Fire is an element that is not easy to keep in check. When she gets out of control, fires occur. The reasons for their occurrence are different, but, according to statistics, in 90% of cases of fires, a person’s fault is traced due to careless handling of fire or violation of safety rules. Fires entail the destruction of material values and, most terrible, the loss of life.
Every sane person understands that such a disaster is easier to prevent than to deal with it. Special equipment helps minimize the damage from fires occurring in places where people are staying. So, to extinguish a fire in buildings and structures, in storage areas, enterprises and other facilities, fire shields are mandatory. GOST 12.4.009-83 regulates their standards and technical characteristics, as well as requirements for placement and maintenance. Ignoring these rules often leads to dire consequences, up to the human victims.
Appointment of fire shields
The presence of such equipment as a fire shield is a mandatory requirement for operating structures, buildings, enterprise territories, technological installations and other facilities that are not equipped with their own fire water supply system or automated fire extinguishing systems, as well as remote from external water sources of fire extinguishing more than 100 m .
Its main purpose is to provide easy access for enterprise personnel to fire fighting equipment. For ease of location, shields are painted in bright red (contrasting color is allowed - white with a red border).
Types of fire shields and their equipment
Fire shields are closed (metal grill or glass) or open type. In turn, both of them can have a hinged or attached design.
A fire shield of any kind must be fully equipped with serviceable equipment, the quantity and composition of which are determined in accordance with the standards. It should compactly place all the tools used in the primary stage of fire fighting. In addition, it is necessary to provide unhindered access to this equipment if necessary.
Elements of standard equipment include a hook, scrap metal, two buckets for sand (conical), a special shovel. Additionally, the fireman’s shield can be equipped with a pair of fire extinguishers, an ax, a nightmare, and dielectric products. Specialized equipment provides forks, protective screens, trolleys and other non-mechanized equipment.
Materials, placement and quantity requirements
The material for the manufacture of panels is sheet steel or wood. Special metal or wooden boxes filled with sand and barrels of water should also be installed next to them.
When calculating the optimal number of shields necessary to ensure the fire safety of a particular object, proceed from the following indicators:
- categories of buildings, structures, structures;
- the presence of technological explosion and fire hazardous installations;
- fire hazard class of the facility;
- limit area per fireman’s shield.
Equipment standards, depending on these indicators, are reflected in table. 3 ISO No. 3941-77.
An important fire safety measure is the maintenance of properly equipped shields and the surrounding area in order to ensure free access to inventory. Defective and outdated equipment may not be suitable in a critical situation, therefore, timely repair or replacement is necessary.