Thursday 5 September 2013

The Dangers of Smoke



Fitting the correct smoke ventilation system can save lives so it is vitally important to fit and to regularly have these lifesaving systems safety checked. 

No one wants to have to worry about a fire starting in their home when they go to sleep at night, we all know that fire is dangerous but it's actually the smoke the fire lets off that is the real killer. Having a smoke ventilation system fitted in your house can give you that piece of mind that if a fire was to occur whilst you are sleeping, the ventilation system would help get most of the smoke out of the house as quickly as possible.

In an unventilated room, there is nowhere for the smoke to go, so it will rise up to the ceiling. The smoke continues to fill the space available moving horizontally instead of vertically. The transfer of heat will cause it to be drawn back down to lower levels reducing visibility and the likelihood of a safe escape. The fire temperature will continue to increase causing potential flash overs and the collapse of the building.

I bet you are wondering how a ventilation system works and how it will help in the event of a fire? Well the vents will automatically open during a fire to allow hot air and smoke to escape and filtering cool air from outside in so that this delays the possibility of a flashover and the building collapsing. The vent also helps to reduce the speed in which the fire spreads through the building making it easier for people who may still be inside of the building to escape. It also means that the firefighters can enter the building a lot faster to extinguish the flames which could save it from being damaged any further. 

Ventilation Systems as mentioned above are expected to be fitted and regularly maintained. As proved, these simple operations can help the emergency services, eliminating the possible damage of property and its contents and above all help save precious lives.