Domestic Fires in Multi-Occupancy High-Rise Buildings - Essay Example

Domestic Fires in Multi-Occupancy High-Rise Buildings Introduction A high rise building is a building with multiple levels. The National Fire Protection Association defines a high rise building as a building exceeding 75 feet in height. A high rise building is divided into several levels, which can be occupied separately. A 75 feet, or 35 meters, height usually entails about twelve levels, where each level is at least 2m in height. Some organizations also take seven stories as the minimum number of stories that constitute a high rise building. In such multi-storey buildings, there are more considerations to take into account than in single-storey buildings. In multi-storey buildings, the number of occupants is also more than in single dwellings. The increased population density gives rise to a greater risk of fires and other hazards. The increased height compared to other low height buildings and houses requires specific management strategies employed for large structures and necessitates the need for special fire safety systems and measures. Moreover, buildings which are under construction pose greater risks for domestic fires to the occupants. The need for an effective fire safety system becomes even more urgent if the occupants are migrant workers. Changes in the electricity and gas supplies by occupants can significantly increase the potential for a domestic fire. This paper attempts to examine fire safety strategies that can be employed to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities as a result of domestic fires in multi-occupancy high-rise buildings which are under construction and provide overpopulated temporary housing for migrant workers. Causes of fires and where safety is lacking One of the major risks that an overpopulated high rise structure presents is the problem of evacuation. In the case of evacuation during a fire emergency, a large number of occupants inside the building can increase the time taken to evacuate. Many buildings do not have a sufficient number of staircases and fire escapes. Evacuation measures also delay the fire suppression by firefighters. This causes more spread of the fire, and even more damage to the property, not to mention the increased fatalities and injuries that will accompany the spread of the fire to other parts of the building. Evacuation measures are also hampered by the lack of internal staircases to protect from smoke and fumes. The heat emitted from the fire can also cause injuries and burns. The problem of limited stairwells becomes even more acute in a building that is under construction and is overpopulated. Not only would it be difficult to evacuate the building, given the large number of occupants that would be trapped inside the building in case of a fire, but also it would be increasingly difficult for occupants to find easy access and escape from the building. In a building that is under construction, the staircases and fire escape routes would not be completely constructed. This limits the number of functional stairwells. In case of a fire, escape through these routes becomes slow. The occupants would have to watch their step when escaping, since chances might be that the stairwells do not have grills installed or other support for climbing stairs and that the steps are not yet even. One can imagine hoards of workers making their way down uneven steps without any support to facilitate them in making a prompt evacuation, breathing in smoke and fumes, with the heat of the fire choking them. Such a situation can create panic and fear in the workers. If they attempt to push each other in order to evacuate quickly, the commotion can cause yet more injury and harm. Another factor that can cause spread of fire to different parts of the building is the light and ventilation shafts that are present mostly in rooms that are situated in the middle of the building. When fire occurs in these rooms, it can spread more vicariously to adjacent rooms, i.e. the spread is straight. Vertical spread can also occur consequentially. The problem becomes more pronounced in under construction buildings where the likelihood of a proper and functioning fire safety system is less. Light shafts and airways can cause the spread of the fire by evading any fire stop that might have been put into place. The lighting and illumination system is also not complete in under construction buildings. This creates problems of visibility, along with smoke, during a fire. In the event of a fire in a building occupied by temporary residents, people would not be familiar with the design and layout of the building. This increases the number of deaths, as indicated by research studies (King, 2008). Electrical fires are also common in high rise buildings. Over 25% of fires have a cause that is associated with some sort fault and improper functioning in a piece of electrical equipment, wiring, or both. The major reason for electrical fires is the lack of practical and evenhanded care in the maintenance and use of electrical installations and equipment (Hughes & Ferrett, 2007). Electricity can be used in high-rise buildings for cooking purposes and for the operation of electrical appliances. In buildings that are under construction, the wiring is not properly insulated. There are loose ends, and the occupants can alter the electricity supplies to cater to needs of the occupants who do not have access to electricity supply since it is under construction in that part of the building. The setup is temporary and occupants would not have considered fire safety precautions. Electrical equipments that are operated on such wiring can catch fire if there is an overload on the wires, or if the equipment is not properly installed and looked after, a likely possibility if the occupants are migrant workers who are only residing temporarily in the building. In electrical installations, the likelihood of fire is increased due to short-circuits and the overheating of cables. Short circuits can occur if the insulation is peeled off or