Coopers Fire pass complex PAS 121 test matrix

May 4th, 2010

The CIF have carried out the first programme of testing for fire and smoke curtain systems on Coopers Fire. This was done so that Coopers Fire could meet requirements outlined in the new BSI standard PAS 121: 2007 (specification for active fire curtain barrier assemblies and active fire barrier assemblies with smoke rating).

What does this mean for Coopers Fire? According to CIF Head of Section: Fire Resistance Mark Cummings, the test programme carried out will allow the product’s performance to be adequately demonstrated to the satisfaction of the end user or specifier. Mark quoted ‘Retractable fire barrier curtains, more and more, are seen as an alternative to traditional glazed screens and partitions, but the product is still new and less experience exists among end users. As a result, they demand greater levels of demonstration that it will be fit for purpose.  By meeting the PAS 121 requirements Coopers Fire can give that reassurance.’

We at Coopers Fire are extremely happy to have passed this test, it is a true demonstration of the high standard our fire curtains are. It also shows the effectiveness of the product in serious fires as well as its technical complexity. We are hoping that this will create a better understanding of the function and role of fire curtains as well as its performance among designers, specifiers, regulators and enforcers.

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Posted in Fire Curtains, Fire doors, Fire safety | 4 Comments »

Top 5 Fire Evacuation Tips

March 2nd, 2010

Make sure that you are prepared to evacuate in case of a fire. Below are our top 5 tips on how to evacuate quickly and safely.

There is plenty of information across the internet for you to read regarding fire safety, but we have compiled a simple, easy to read list of things to do when evacuating a building. Make sure that everybody who works or lives in the building knows what to do in an emergency and that the information is displayed obviously around the building for guidance.

1. Proceed to the designated fire exits when hearing the fire alarm, only using stairs and never elevators. If you discover the fire make sure you sound the alarm and call 999 as you continue to exit the building.

2. As you leave the building close all windows and doors behind you as this will prevent the fire from spreading quickly. When opening a closed door, feel its temperature by placing the back of your hand against it. The back of your hand is the most sensitive area and you will be able to feel if there is a fire behind the door. Do not open a door with fire behind it, the flames will enter the room you are in extremely quickly as it will have more oxygen in. Warn others you see and help them exit as long as this does not posse an immediate threat to you.

3. If there is a large amount of smoke, stay close to the ground. Smoke rises meaning the air is cleaner close to the floor. By placing a wet cloth over your mouth you can restrict your intake of smoke as it will act as a filter. Remember in all situations stay calm and act fast.

4. Once out, proceed to the designated assembly point which should be at least 20m away from the building. Take a register or a head count to make sure no one is missing. If you do have a missing person under no circumstances should you re-enter a burning building, wait for help to arrive.

5. Evacuation is always necessary. If a fire is close to your building, still evacuate as fire can spread very quickly if it is not controlled. Once evacuated stay out of the building in the designated safe zone until the fire brigade have given you the all clear to re-enter.

It is important that you display fire safety notices around the building so all employees, residents and guests can learn how to evacuate safely. If you are a company operating out of building it is a requirement for you to run fire alarm test as well as evacuation drills. This is to ensure the safety of your employees.

Coopers Fire are suppliers of Fire Curtains and Smoke Curtains

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Posted in Coopers Fire, Fire Curtains, Residential Fire Safety | 2 Comments »

Keep your home safe – learn about smoke detectors

January 11th, 2010

Stay safe with smoke detectors. They are affordable and cheap.

There is enough information in the internet regarding how to make your home safe. It provides directions and guidelines relating to the installation of smoke detectors in your house, explaining the key places where you should place these detectors.  If you are constructing a building, you can buy your requirement of smoke detectors at wholesale price which provides you with further discounted price.

