Today all public buildings, including offices, schools, and malls are built in a manner to offer an acceptable level of fire safety and minimize the consequential risks. This is a much-needed step in the right direction because in case of a fire the primary objective is to reduce the potential for death or injury.

Add to this the intention that even in case of a fire, the premises can continue to function after the fire and life may get back to normal as soon as possible after repairs. This is vital to protect proximal properties which may also catch fire and curb environmental pollution.

Here are a few things architects and builders need to keep in mind when designing premises which can offer maximum measures of fire safety:

Prevention:
Yes, the adage ‘prevention is better than cure’ is popular for the right reasons and applies to fire safety in the best possible context.

Proper Design:
To reduce the risk of ignition, builders and designers can design out ignition sources. Services and installations should be correctly designed, specified, constructed, checked and commissioned. Checking and replacement cycles should be in place so that correct operation can be maintained.
There is also a risk on fires caused by natural phenomena like earthquakes or lightening. Tall structures that are prone to such damage should possess a lightning-conductor system to dissipate the electrical shock directly to the ground.
For fires caused by human carelessness initiated by cigarettes, candles, matches, cooking and other appliances, having smoke detectors is the smartest possible solution.

Fuel limitations:
Limiting the amount of fuel available in a building will help to control the amount of material that will burn and release heat to feed the growth of a fire. It will also reduce the amount of smoke that can be produced.

Communication:
Having a sound and speedy communication system will help communicate the location of the fire to (other) occupants and convey the emergency to a fire control team. This can include alarms to be sounded, a controlled evacuation, triggering of smoke control systems or sprinklers.

Escape plan:
In case of the fire, the rule of thumb is to get everyone out to safety first and then stay out. Buildings must be designed so that occupants can escape safely if a fire breaks out. Architects must design buildings with accessible escape routes. Special consideration is to be given to people with mobility problems who may need assistance.

Containment:
Containing the fire after evacuation has taken place can be achieved by passive and active fire containment measures.
Passive measures concern the nature of the building structure, subdivision, and envelope. Active measures are those which have to be activated either automatically or manually. This includes sprinklers, fire hydrants, extinguishers, and smoke detectors. In the event of a fire, they will be activated by some agent or form of communication.


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