becomes defective, if there is an unintended flow of current between two conductors or if a pathway is present between a conductor and the earth that permits flow of current. The current that flows would be less initially; however, with the progressive worsening in the defect, more number of current can flow and cause the region to heat up. If no measure is taken to remove the fault, the insulation can be damaged completely and will cause flow of large amounts of current. If the current exceeds the load that the fuse can bear, or if, due to any reason, the fuse does not work, overheating will occur and will lead to a fire (Hughes & Ferrett, 2007). When cooking, there are combustion materials around the setting, like grocery bags etc that can catch fire easily if insulation breaks down and short circuit occurs. Another factor that can increase the risk of spread of fires is moisture. Water and moist products are present in a cooking area. Changes in electrical supplies can also cause the wires to be bent or broken. This may also cause overheating. In making extensions of electrical supplies to different parts of the building, there are chances of loose wiring and electrical connections, which can cause overheating of the wires. Wires that have been bundled together can create further heating of the wires. Bundling of the wires is common in overpopulated settings to create more space. Gas supplies can also cause fire. In an overpopulated building, where the heating facilities are still under construction, residents might extend the gas supplies temporarily by pipes to various parts of the dwelling. This can create problems like loose connections, and cause the leakage of gases. Leakage of flammable gases can be a major cause of conflagration sin buildings. One of the reasons due to which gas leakage can occur is malfunctioning appliances. Leaks in the gas pipelines can also cause conflagrations. Gas leakage also poses health hazards due to reduced oxygen. There can be many other causes that can lead to fires and deadly explosions due to leakage of gas. Pipes that have not been capped can cause continuous gas leak. If appliances have been disconnected or due to any other reason the gas pipelines have not been capped, like in the case of people altering layout of the gas supplies, leakage can cause fires. Corrosion of the gas pipelines, unlit pilot lights or burners and fault in the gas pressure regulators can lead to gas leaks. An important reason for gas leakage is physical damage to the gas pipelines. In a building that is under construction, the risk of damage to the pipelines is increased substantially (National Fire Protection Association, 2005). Another reason for fires is delinquent fire setters. Studies have shown that firesetting represents an advanced level of antisocial behavior, and juvenile firesetting is not a unique syndrome (Forehand, et al., 1991). The number of juvenile firesetters is growing over the passage of years and is causing increasing psychological and financial damage (Slavkin, 2002). Fineman (1995) also observes that firesetting behaviors are tied to antisocial behaviors. Personality problems can instigate adults and children to raise fires (Moore, et al., 1996) Strategy to deal with fires The aforementioned reasons pinpoint the areas that need to be addressed in order to provide an effective fire safety strategy. The aim of a fire safety strategy is to not only reduce the damage that can occur to the property, but also the injuries and fatalities that occur during the breaking of fires in high-rise buildings. An effective plan should also be able to mitigate the effects of the fire on the environment. The strategy can aim to curb and curtail the spread of fires in two ways: either it can prevent the fires from happening or it can have safety measures taken that reduce damage to life, property and the environment. In order to prevent fires from happening, the materials that fuel fires should not be used in the construction of buildings. An evaluation needs to be made of the ventilation shafts and airways. Moreover, building authorities need to consider how appliances fir cooking, heating etc would be used by the occupants. In a high-rise building that is overcrowded and the electrical and gas supplies have been altered, the occupants need to be more careful about not causing physical damage to the wires or the heat supplies. In such a building, the authorities must ensure that the occupants have an access to gas and electrical supplies, so that they do not need to alter the supplies. Overpopulation of the building can also worsen the effects of the fire on life, property and environment as discussed above. As a result, the authorities should ensure that the building is not overpopulated. This will facilitate a smooth evacuation. The occupant workers should also be given awareness about what passageways to use in event of a fire. If there are alternate routes available in the building, authorities can divide the flow of the people into these routes, so that traffic congestion does not occur. The occupants can be instructed therewith about the routes that they need to take in case of an emergency. There are fire safety measures that the occupants need to know in order to prevent fires. The occupants would be guided to remove all rubbish from hallways, as it can catch fire easily. The occupants would also be instructed to not to attach to many appliances to an electrical outlet, which may cause overloading of the junction and can lead to damage and short circuits. Also, since illumination is not adequate in under construction buildings, occupants would be guided to keep a flashlight with them. A step that can significantly reduce the risks of fires due to gas leakage is the testing for leakage. Before allowing occupants to move into the building, the authorities should ensure that there is no gas leak. This can be done through combustible gas indicators, soap bubble solutions and pressure drop method. Faults in the gas pressure regulators can be a reason for conflagrations as well, and