The document discusses the important role of facility managers in ensuring fire safety in buildings. It describes how facility managers are responsible for overseeing regular inspections, testing, and maintenance of fire protection systems. However, complications can arise if these tasks are not outsourced to an independent third party, as conflicts of interest could impair the effectiveness of the systems. The document recommends that facility managers conduct independent fire safety inspections annually in addition to regular inspections to catch any issues and ensure compliance. Maintaining properly functioning fire protection systems is crucial for protecting lives and minimizing damage in the event of a fire.

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46 | FIRE SAFETY
T
he facility manager spends the majority of his or
her time putting out fires. When I say fires, I’m
referring to hot topics in the day-to-day operation
and maintenance of a building. It may be the
air-conditioning has stopped working on a hot summer’s
day, causing discomfort to the tenants. Call out the facility
manager. Hot water is suddenly not available in the end-
of-trip facility in the basement; again call out the facility
manager. Blocked toilet on level five and currently overflowing
into the corridor. The phone never stops for the facility
manager who is at the heart of the building’s operation.
The most significant item the facility manager is involved
with, however, is literal fire and life safety for the building
and its occupants. This requires a great deal of knowledge
covering a wide range of topics in regards to the fire protection
system, including operational considerations, monthly
and annual testing and inspection requirements, and
preventative maintenance, as well as various policies and
procedures. To overlook or not have a good understanding
of how the fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems operate can
have catastrophic consequences in ensuring the safety of
the building’s occupants. The element of risk, duty of care
and responsibility for fire and life safety is a big burden,
but to whom does the facility management team turn for
professional and independent advice?
Typically, the team will have their own staff to undertake
weekly inspections and spot checks; however, quarterly and
annual inspections are outsourced. As with many other
facility systems and components, the correct inspection
and maintenance requirements often combine with
misrepresentation and misunderstandings to challenge
the team’s best efforts at efficiency and safety. Even if
facility managers oversee the appropriate inspections of
fire-safety systems, complications can arise that impair the
systems’ effectiveness, as well as endanger occupants and
operations. In order to overcome this, it is recommended that
a third-party fire-safety inspection is conducted as a way
to avoid possible conflicts of interest and ensure successful
compliance. It is recommended to have a third-party that
does not directly benefit from the inspection; for example, an
independent fire-protection contractor or engineer.
Main risk factors
Common issues resulting in tenant fitouts or modifications to
parts of the fire protection system include failures resulting
from valves that have been closed or partially closed. Other
Spark in the dark
The dangers of failing to maintain a building’s fire protection system and associated equipment
have been in the media spotlight of late. PAUL ANGUS discusses the significance of fire and life
safety and how it may impact your business.
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3. common failures involve tenant fitouts that have the token
painted sprinkler heads, painted smoke detectors, painted
heat detectors, even alarm systems where the loudspeaker
horns are taped over due to the occupant’s annoyance when
activated for testing purposes. Other common issues may
consist of tenancies that have amended the internal layout
without notifying the facility manager or consulting with a
professional engineer.
For example, an unused area of an office becomes a storage
room, changing the area class from a light-hazard space and
subsequent level of fire protection necessary.
The reality is that a fire can occur in a building anytime
and anywhere, most often occurring out of hours. Fires don’t
occur on a regular basis, and as a result fire safety measures
tend not to be high on the priority list of daily to-dos for
facility managers or building owners. It’s important that all
parties understand the short- and long-term effects of a fire.
There are plenty of obstacles to achieving best practices in
fire and life safety management; however, there are also ways
to overcome those obstacles. For one, there’s complacency.
Management and tenants may view a fire as highly unlikely
when there has never been one in a building. Another is
a change of priorities by building management, perhaps
pushing fire and life safety further down the list and
replacing it with another item that has a more physical
impact on the building that can be justified to tenants
paying rent.
On the subject of money, allocation of capital budgets
utilised for maintenance and upgrades can become an
issue. For example, if a fire hydrant or sprinkler pump needs
replacing, it’s difficult to convince management that the
replacement purchase is absolutely necessary.
Prevention is key to protecting lives and minimising
building damage in the event of a fire. No matter the degree
of preventive measures implemented, however, there are
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factors out of the facility manager’s control, such as human
error and electrical faults etc. So that spark in the dark
requires early detection.
Preventative measures
Fire detection is an important component in any building.
Having the ability to detect and pinpoint the early stages of
a fire outbreak with a high degree of accuracy is important.
Furthermore, detection plays an important role in life safety
evacuation efforts. Smoke and heat detectors are the two most
common choices for fire detection systems; however, these rely
on the building being well-maintained and monitored 24/7,
to help identify exact locations of fires, as well as notify the
building occupants and, most importantly, the fire brigade.
Newer commercial buildings are designed to have longer
performance life. Buildings can undergo various upgrades in
their lifespans and it is important to ensure the existing fire
protection system is as effective as it was when it was new,
that it meets current conditions and that it complies with
relevant standards and BCA requirements.
Testing and inspection play a key role in fire and life safety
management. For example, though it may seem obvious, a
building’s fire alarm system has to be regularly tested to make
sure it works. In addition, it shouldn’t be assumed that the
fire brigade is simultaneously notified as the alarm sounds,
this should be tested and appropriate measures implemented.
Perform regular testing, inspection and maintenance of
crucial fire protection systems, such as sprinkler systems, fire
dampers, alarms and the operation of fire doors.
When testing a building’s fire protection system, the
most common reaction from building occupants is to ignore
or complain about being inconvenienced by a fire drill.
Communicating the importance of fire protection testing and
policies is critical. Having an evacuation plan, as part of a fire
and life safety plan, is a crucial operational consideration, as
is practising the plan with a building’s staff and day-to-day
occupants.
The facility manager is responsible for ensuring building
occupants know how to respond to a fire and evacuate the
building in a safe manner, particularly in buildings that
people don’t typically occupy every day; i.e. storage areas,
server rooms etc.
Last and often overlooked is the safety of people with
disabilities during a fire and their passage to safety. Are safe
areas or rescue assistance areas provided to aid and assist
in evacuating individuals with disabilities? Protecting lives
and minimising damage to property in the event of a fire are
critical to the ongoing operations of your business. ●
Paul Angus is the associate director of the Hydraulic and
Fire team at Erbas and Associates with extensive experience
of plumbing systems in the UK, Europe and the Middle East.
Erbas has a key focus on reducing water consumption in
Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales.
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