITION OF FIRE:
A Reaction That Happened When A
Combustible Material & Oxygen Is Exposed
To The Source Of Heat Or Torch

DEFINITION OF FIRE SAFETY:

Action Plans By Application Of Science And
Engineering Principals For Fire Prevention
And Protection In A Particular Building And
Strategies To Reduce Fire Hazards During A
Fire Incident

Protection In The Aspects Of Fire

Prevention, Control &
Extinguishment For A Certain Areas
Based On Availability Of Risk In That Area
(Jpbd:2007)
FIRE SAFETY RULES &
REGULATIONS
removing any one
Fire can be extinguished by
of the elements of the fire
tetrahedron.
Example:
Consider a natural gas flame, such as from a stovetop
burner. The fire can be extinguished by any of the following:
turning off the gas supply, which removes the fuel
source;
covering the flame completely, which smothers the
flame as the combustion both uses the available oxidizer
(the oxygen in the air) and displaces it from the area
around the flame with CO2;
application of water, which removes heat from the
fire faster than the fire can produce it (similarly, blowing
hard on a flame will displace the heat of the currently
burning gas from its fuel source, to the same end), or
application of a retardant chemical such as Halon to
the flame, which DELAYS the chemical reaction itself
 FIRE SAFETY RULES &
Objective OfREGULATIONS
Fire Safety :
To Identify In Details All Fixed Protection System In A
Building, Both : (Passive And Active)

Two (2) Kinds Of Fire Protections:

1) Fire Prevention
2) Fire Protection (Active & Passive Fire
Protection)

Measures undertake to prevent the occurrence of fire :

Education & Training
Enforcement
Engineering
Security
Maintenance
Good Housekeeping
LAWS & REQUIREMENT ON FIRE
SAFETY
1) Uniform Building By Law (UBBL)
1984,
- Part VII-Fire Requirements
- Part VIII-Fire Alarms, Fire
Detection, Fire Extinguishment
and Fire Fighting Access

2) National Fire Protection

Associations (NFNA)

3) Law by Fire Department (Akta

Perkhidmatan Bomba 1988)
 LAWS & REQUIREMENT ON FIRE
SAFETY
1) Uniform Building By Law (UBBL) 1984
~ UBBL, is a published document, which is used as
a required safety standard and is emphasized by
government.

~ The FRDM strive to discharge its responsibilities in

its prevention & safety program, and also its
enforcement in relation to inspections of buildings
& business licensing activities according to UBBL
especially Part 7 & Part 8

Part 7 : Fire Requirement

Part 8 : Fire Alarm, Fire Detection, Fire
Extinguishment & Fire Fighting Access.
 Fire Safety Planning

One of a crucial stage in building design

Building plans required to be approved by the Fire Department

(Jabatan Bomba & Penyelamat Malaysia- JBPM) before the building
can be constructed.

Once the construction finished; the building itself will again

required to be inspected before approved by JBPM.

The practice is part of the requirements by the Local Council before

CF is issued.
GOOD BUILDING DESIGN WITH
FIRE SAFETY MEASURE
Provide adequate fire appliances, fire hydrants and other
facilities to assist fire and rescue personnel
Provide adequate fixed installation where appropriate, for
quick & effective detection & extinguishment of fire
Designing & installing building services so that they do not
assist the spread of fire, smoke or any toxic fumes.
Designing & providing adequate & safe escape route for
the occupants of the building
Selecting materials for the construction which will not
promote the spread of fire or generates hazardous
smokes.
Subdividing building into compartments of reasonable
sizes by mean of fire resisting floor& wall, providing fire
stop to protect openings between floor & compartments
Designing & constructing the exterior of a building so that
the fire unlikely to spread to it from another burning
building
QUESTIONS
Instruction:
You are required to post the answer through Facebook Close
Group between 11.00am 1.00pm on 18 th April 2017. State
your name, matrix no and submission time. Answer all these
FOUR (4) questions.

1. Explain what is Active Fire Protection and Passive Fire

Protection?
2. List THREE (3) types of Sprinkler Head?
3. What is the different between Wet pipe and Dry pipe
Sprinkler Systems?
4. Explain TWO (2) difference between manually and
automatic Fire Alarm System?

Thank you
THANK YOU

END OF CHAPTER