London has come a long way since the tragedy of the Great Fire of London in 1966 that engulfed the entire city and left only one-fifth of the city standing. Even though the casualties were limited, the loss of infrastructure was catastrophic with hundreds of thousands left homeless. 

Now with the intervention of technology and modern ways, we as a civilisation are better equipped to overcome the throes of fire-related incidents. However, most people are still unaware of what entails fire safety in general, for instance, the difference between active and passive fire protection systems. 

Did you know most businesses that experience a fire-related incident during the course of their operations either never re-open or find it difficult to recover from the ordeal altogether? Does it then not make sense to invest in both active and passive fire protection systems as a pre-emptive step?

In the course of this blog not only will we shed some light on the difference between active and passive fire protection systems but also why they are important to fire-proof any establishment. 

1. What Are Active Fire Protection Systems?

Any fire safety equipment that requires some amount of motion or action to function efficiently in the occurrence of any fire-related incident is classified as an active fire protection system. The action may be voluntary like in the case of a fire extinguisher that requires the intervention of an individual or mechanical like a sprinkler that sets off when in contact with fire or smoke. 

Their main job is to slow down the progression of fire once detected and try to put out as much as possible using water or foam as a source in most cases or using inert gases, halons and chemical powders in an attempt to protect control panels and switch rooms. 

2. Some Examples of Active Fire Protection Systems Are:

• Fire Extinguishers
• Fire Alarm Systems
• Fire Sprinklers
• Fire Pumps
• Standpipe Systems
• Fire Blanket
• Automatic Fire Suppression
• Gaseous Clean Agent
• Foam Fire Suppression
  
  

3. What Are Passive Fire Protection Systems?

In contrast to active fire protection where some sort of force or action is required to put it in motion, for passive fire protection systems to optimally perform their job it is imperative that they are installed correctly. 

Their main job is to compartmentalise the area where the fire has started and refrain it from spreading to other parts of the establishment to ensure the safe evacuation of the inhabitants and buy some time for the firefighters to arrive at the scene.

4. Some Examples of Passive Fire Protection Systems Are:

• Fire Doors
• Fire Stopping 
• Fire-Proofing Cladding 
• Cavity Barriers 
• Fire and Smoke Dampers
• Fire Curtains
• Intumescent Coatings
• Grease Ducts
• Enclosures

5. Do We Really Need Active and Passive Fire Protection Systems Both?

Both active and passive fire protection systems are pivotal to fire-proofing any establishment, business and people. Even though they both perform a set of distinctive functions, together they are someone’s best shot at safeguarding themselves against any fire-related incident.

Therefore, once active and passive fire protection systems have been installed it is imperative that they receive adequate maintenance by certified experts to ensure they are on par with industry standards.   

6. How Can Onetrace Assist You in Your Quest?

Humans have a tendency to often forget petty details when working under pressure. This is where the intervention of technology comes in handy. With Onetrace, building owners, operatives and contractors can capture key information about a building’s fire integrity to ensure its active and passive fire protection systems are not compromised. 

In addition, with a single click, you can generate a customised report that provides the details of all fire protection work conducted on a building. Using Onetrace’s reporting feature you can generate a report immediately, should a client ever require some information regarding a specific establishment, it will literally be just a single click away. 

Interested to check out how Onetrace can be used to keep tabs on all information regarding a building? All you need to do is book a demo.

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