BASICS OF FIRE

The simplest way to understand how a fire operates is demonstrated by the fire triangle. The triangle is made up of these three elements:

Placing the elements in a triangle shows how dependent each one is on the other; successfully removing any of them will put a stop to the fire.

Gaseous Fire Suppression

• CO2 – By reducing the O2 concentration in the room.
• FM200 – By removing the free radicals or heat elements from the fire triangle.
• Nitrogen (IG100) – By reducing the O2 concentration in the room.

Holding criteria

• For Example FM200 system usually having a design concentration of 7%-8% shall be discharged in the room within 10Sec after activation of Solenoid. This gas shall be maintained in the room for a minimum of 10 minutes which is a minimum period sufficient to allow for response by trained personnel.
• All gas system design standards require a certain design concentration of extinguishant be achieved in a pre-defined time. It is the nature of the of Clean Agent to suppress all flame and fire spread but it cannot in every instance extinguish the initial source of ignition (for instance, severe electrical short circuit).Therefore it is critical that the clean agent remain in the protected area for a minimum time period (generally 10 minutes for clean agents) at or above the defined protected height and at the correct design concentration.

How leak affects the holding time ?

As discussed earlier holding time is very essential in Fire suppression. Leakage in room will allow air to mix more with the agent reducing the concentration and could potentially nullifies the Suppression gas purpose.

During the agent release Pressure varies tremendously making the enclosure weak points to leak and Leak areas to break which would end in complete removal of the agent.

What is the solution ?

An Integrity test predicts how long fire suppressant agents take to descend to a given level in the room without having to release the agent itself. The system is setup in an available doorway. The protected area is then pressurised and the fan flow readings are taken, then to check those measurements the room is depressurised to take measurements to compare. The predicted retention time is calculated from the leakage characteristics and the enclosure and extinguishing system data.

Why should you do the test?

• Over time leakage points form in enclosures. This can be caused by a variety of factors and general wear and tear.
• Leakage points can cause your fire extinguishing system to fail. This could cause your equipment or data to be destroyed or worse – injury or loss of life.
• If you have not complied with the National Building Regulations, insurance companies may not settle any claims and you could be criminally liable if someone is injured or killed.

Room Integrity testing is a MANDATORY REQUIREMENT as per SANS/ISO 14520 Standard and needs to be carried out at least every 12 months.

HEALTH

Air Quality Detector Can Protect Babies and Elderly from Allergies Babies, kids and the elderly are especially at risk for breathing diseases for many reasons. They are very susceptible to breathing diseases, all the more we should invest in protecting them from what may cause it.

Protect Babies and Elderly from Breathing Diseases
The elderly usually suffer from asthma but are often explained as old age. It could also be caused by smoking or bad air quality (pollution). Ones who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s also cannot communicate what they feel, and this makes the diagnosis even harder.

Asthma is one of the most undiagnosed breathing diseases, causing breathing restrictions by inflaming the airways and lungs.

Recent studies confirm that a lot of people who suffer from asthma are older and that the disease lasted longer, needing emergency treatments and often went together with sinusitis and pneumonia. And it gets even harder to diagnose if the person has chronic bronchitis, heart failure or any other pulmonary disease.
Babies and children also have a hard time showing signs of asthma. 1 of 10 kids can develop it, and it can cause severe respiratory distress, with the chances of being fatal for the little ones.

Other Asthma signs to watch out for:
Besides the usual symptoms of coughing, you can check:
• Breathing problems
• Frequent viral infections
• Chest tightness
• Pain
• Trouble sleeping

Changing the habits can make a difference!
•  Avoid triggers
Smoke and pollen (particulate matter, PM.25) are one of the most common asthma triggers. Avoid smoking near or around children and the elderly. Assess the place you are going to for pollen count this way you can help avoid triggering an asthma attack.
•  Know your air
Having an Indoor Air Quality Monitor will help you to find out what’s going on where your loved ones live. uHoo can provide you with the data you need to make the changes that matter. When you receive an alert about the air quality, the uHoo app will also automatically provide recommendations on what you can do at that moment for better air quality.
•  Getting proper treatment
Going to your doctor and learning more about asthma can avoid visits to the ER, or even having to take shots, corticosteroids, or oxygen therapy. Use the right medications and allergy shots to get immunization .

What other tips can you share with those who suffer from asthma?