The recent blaze in the Grenfell Tower, UK, was just another gruesome reminder of the immense damage fires can cause, with 72 people killed, 70 left injured, and hundreds displaced from their homes.
The worst part is that the Grenfell Tower fire, like so many other high-rise blazes before it, would have been avoidable if proper measures had been taken at the time of the building’s construction.
According to official reports, the tragedy happened because a small fire accidentally broke out in an electrical appliance on the fourth floor. The rapid spread of flames was assisted by the structure’s external claddingwhich hadn’t been designed for proper fire safety regulations, and the entire building was soon engulfed.
The blaze burnt continuously for around 60 hours before firefighters finally brought it under control.
On-going enquiries into the incident have confirmed that the insulation used between the external cladding and the aluminium structure was to blame for the spread of fire.
According to fire safety experts, the insulation hadn’t been designed for use with non-combustible cladding, and the material practically ‘lit up like a matchstick’ the second it came into contact with the flames.
More information will come out as the enquiry delves deeper into the matter, but the Grenfell tragedy has already brought light to the very important, and often ignored, issue of fire safety; more importantly, ensuring fire-protection during the construction of high-rise buildings.
The use of electronic devices has increased the risk of fire as well. They could certainly be devastating, that’s why it is necessary to take necessary steps that could keep us safe from any huge destructions. The buildings should be constructed by following the strict regulations and guidelines to ensure the long-term safety of the people who are going to reside in it.
There are a lot of approaches that could be practiced to make your building and house safe place against any hazardous fire situations. Since the electronic devices are more, the fire igniting material is also used very commonly; that’s why it is just more than necessary to take precautionary steps right during the development phase. The use of Intumescent Paint on pipes and other material could ensure the better safety of a building in fire situations as well.
These paints work by swelling and expanding in the presence of heat and developing a charred surface,which protects the substrate inside from the adverse effects of direct exposure to fire.
The expansion process takes place due to the presence of certain heat-sensitive chemicals which are suspended in the paint using binders.
When a direct source of heat is applied, the binder gives way, exposing the chemicals to the flames. These substances then under go a vigorous reaction which releases gasses and the entire body of paint expands and swells up.
The sudden increase in the volume and subsequent decrease in the density of the intumescent paint slows down the heating of the substrate inside, increasing its fire rating and preventing it from melting.
Through proper applications, fire ratings of 2+ hours have been achieved for steel members, and 30+ minutes for timber beams, giving the building’s residents an ample amount of time to escape safely.
