Quick answers
Why is fire safety important in buildings?
Because most fires can be prevented, and when one does start, the right systems and a clear way out decide whether people get out alive. Following the National Building Code and auditing fire systems regularly would avoid many major fires.
What are the three parts of fire safety in NBC 2016?
Part 4 of the National Building Code covers fire prevention (how a building is planned and built to stop fires starting and spreading), life safety (warning and safe exits) and fire protection (extinguishers, hydrants, sprinklers, alarms, pumps and tanks).
Is a fire NOC or an installed fire system enough to keep a building safe?
No. Alarms, exits, fire doors and sprinklers need regular checks, servicing and drills, and fire safety must be reviewed whenever the building is used differently.
What is a fire safety audit?
A check of whether a building's fire safety systems are in place, working and in line with the National Building Code. It shows up gaps while there is still time to fix them.
What should I do if I discover a fire in my building?
Raise the alarm, call 112 or 101 and leave by the nearest safe route without using the lift. Stay low under smoke, close doors behind you, go to the assembly point and do not go back in until the fire brigade says it is safe.
With more high-rise buildings, new smart cities and new industrial zones coming up, fire safety is a real worry. Many of the big fires we read about could have been avoided. Poor planning of buildings and commercial areas, no evacuation plan and fire systems that nobody checks are the usual story. Simply following the rules already on paper, and auditing fire systems regularly, would prevent much of this.
No building is ever completely fire-safe. But most fires can be prevented, and stopping a fire before it starts is always the safest way to deal with it.
What the National Building Code says
Part 4 of the National Building Code of India 2016 (NBC), “Fire and Life Safety”, sets out what buildings need for fire prevention, life safety and fire protection. It sorts buildings into occupancy classes and lists the fire-prevention features each must have to reduce the danger to life and property. NBC is a model code. Your state and local fire authority adopt and enforce it through their own rules, so check what applies to your building.
A fire safety audit is the practical way to find out whether a building’s fire safety systems are really in place and in line with the NBC.
How to prevent fires and loss of life
Whether it is a home, a workplace or a commercial complex, these steps protect lives and property:
- Build fire-resistant structures that meet the required safety standards.
- Carry out a fire risk assessment, act on what it finds and keep it up to date. Employers must put adequate fire safety measures in place, based on that assessment, so that nobody is hurt or killed if a fire breaks out.
- Train the people in the building in firefighting and evacuation, regularly.
- Keep ignition sources and flammable material well apart, and store them only in the areas set aside for them.
- Prevent accidental fires, for example by placing heaters where they cannot be knocked over.
- Keep the place tidy. Do not let rubbish and waste pile up where it can catch fire.
- Have a way to detect a fire and warn everyone quickly, such as smoke alarms, a fire alarm or warning bells.
- Install the right firefighting equipment so a fire can be put out early.
- Keep fire exits and escape routes clearly marked and free of obstructions at all times.
- Make sure staff are trained in what to do, and hold fire drills.
The three parts of fire safety in NBC Part 4
Life safety
Every building must be built, equipped, maintained and run so that people have a safe way out, without undue danger from fire, smoke, fumes or panic while they escape. In buildings that hold large numbers of people, announcements and a voice-guided system may be needed to lead people to exits and safer areas and to stop panic.
The life safety section covers:
- General exit requirements
- Arrangement of exits
- Number of exits
- Doorways
- Corridors and passageways
- Horizontal exits
- Internal staircases
- External staircases
- Pressurisation of escape routes
- Ramps
- Refuge areas
- Fire lifts and fire towers
- Emergency escape lighting
- Fire detection and warning
Fire prevention
The fire prevention section deals with how a building is planned and built so that fires are less likely to start and spread. It covers:
- Classification of buildings
- Fire zones
- Types of construction
- Requirements common to all occupancies
- Heat and smoke venting
- Surface and interior finishes
- Glazing, casements, skylights and louvres
- Passive fire protection
- Requirements for individual occupancies
Fire protection
Depending on their occupancy, size and height, buildings must be protected by equipment such as fire extinguishers, hose reels, wet risers, down-comers, yard hydrants, automatic sprinklers, deluge systems, high or medium velocity water spray, foam, water mist, gas or dry powder systems, and manual or automatic fire alarms. The section covers:
- Extinguishers
- Small-bore hose reels
- Dry risers
- Wet risers
- Down-comers
- Yard hydrant systems
- Automatic sprinkler installations
- Manual fire alarm systems
- Automatic fire alarm systems
- Underground water storage tanks
- Terrace tanks
- Ground-level pumps
- Terrace-level pumps
The 2016 edition also added fire protection provisions for car parks, malls and multiplexes, hospitals and hotels, commercial kitchens, super high-rise buildings over 100 metres and metro rail.
Why regular audits matter
Frequent fire safety audits and risk assessments bring fire accidents down. An audit shows up the gaps and faults in your existing systems while there is still time to fix them. Act on its recommendations and a small fault never gets the chance to become a disaster.
Start this week. Walk from your flat or office to the street by the stairs and note anything blocking the way, a fire door wedged open or an extinguisher past its service date. Then get it fixed.
What needs attention
- A fire NOC or an installed system does not keep a building safe on its own; daily care and maintenance do
- People need early warning and a protected way out before smoke or panic takes their options away
- Alarms and sprinklers work best alongside fire walls, fire doors and sealed openings that hold the fire back
- What a building needs depends on how it is used, how many people are inside and what can burn; one checklist does not fit all
- Drills must include visitors, contractors, night shifts and people who need help to get out
- Fire engine access, water supply and up-to-date building plans affect how well the fire brigade can help
Controls that reduce risk
- Get a fire risk assessment done for your building by a qualified professional
- Check that the building is still used the way its fire approval says
- Test the alarm and make sure it can be heard or seen in every occupied area
- Inspect exits, staircases, fire doors, emergency lights and the assembly point
- Keep detectors, sprinklers, pumps, water tanks and extinguishers serviced to the standards that apply
- Name fire wardens for every shift and plan help for people who cannot get out on their own
- Invite the local fire station to look at access and hazards where you can
- Write down every fault, every time a system is shut down, what was fixed and who is responsible
Common unsafe practices
- Treating fire safety as a one-time approval instead of something you look after every day
- Locking, narrowing or storing things in exits and staircases
- Wedging fire doors open, or breaking through fire walls for cables and pipes without sealing them properly
- Switching off alarms or shutting down pumps and sprinklers without urgent repair and extra precautions meanwhile
- Adding electrical load, stacking stock higher or packing in more people without reviewing fire safety
- Training only the security staff while everyone else does not know the alarm or the assembly point
- Trying to fight a growing fire instead of getting out and calling the fire brigade
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