You would need 9 volt alkaline or carbon-zinc batteries to run most of the smoke detectors. You need to be careful in not letting the battery run out and it is advisable that you change the battery at least every six months. Most of the devices provide you with an alarm when the battery runs low. Never-the-less it has been found that most of the detectors installed in houses have run out of battery power, and remains without a fresh battery. There have been campaigns held to remind people to change the smoke detector battery at regular intervals, and these campaigns have even gone out to the people living in day light saving regions, asking them to change the batteries as they set the clock forward or backward. However to stay safe, it is best that the batteries are be changed every six months.

You should never use re-chargeable batteries in smoke detectors. The charge in these types of batteries do not remain as constant, and the commonly known NiCd and NiMH batteries have a much shorter life compared to the alkaline batteries. More-over, alkaline batteries are cheap and serve its purpose in providing steady power to the detector. The re-chargeable batteries drain off on their own, there-by losing the power capacity. If you use these batteries right after you charge them, they will provide you with more power than the alkaline ones. But as time goes on there will be rapid voltage drop in these batteries, and the transition from charged to the dead stage would be very rapid.

However, there are smoke detectors available in the market which uses lithium batteries. These batteries have been specified to run for 7 to 10 years, by which time the whole detector would need to be replaced. The detectors which run on replaceable 9 volt alkaline batteries are cheap to buy and are mostly found in residential buildings. Many detectors that you buy in the market have a built in light indicator, which comes on if the batteries are missing. There is one popular brand which will not allow you to close the battery compartment unless a battery has been placed in it. There are some which have spring-loaded protrusion which obstructs the attachment holes, preventing the detector to be installed on to the ceiling or the wall, unless the battery is put in its place. Some the local governments in the US do not allow installation of smoke detectors with removable batteries.

For any new construction, most of the building codes do not allow smoke detectors to run on batteries. The codes stipulate that the detectors should be wired to the electrical power of the building, though batteries may be kept installed in the detectors as a power back-up in case the electrical power fails. This is considered to be the best way that you can remain assured that in case of fire, your smoke detectors will set the alarm off for you to take the necessary actions.

Click on the links to learn more about residential fire safety or how Coopers Fire provide corporate fire safety products.

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Posted in Coopers Fire, Fire safety, Residential Fire Safety | 5 Comments »

How do smoke alarms work

December 27th, 2009

Smoke detectors save lives. Make your home is safe.

There are two types of technology used in the working of a smoke alarm, which runs from either 9 volt alkaline battery, a lithium battery, or from the 120 volt AC main house hold power. The detectors work either by optical detection, which is essentially a photo-electric device, or by chemical reaction, which follows the principle of ionization. There is some smoke detecting devices that you can buy which use both the technologies in order to provide a greater sensitivity in detection.

Optical detector smoke alarm:

The technology used in such devices is based on photo-electric principle. The smoke alarm device consists of a light sensor, which senses light from a built-in light source. This light source falls in front of the sensor in a straight line as long as there is no smoke. In case of a fire, the smoke from the fire enters the smoke alarm device and scatters the light from the light source, with the result the sensor detects the presence of light and sets off the alarm. This is how do smoke alarms work with photo-electric principle.

The other type of smoke alarm that you can buy works on the same principle but with an infra-red light source. This is how do the infra-red smoke alarms work. The light source falls directly on to the infra-red sensor, and as long as there is no smoke, the light beam is not disturbed. As smoke enters the device, the intensity of the light falling on the sensor gets scattered, with a result that the light falling on the sensor is of much lower intensity. This is detected by the sensor which in turn sets off the alarm. The light falling on the infra-red sensor is fine tuned to the intensity of the light falling on it. Therefore, any variation in the intensity of the light is detected by the sensor.

Ionization detector smoke alarm:

This is how do ionization smoke alarms work. Smoke alarm devices working on principle of ionization consists of an ionization chamber, where a potential from a battery source is applied to two plates, kept one on to top of the other, separated by about one centimeter. This chamber also has a minute quantity of americium-241 in the order of approximately 1/5000th of a gram. This is a radioactive material and is a good source for alpha particles. The battery in the smoke alarm applies a voltage to the two plates, charging the two to a positive and a negative potential. The alpha particles constantly knock the electrons off the atoms in the air, which ionizes the oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the chamber.

