What is the Difference Between Active and Passive Fire Protection?

There’s nothing more essential than the safety of your place of business, yet it’s often overlooked by the responsible person of a workplace. It goes without saying that a fire’s effects can be catastrophic, therefore it’s essential to safeguard ourselves and our belongings. It’s not only essential for the safety of the occupants of a building, but also the Law for businesses and landlords to implement appropriate fire safety procedures.

If you’re looking for different fire protection services for your business, you’ve probably heard the words “active” and “passive” fire protection. This article will explain the distinction between active and passive fire protection, as well as give you a rundown of the various fire protection services that are available.

The Difference Between Active and Passive

In its most basic terms, active fire protection entails detecting and preventing fires. Passive fire protection, on the other hand, means keeping the fire under control and compartmentalising it to one section of a building.

You’ll need both an active and a passive fire safety system in order to avoid, detect, and warn people about a developing fire. It’s not the case that active fire protection is more effective than passive fire protection, as both systems operate simultaneously and concurrently with each other.

Let’s go through all of this in further depth…

Passive Fire Protection

The goal of passive fire protection is to keep a fire from spreading throughout a building. Passive fire protection does not always necessitate active intervention in the event of a fire, but it does need to be correctly installed and maintained by companies like Ark Fire Protection who are specialists at implementing a comprehensive and effective passive fire protection system.

Passive fire protection is an important part of a building’s fire safety plan. It is critical in protecting people as well as preventing property damage from fire and smoke. Despite the name “passive”, passive fire protection does not simply mean that you can set it up and forget about it. Ongoing maintenance and testing are still extremely important.

There are a variety of fire protection measures that can be integrated into your fire strategy. The following are some examples:

• Fire doors
• Fire stopping and compartmentation
• Fire curtains
• Intumescent coating
• Fire barriers

Active Fire Protection

Active fire protection entails taking action to detect and notify, stop, or contain a fire. This may involve performing a manual act such as using a portable fire extinguisher. Alternatively, this could be a smoke detector that alarms or sprinkler activation through automated or digital methods.

Some examples of active fire protection include:

• Fire alarm systems
• Emergency escape lighting
• Fire suppression and sprinkler systems
• Smoke ventilation
• Disabled refuge areas
• Portable fire extinguishers

The Importance of Incorporating Both Strategies

Active and passive fire protection work together to keep your home or business safe. It is essential to have active elements such as fire alarms to notify the occupants of a building that there is a fire, whilst passive solutions such as fire doors can contain the spread of the fire, maximising the time allowed for people to escape.

Using both active and passive fire protection measures is the best way to ensure that your property is as safe as possible from the dangers of a fire.

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Interesting Related Article: “Importance of Fire Protection Systems“