Starting a fire is one of the worst accidents in one’s life. Fire is known to spread fast and can burn a lot of stuff and belongings in just a snap of a finger. But did you know that according to the records found, most fire casualties are due to smoke consumption rather than burning injuries.
A fire may contain a lot of smoke that can be toxic and hazardous to an individual when inhaled. Smoke also causes obscuring of the light and reduces human vision.
Therefore, smoke control systems are essential in your home or any building to contain fire incidents that may occur anytime.
Now, you might be wondering, what is the difference between smoke control and smoke management? Find it out in the article below.
What is Smoke Control?
Smoke control is a system that manages and regulates smoke passage in a facility. It can also be composed of various elements and employ a wide range of techniques to fulfill its intended goals, usually preserving a supportable condition until enough for those residents to evacuate the facility.
The structure of a smoke control system might differ in the types of building it was installed. It can also be attached to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment or placed in a fixed position in your house.
Putting or having a smoke control system is essential in any building facility or even your home. The primary purpose of a smoke control is to modulate the smoke coming from the fire to avoid being inhaled by the people and also for them to evacuate the vicinity safely without being hampered by smoke hazards.
It can also help the firefighters quickly enter the building as it can reduce smoke that blocks an individual’s vision.
What is Smoke Management?
On the other hand, smoke management refers to being utilized in regulating the smoke passage inside the building sector is necessary to secure the safety of residents, fire respondents, and the valuables inside the property building.
A smoke management technique is consists of the following elements:
- Compartmentation- pertains to applying structural barricades to prevent smoke from moving from the fire area into non-fire zones.
- Dilution- clearing fumes from non-fire zones is necessary to ensure appropriate oxygen amounts.
- Pressurization- alludes to using ventilators to produce air fluctuations.
- Airflow- an element identical to pressurization. However, you can utilize the airflow method in larger surroundings.
- Buoyancy refers to escaping heated flammable gasses by using fan-powered and passable vents, which are often situated in the top ceiling of large buildings.
Difference between Smoke Control and Smoke Management
These two elements of smoke systems may be similar, but the smoke control systems and the smoke management systems have their differences.
To summarize the whole thought, smoke control technological equipment uses blowers to compress parts of a structure to prevent smoke migration. While on the other hand, smoke management is an external or internal system used to change the smoke dispersion. You can use it alone or in conjunction with other equipment.
Interesting Related Article: “What is the Difference Between Active and Passive Fire Protection?“