Every year more and more attention is paid to the issues of protecting the population and territories from fires and their consequences. The regulatory framework in this area is supplemented monthly with new requirements and rules, which, as you know, are written in blood and at the cost of human life. But the most controversy and perplexity raises the question: "What does it mean" Powder - go away! "?
When did the siren appear?
In the early 2000s, when powder fire extinguishing systems began to appear, again on the basis of numerous victims, the state standard specification for safety signs introduced this annunciator.
Fire extinguishing powder is considered a very toxic substance, which primarily affects the respiratory system of a person in the zone of elimination of combustion. When installing automatic powder fire extinguishing, it was necessary to find a way to warn everyone around that a flask of powder had broken in the room and it was life threatening to be there. So the “Powder - go away!” Siren appeared, which is a light way to warn of danger.
Since then, the legislation obliges all objects with a mass stay of people where automatic fire extinguishing is used to install such a device before entering a potentially dangerous room .
Ambiguity of wording
The inscription "Powder - go away!" originally had a comma in the text in place of a dash, which caused bewilderment and ridicule among the townsfolk. Many caustically joked, saying that this tablet is a direct discrimination of the powder, as if he should not go anywhere. Therefore, the comma was replaced by a dash, which still leaves a lot of questions .
A few years ago, in a newspaper article, a journalist spoke about the unusual use of this plate in nightclubs. As soon as representatives of the anti-drug service appeared in the institution, a light warning immediately turned on. What does it mean "Powder - go away!" in this case? Of course, the opportunity to leave the premises before the police search and not to go to jail.
However, such use of the siren is unlawful, because according to the passport the device should only work if there is a threat and an existing powder fire extinguishing system.
How does the siren work?
Starting a fire extinguishing indoors sends a signal to the control panel of the entire fire automatics, from where the signal is sent to the light indicators and turns them on.
On the light panel, what does “Powder - go away!” Mean? Firstly, the inclusion of this board is information that the process of extinguishing the flame with the help of powder has been started indoors. Secondly, this is information that staying in such a room is dangerous for health and life.
Thirdly, this is information for duty personnel that the system worked correctly, the extinguishing agent was fed into the combustion zone. If, for some reason, the sound alarm did not start, then the inclusion of a panel with a warning about the spraying of powder can be regarded as an indication for immediate evacuation.
It should be remembered that when spraying the powder, visibility in this area is not more than 0.3 m, which significantly impairs the ability of personnel to quickly evacuate.
All enterprises have introduced specialized training in the amount of a fire-technical minimum, which allows not only to train personnel in the correct actions in the event of a fire, but also to convey to employees information on what “Powder - go away!” and other fire safety signs.