What precautions do you have in place at your business to help avoid a fire or minimise the effects of a fire? If you can’t list a number of effective controls, then ask yourself another question: how damaging would a fire be to your business and the people who work there?
Unfortunately, these are questions that all too often get asked when it’s too late.
Every year in the UK, there is loss of life and damage done to businesses due to a failure to put adequate preventative or control procedures in place.
If you’re lucky enough that no-one gets seriously hurt from a fire at work, then there is still huge costs from loss of business, fines, compensation claims and insurance premiums.
Westwood work with businesses every year to help them deal with this threat, and strengthen their protection against fire in addition to their own measures to comply with fire safety legislation.
We supply fire shutters, fire curtains and smoke curtains which won’t stop a fire from starting but will minimise the impact and spread of fire, which can be critical to saving lives and costs.
Fire Shutters
Fire shutters are made from heavy-duty galvanised steel, and are rigorously tested for four hours fire resistance to exacting standards by an independent assessor, so they meet BS EN 1634-1 Fire resistance test for doors & shutter assemblies – part 1.
Naturally, this heightened protection to fire means they differ from standard roller shutters in numerous ways. Apart from their heavier-duty single skin, they possess steel components instead of plastic, along with a built-in facility to catch the barrel with a baffle plate if the barrel was to collapse after prolonged exposure to heat.
We also provide protection for other situations, such as passageways for pedestrian escape, offering a heavy-duty 100mm steel lath twin skin insulated fire shutter for a higher level of ambient heat protection.
Many businesses also deploy fire shutters in service shafts or service ducts to stop penetration between different floors. Twin skin fire shutters are becoming increasingly commonplace, as the lower transfer of heat allows extra protection for people and products.
We are experts at advising on what suits a business best when it comes to fire shutters, so feel free to contact us for a chat about how fire shutters can enhance the protection of your business from fire.
Fire Curtains
Fire Curtains provide a fabric fire and smoke barrier, helping to compartmentalise fire protection. Usually made from BS approved fabrics such as polyurethane, silicone coated glass cloth & stainless steel reinforced cloth, they minimise the impact of fires by protecting areas and controlling the flow of poisonous toxic gases and smoke.
It’s well documented that fatalities from fires are often due to the inhalation of smoke and toxic gases. This is why fire curtains are central to any effective fire safety system.
Westwood supply fully-tested fire curtains which are available in wide pans, face fixed, soffit fixed, or suspended, or we can tailor the fire curtains to your requirements.
Smoke Curtains
Smoke curtains work in a similar fashion to fire curtains, and are an effective part of any fire safety system by channelling or containing the spread of smoke and gases.
Smoke and gas inhalation are a prime cause of fatalities from fires, but smoke curtains can help minimise this threat by creating smoke reservoirs from which smoke and hot gases can be extracted, or alternatively prevent the spread of smoke to allow time for escape.
In common with all our products, Westwood supply the highest quality smoke curtains, which meet exacting standards. They can be tailored to any business specifications and come with a failsafe system to ensure closure in the event of power failure.
Both smoke curtains and fire curtains can come with a split so even if the curtain is closed, escape is still possible in an emergency.
It is usual to connect fire shutters, smoke curtains and fire curtains to any fire alarm signal, which would be accomplished by your fire alarm company who are familiar with your overall fire policy.
Ultimately, all three measures are an essential part of effective fire control for businesses. Given the huge costs in human life and financial outlays which come every year from fires at work , it pays to be protected.
And, it pays to be protected by companies supplying the right products at the right prices with the right levels of protection. Westwood are proud of their products and the benefits they bring, so talk to us if you want to enhance fire safety systems in your workplace.