The positively charged oxygen and nitrogen atoms get attracted towards the negatively charged plate, while the electrons move towards the positively charged plate. This process generates a constant flow of a small current. In case of fire, smoke travels into the ionization chamber of the smoke alarm, and the particles from the smoke attach themselves with the ions, which start to get neutralized. This prevents the ions from reaching the plate and there is a drop in the current which sets off the alarm.

The radioactive element, americium-241, has a half-life of 432 years and has been fund to be a good source of alpha particles. The technology used in smoke alarm is unique and the devices have proved to be quite reliable in providing alert signals in case of fire. There are varieties of these detectors on sale in the market, which can run either on batteries or on the main electrical power of the building.

Coopers Fire are leading providers of Smoke Curtains and Fire Curtains.

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Posted in Residential Fire Safety, Service & Maintenance, Smoke | 8 Comments »

Fire safety tips when using candles

December 18th, 2009

We all love candle lights and candles are supposed to create one of the most romantic moments in life. In cold winter nights, candle lights bring a cozy atmosphere all around, and during those unfortunate power outages, we rely heavily on candles. However, many of us fail to follow some safety features when using candles during holiday seasons and at other times. Statistics show that the house fires are mostly caused by candles and it is at its peak in the cold seasons, and such incidents are growing.

Candles, no doubt, bring that feeling of warmth and cheer in our minds, and all of us should pay attention to some of the safety issues when using candles. Some of the fire prevention tips are presented below which may save your house catching fire from candles -

  • Never go to sleep with candles on your bedside table. It could be knocked down by you and the room may catch fire. Keep the candles in a secured place in a holder which will not fall over.
  • Never keep the candles near combustible materials. Keep those burning candles at least a foot or foot and a half away from curtains, bedding, holiday decorations, and like stuff. Do not place the candles with little space above the flame. Keep at least 6 feet of space to be safe from fire. Make sure that you have placed your candles away from your windows, vents, or fans since a little draft may spread the fire and become uncontrollable.
  • Put your candles in sturdy candle holders, which would prevent the candle from falling over as it burns. Make sure that the containers are non-combustible and are sitting on a plain and secured surface. The candles should not be kept within the reach of children.
  • Do not let the wicks burn till the wax is finished. The flame should not reach to a point where it has a chance to reach the bottom. You should always make sure that you put off the flame and start with a new candle. More than one third of the fire caused by candles is because people are not careful in putting off the flame when it reaches the end.
  • The candles should always put where you can see them. Never put them in a room where you do not intend to stay.
  • Try to use battery run flash lights or other battery powered lighting system during power outages. At such times, use of candles, kerosene heaters, lanterns, or other fuel-based equipment should be avoided.
  • Try and practice proper care of the candles before you light them. The wicks of the candles should be trimmed to about a quarter of an inch before lighting. Crooked wicks may cause wax dripping and uneven burning. Make sure that the wax of the candles is clean, and no debris like, wick trimmings, matches, etc. are left on the wax. When you put off candles, make sure that the wicks are not glowing.
  • When you are using more than one candle, put them at least three inches apart from each other. This will ensure that the flames do not come together and melt the wax of two or more candles creating a larger flame creating improper burning.

Following the above tips would help you to prevent fire when using candles. If you would like to learn more about fire safey or protecting your business, please visit the Coopers Fire site.

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Posted in Fire safety, Residential Fire Safety | 5 Comments »

Coopers Fire Install Anti Fire Device on Naval Ship

December 11th, 2009

As the first of three new warships was launched last week in Portsmouth, one local firm had a special reason to celebrate.
Coopers Fire, based in Penner Road, Havant, has spent the last three decades protecting some of the world’s most prestigious buildings using self-designed lifesaving metal curtains.

