Fire Safety: How Your Office Building Sprinkler System Works

While we don’t like to think about emergencies like fires, every workplace needs a sprinkler system. Learn more about how your office building sprinkler system works to ensure yours is high-quality and works properly. Once you understand your type of sprinkler system, remember to develop a fire safety plan for all staff members.

How Your Sprinkler System Works

You should understand how your sprinkler system works, as this could have a significant impact when things go wrong. Interestingly, while most assume smoke triggers a sprinkler, this is incorrect; extreme heat causes a sprinkler system to go off. As one goes off, a chain reaction begins that leads to the other sprinklers doing the same.

It’s also worth noting that a sprinkler system utilizes pressurized water. This is vital to the way it works, as it allows it to cover a wider area to put out a large fire without also causing water damage.

The Importance of Quality

Keep in mind that buying quality pumps matters when installing a sprinkler system in your office or commercial space. You can tell whether a pump is of high quality if it has the letters “UL” encircled on it, as this stands for Underwriters Laboratories. When a pipe has these letters, it means the fire pump has passed testing and works efficiently.

Types of Sprinkler Systems

Most buildings utilize a wet pipe system—in this system type, overhead steel pipes always have water sitting in them, ready to deploy. Most install this type of sprinkler system because water releases fastest, which minimizes the risk of damage.

Some buildings have dry pipe systems that require larger pipes than wet water systems. In this type of sprinkler system, sprinklers release compressed air before filling with water. Additionally, dry water systems release more water to compensate for the delayed reaction time and are common in areas where pipes may freeze or leak.

Tips for Keeping Employees Safe

Knowing how your office building sprinkler system works is one thing, and having a safety plan is another. Establish a safety plan on what to do in the event of a fire, then communicate this to all your employees.

Everyone needs to know what to do in the event of an emergency. Also, check your sprinkler system plus smoke detectors at least twice a year to verify systems work properly.

 

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