What are the fire protection standards for the office and how are they applied in the workspace?
What is the fire protection standard for the office?
Fire safety standards are legal documents compiled by the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department responsible for compiling.
Depending on the type of construction or use of the building, the fire protection features need to achieve the element of preserving life as well as property there. Most businesses in Vietnam are working in high-rise buildings. As a place where a large number of people gather at the same time, the risk of fire and explosion is high. Therefore, office buildings need very strict fire protection standards.
Regulations on fire protection standards are controlled right from the time of construction and applying for a business registration license. The place where the office is located must be equipped with a qualified fire protection system to be approved. This is also the stage that takes the most time in the office building process. Fire protection standards in office buildings include the following.
Fire protection standards – Equipped with automatic fire alarm system
In office buildings, fire protection standards require working spaces to be equipped with automatic fire alarm systems. The entire installed automatic fire alarm system must meet Vietnamese standards TCVN 3890:2009. This standard is mandatory for the system to ensure the following conditions:
– In the shortest time to detect the fire
– Quickly send out warning signals to the correct components
– High accuracy (high reliability of automatic fire alarms)
In office buildings, fire alarms are fitted with automatic connection to the fire fighting system. In addition to the ability to detect fire alarm quickly. The system must also be able to control temporary fire fighting (water sprinklers) and alarm and temporary fire fighting must take place at the same time.
The investor and the building management must check the system’s operability at least twice a year. The system must be carefully maintained to ensure the best performance at all times.
Office buildings must be fully equipped with fire extinguishers
For areas prone to fire and explosion situations, fire extinguishers must be provided. In addition, every 50 – 150m2 should be arranged a fire extinguisher. In places where automatic fire extinguishing systems are equipped, small fire extinguishers must also be equipped. This helps to ensure absolute safety for people and property in the event of a fire. Do not concentrate all fire extinguishers in one place, it is necessary to evenly distribute the extinguishers to each area in a scientific manner. Especially in important locations of the building, it is necessary to place at least 2 fire extinguishers.
According to the provisions of the standard TCVN 3890:2009 on the requirements for the installation of fire extinguishers, it is mentioned:
- In a distance of 150m2, equip 1 fire extinguisher for low-risk places.
- The area with an average level of danger will be 75m2/vessel.
- And for places with a high level of danger, it is necessary to arrange fire extinguishers at a density of more than 50m2 / tank
Equipped with fireproof door system and safe exits
In special office buildings, high-rise buildings must have safe exits. Doors of emergency exits for floor corridors, waiting rooms, and lobby must always be open. Grade A office buildings must be designed with at least 2 exits to ensure safety. At the moment, only buildings that meet these criteria will be licensed to operate.
For buildings with a height of 15m or more, the doors of the emergency exits must be made of fireproof materials. With stairs, the door is designed according to the self-closing mechanism and the door slot needs to be sealed. The doors located in the stairwell must be able to open directly to the outside. This door cannot close on its own and does not need to be sealed in the door slot at all. The type of door at the exits of rooms or corridors is a fireproof door. Has the ability to automatically close with the door slot is designed to be sealed.
These types of doors are always left open during use and are equipped with a self-closing mechanism in the event of a fire.
Design 1-2 water hydrants to be fixed in the building
1 – 2 fire hydrants must be arranged at fixed positions in the building for high-rise buildings. The flow of water in these throats needs to be 2.5 liters/second. The location should be located in the aisles, corridors, lobby of the building… easy to get locations. The center of the water throat located 1.25m above the floor is standard.
Each fire hydrant must be equipped with a solid locking valve. Each end must have a sprinkler and a hose reel in the length that meets Vietnamese standards TCVN 2622:1995.
Above are the fire protection regulations for the company that you should know. Hopefully, through some sharing in this article, businesses will understand the rules for the fire protection system. To ensure the safety of property as well as their own life, it is required that each individual in the company must consciously comply with fire safety regulations. Awareness of compliance with fire safety regulations should always be a top priority.
Source: Thien Nam Building synthesizes and shares.