The fire hatch is a highly reliable metal construction made of high-quality steel. Fire-resistant metal products are used for a snug fit of overlapping exits to the attic or basement, switchboards and utilities, ventilation chambers and elevator shafts.
A fire hatch with high protection against the spread of smoke is necessary in such public places as:
- Hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities.
- Administrative buildings.
- Office buildings and shopping centers.
- Motels and hotels.
- Cinemas.
- Preschool and school facilities.
How to properly mount the structure, and who has access to it
Installation of fire hatches is carried out exclusively by organizations or individual entrepreneurs holding an appropriate license issued by the Ministry of Emergencies. By type of assembly assembly, the products are wall, ceiling and floor. Due to the lack of a constant load on the wall hatches, the thickness of the door leaf and frame is less.
Ceiling hatches are equipped with stairs: vertical or inclined. As for the floor types of structures leading to the basement and subject to significant load, these products are manufactured with a reinforced box and steel sheet with a thickness of up to 2 mm. Walking on the floor hatches is completely safe, as they are very reliable in their strength. They mount the products in accordance with the compiled project documentation, indicating the type, limit of fire resistance and interaction with other fire-fighting equipment.
Design and manufacture of PPL
Fireproof hatches are made of a bent metal profile and cold-rolled steel sheets. The design of the fire hatch itself has two main components - a box and a door, which is hung and fixed to the frame by means of adjustable hinges. In this case, the web can be made of one or two steel plates.
The frame has a cavity that is filled with insulating material. It is also located between the sheets of the canvas, where the contents and the order of laying of its layers play an important role, because this ensures the necessary degree of fire resistance.
Along the perimeter, the hatch frame is equipped with a heat-sealing tape, which is designed to enhance protection against smoke penetration. When exposed to high temperatures, it swells and expands, which prevents the spread of hot smoke even more reliably. Today, on an individual order, manufacturers can make a fire hatch:
- with or without a ventilation grill ;
- with one or two wings;
- lockable or just snap on.
Different sizes of fire hatches
Actually, in essence, fireproof steel hatches are the same as metal doors, but with a smaller area. Their sizes vary, starting from 500 × 700 mm and reaching up to 900 × 1100 mm, which, in fact, depends on the size
building aperture. A fire hatch is installed in all cases when it is not possible to mount the door, as well as in the presence of a basement and an attic.
In buildings of classes such as F1, F2, F3 and F4, it is allowed to install a fire-fighting device of the second type for exits to the roof or the attic from the stairwells. This means that the size of the fire hatch in the attic must correspond to the parameters of 0.6x0.8 m, while it must be equipped with folding metal steps. Installation is mandatory for buildings with increased requirements for fire safety regulations or with any risk of fire.
By law, these types of structures are required for installations in mass-visited premises. The standard fire attic hatch is made of two profiles with an open section, while the thickness of the steel sheet must be strictly 2 mm. When buying, this indicator should be checked with the help of marking confirming the compliance of the purchased product with the current criteria.
Fire hatches, GOST and criteria
It is worth noting that there is no separate regulation relating specifically to fire hatches. GOST refers to methods for conducting the necessary tests of metal products for fire resistance according to existing regulations and standards.
As provided by the technical specifications, the highest fire resistance threshold of the hatch is 60 minutes. As for the efforts to open, about 30 kgf can be considered normal. Installation of both ceiling and floor hatches is allowed only with hinges outward, since the structure must open exactly up. The minimum fire resistance threshold of the product is 6 minutes.
In what cases does the fire fighting equipment help
Most organizations and enterprises, in accordance with the requirements of the law, keep huge volumes of paper documentation in the archives of their institutions. As a rule, these are old-type buildings in which the wiring has not changed for years. Because of this, an increased load on the mains threatens with short circuits, due to which spontaneous combustion can occur. As a result of this, important documentation and other expensive material values may be irretrievably lost.
It is not rational to change the wiring in the premises rented, and this repair can result in a huge penny. But by equipping these buildings with fire hatches, they can still be provided with safety.
Structural Maintenance
The maintenance of installed hatches includes routine inspections and checks, which are supposed to be carried out at least once a quarter and unscheduled after any emergency. The following types of work are considered mandatory:
- Checking the technical condition of the closer.
- External inspection of the hatch and checking the condition of its moving parts.
- Troubleshooting
Another check of the condition of the moving parts of the whole structure consists in external inspection, cleaning from dust and contaminants, and lubrication. It is very important to timely eliminate various jamming mechanisms that may be observed upon opening. Fire hatches are installed only indoors, where at temperatures from -1 to + 40 ° C and normal humidity, their life will be quite long.
Safety in the service of man
Fire is a destructive and terrible phenomenon. And to insure against it is 100% almost impossible. But then it is quite affordable to significantly reduce the risk of ignition and significantly reduce the likelihood of fire. And this will help the correct and high-quality installation of the fire hatch. Proper installation of the structure can save not only property, but also human lives.