Is Fire Suppression a Legal Requirement?

There are so many rules and regulations surrounding the subject of commercial fire safety that it’s not always easy to know what you have to do, what you should do and what it would be nice to be able to do if only you had the available budget.

Most of those rules and regulations can be found in the all-encompassing Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, but who really has the time or inclination to plough their way through that? Well, we do, but fire safety is our business and our customers depend on our knowledge and expertise, so we do have a very good reason for doing so. Plus, it saves you from having to!

In this article, we’re going to examine what laws exist around the subject of fire suppression – but first, it’s worth taking the time to review exactly what a fire suppression system consists of and how it can be such a valuable tool in the arsenal of fire fighting measures.

What is fire suppression?

Fire suppression works in a similar way to an automatic sprinkler system, in that it reacts swiftly to release an extinguishant when it detects the presence of smoke and/or heat. However, instead of using water, foam or wet chemicals, it will usually emit a gas such as carbon dioxide to remove the oxygen that a fire needs to thrive without causing further damage to valuable and electrical items. In order to be effective, a room fitted with a gas fire suppression system should be sealed so that the gas is contained for long enough to fully extinguish the fire.

Where would a fire suppression system be used?

If a fire breaks out in a room full of expensive electrical equipment – such as computers storing equally valuable data and information, for instance – you want a quick response and one that doesn’t cause just as much damage as the fire itself would. The same would apply to a library storing irreplaceable documents, an art gallery or a warehouse holding precious but perishable items.

Is fire suppression a legal requirement?

Because it’s normally for protecting property rather than lives, a fire suppression system will usually be advisory and not a legal requirement. However, if your fire risk assessment identifies the need for one for reasons of safety, you could well be committing an offence if you do not install one.

The best thing to do if unsure is to take advice from a professional fire safety company such as Scutum North. 

Whether you have been advised of the need for a fire suppression system in your latest fire risk assessment or just think it would be a sensible move in order to protect valuable assets or stock, the team at Scutum North can help. We can also carry out room integrity testing to check whether the room in which your system is to be placed is secure enough to be effective.

If you’d like to know more about our fire suppression systems, or even arrange for one of our experienced team to make a free visit to your site to assess your current set-up, just get in touch with us today.