Coopers Fire were recently featured in the Portsmouth website. It’s a great news piece about how innovative fire safety technology from Coopers Fire is being used to protect naval ships.

Click on the following links if you would like to know more about Coopers Fire or our fire safety products.

Posted in Coopers Fire | 5 Comments »

Failure to comply with enforcement notices means fine for Exeter B & B

November 4th, 2009

A bed and breakfast owner has been fined £3415 and ordered to pay costs of £4900 after failing to comply with two enforcement notices.

Michael Scott-Hake of the Edwardian in Heavitree Road, Exeter was prosecuted as the responsible person by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority at Exeter Magistrates Court on 16 October. The enforcement orders related to sub-standard fire doors and inadequate smoke detection in some areas.

Group commander James Holgate of the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: “Our fire safety officers work closely with businesses to help them comply with the Fire Safety Order but, where their responsibilities are not taken seriously, the Service will always consider prosecution. I would like to advise business owners that fire safety is a legitimate overhead that needs taking into account.”

Coopers Fires can provide fire safety advice and products, please visit their website for further information: Fire and Smoke Curtains

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Posted in Coopers Fire, Fire safety, Residential Fire Safety, Service & Maintenance, Smoke, Standards & Building Regulations | 5 Comments »

Fire Kills Advert Now Showing on TV “Don’t Drown in Toxic Smoke”

October 28th, 2009

Below is the new safety advert from Fire Kills, entitled “Don’t drown in toxic smoke”, the idea is that it is highlighting the risk people are taking if they do not have a regularly tested and working fire alarm. This government backed advertising campaign launched recently is very hard hitting and designed to highlight the danger to those still without proper fire safety devices in their homes.

The message in the advert shows how quickly fire spreads and how dangerous the smoke from the fire can be. It only takes a few breaths of toxic smoke to affect your ability to breath, which is comparable to the feeling of drowning.

The Communities and Local Government department says new survey results show that people underestimate the impact of toxic smoke. Almost half said they would be alerted to a fire by the smell of smoke and 43% thought they could survive in a smoke filled room for more than two minutes.

The advertisement depicts a sleeping couple being overcome by the drowning sensation of toxic smoke when a fire breaks out in their home. The TV campaign is accompanied by radio, print and online advertising.

The aim of the campaign is to encourage people to test their smoke alarms on a weekly basis. Although 90% of those surveyed owned a smoke alarm, 70% said they did not test them every week.

Posted in Coopers Fire, Fire safety | 4 Comments »

Residential Fire Safety

October 21st, 2009

Under current Building Regulations, Approved Document B for Fire Safety, self-closing fire doors in normal two storey dwellinghouses are not required with the exception of doors that lead to an integral garage.

Flats do require internal fire doors, but they are not required to be self-closing as residents are expected to close their internal doors at night. When a residential property is refurbished and/or altered and where fire-separating walls have been removed they will require additional protection for the means of escape and as such they will need to be self-closing.

Because fire doors often do not provide any significant insulation, there should be some limitation on the proportion of doorway openings in compartment walls. Therefore no more than 25% of the length of the compartment wall should consist of door openings unless the required insulating factor, at least 30 minutes, with a smoke rated performance is achieved as recommended in Approved Document B. The product shall be self-closing in the event of a fire.

Using active fire curtain/barriers instead of doors:

Whilst they could be closed each night, the likelihood is that they will not be as unlike a door, they are out of sight, whilst the curtains could be closed manually when a fire is detected, the likelihood is that sleeping occupants will not awake in time to close them, if they awake at all. Therefore the use of self-closing fire curtain/barriers activated by smoke/heat detectors are recommended in all residential properties.

Where the fire curtain/barrier is replacing a wall it has to be deployed upon detection of a fire to reinstate the fire-separating element or keep the wall. Any deviation from these recommendations should be agreed in writing with the Local Building Control.

Active Fire and Smoke curtain/barriers are LIFE SAFETY products, Suppliers, Designers and Purchasers have a duty of care to protect life and install a system that is there when needed.

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