Fire and Life Safety Assessment
Fire and life safety deals with safeguarding the occupants of an establishment from harm, prevention of property loss by fire, and life safety steps.
The National Building Code of India (2016) covers detailed guidelines for construction, maintenance and fire safety of buildings. Many local building bylaws have incorporated these requirements. Actions like incorporating building codes and carrying out periodic maintenance, testing, fire inspections contribute significantly to the reduction in fires and associated losses.
Though initially the buildings incorporate these codes, due to business requirements, changes are made in the building without corresponding to changes required in an FLS infrastructure. Often in the event of a fire, occupants are unaware of adequate response measures such as extinguishing the fire, alerting occupants and emergency services. Resulting fear and panic leads to people jumping from roof top or causing a stampede in efforts to escape which further results in loss of life.
Fire and Life Safety assessments aim to both prevent fires from occurring as well as train people on emergency measures such as extinguishing the fire and evacuation of premises.
Who Should Undertake Fire and Life Safety Assessment?
- Consumer-oriented businesses like hotels, banks, hospitals, showrooms, malls, cinema halls
- Buildings containing valuable goods like warehouses, courier offices, data centres, IT Infrastructure etc.
- High rise buildings, educational establishments P
- Places like offices, stadiums, factories
Benefits of Fire and Life Safety Assessment:
- Identify fire hazards, establish controls, recognize deficiencies in all functional areas of the organization.
- Attain visibility on risk areas, thereby allowing improvement programs, and focusing on a structured implementation of improvement plans.
- Protect assets, prevent reputational loss and promote transparency.
DNV's Assessment Protocol:
DNV’s Fire and Life Safety Assessment is a risk-based protocol. After this assessment, gaps are identified to improve your existing system to a more structural approach, beyond required legal compliance.
Key Components:
- Leadership and Governance
- Legal compliance
- Fire Safety
- Electrical Safety
- Chemical Safety
- General Civil/Structural Safety
- General Safety
Typical Assessment Methodology:
- Facility siting, protocol selection based on various groups as per NBC. Project management plan and deliverables
- Fire and Life Safety Assessment (On/Off Site)
- Assessment Report and Follow-up