this can be checked by effective pressurization of the gas system. The gas system can be pressurized but it should not surpass the pressure that was initially contained within them. When testing, care should be taken not to take any of the equipment apart (National Fire Protection Association, 2005). The use of gas detectors can go a long way in preventing fires. Gas detectors help to measure the amount if natural gas that is present in the air and will set off an alarm to alert the people in the building about any gas leakage that is occurring. When the occupants hear the alarm, they can immediately evacuate the building and call the concerned authorities. Evacuation before fire occurs helps to significantly reduce the number of fatalities and injuries that occur after the building has caught fire due to natural gas leaks. Fire due to electrical supplies can be prevented by instructing occupants to not to bend the wires, or leave loose connections. According to Hughes and Ferrett (2007), if the fire has occurred due to electrical appliances, the power supply needs to be cut off immediately so that the circuit is no longer live. The power can be cut off at the mains isolation switch or at any other suitable point. If the switch can not be accessed and the power can not be cut off, the fire must be dealt in a way that does not cause supplementary damage. In such situations, the using a non-conducting extinguishing medium is essential; such mediums can be carbon dioxide or powder. After the fire has been stabilized and subsequently put out, the authorities should remain alert in case a fire starts again until the fault in the electrical equipment has been corrected. Static electrical discharges can culminate in conflagrations as well. Static electricity can be minimized by using specific designs and materials in the equipment. Moreover, in a building that is still being constructed, the rooms might not be ready for residential purposes. There may be areas where flammable gases or vapors may be present. Care should be taken in installing electrical appliances in this part. The job of installation must be performed by specialized personnel like electricians and technicians. Moisture and dust can also render electrical appliances useless, and can cause insulation failure. Steps must be taken to prevent the entry of moisture in equipments by keeping moist products away from the appliances. Appliances can be kept clean from dust by using a vacuum cleaner. The electrical equipment must be maintained as well to prevent short circuits. Fire detection alarms should be installed in all high-rise buildings, whether they have been fully constructed or not. Fire detection systems allow the timely evacuation of the occupants and alert the fire brigade well before the fire spread through out the building. This can reduce property and life damage. Another way to prevent the spread of fires is the automatic suppression of fires. Sprinklers can be used for this purpose. Sprinklers need to be installed on every floor, especially in areas where the occupants are living. The sprinklers installed need to be reliable as well. Studies show that most high-rise fires and deaths occur in buildings that do not have a system of sprinklers. Studies have also found out that the use of sprinklers reduces property damage and fatalities in high-rise buildings by two-thirds (Arnold, 2005). There should also be telephones installed on every storey to inform the firefighters in case of a fire. Voice paging can be an effective means of informing the occupants of any fire that has occurred in the building. In case of power cut downs, or poor illumination, emergency lights need to be installed so that residents of the building find ease in evacuation (Reliable Fire Equipment Company, 2009). Thus in conclusion, in order to effectively prevent and manage fires in high-rise buildings that are overpopulated and not complete, identification of the factors that can cause fires is necessary. Steps can then be devised to overcome these factors. The effective implementation of a fire safety protocol requires the coordination of the occupants of the building, authorities concerned with the construct of that high-rise building and the firefighters. Fires can also create psychosocial maladjustment in children and adolescents (Jones, Ribbe, & Cunningham, 1994). Therefore the need for an effective fire safety and rescue plan is urgent. Reference List Arnold, J., 2005. Large Building Fires and Subsequent Code Changes. [Online] Available at: http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/Member%20Sections/AEBOcodechanges.pdf [Accessed 16 June 2010]. Fineman, K., 1995. A model for qualitative analysis of child and adult deviant behaviour. American Journal of Forensic Psychology, 1, pp.31-60. Forehand, et al.,1991. Forehand et al, Juvenile fire setting: A unique syndrome or an advanced level of anti-social behaviour? Behaviour Research and Therapy, 29, pp.125-128. Hughes, P. & Ferrett, E. 2007. Introduction to Health and Safety at Work: The Handbook for the NEBOSH National General Certificate. 3rd ed. Butterworth-Heinemann. Jones, R. T., Ribbe, D. P. and Cunningham, P., 1994. Psychological correlates of fire disaster among children and adolescents. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 7, pp.117-122. King, C., 2008. bre. [Online] Available at: http://www.assemblywales.org/dfs16_-_bre.pdf [Accessed 16 June 2010]. Moore et al, 1996. Profiles of adolescent boys with a history of firesetting. Journal of Personality Assessment, 67, pp.4-20. National Fire Protection Association, 2005. Users Manual for Nfpa 921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations. 2nd ed. Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Reliable Fire Equipment Company, 2009. High Rise Building Safety Systems. [Online] (Updated 2 September 2009) Available at: http://www.reliablefire.com/businesstypes/highrisefiresafety.html [Accessed 16 June 2010]. Slavkin, M., 2002. Juvenile fire setting: an exploratory analysis. Psychiatry Services, 5, pp.1237-1238 Read More