The damage caused by a fire is immense. The flames mercilessly devour everything in their path - all that remains is devastation and destruction. But much worse than the financial damage, which can quickly run into six or even seven figures, is the danger to human life caused by fire. Not only the heat, but above all the smoke quickly becomes a danger to life and limb.
There is therefore no question of preventing fires at all costs. The technical term for this is fire protection. This issue is so important that it affects all relevant areas: Fire protection affects house construction just as much as companies or public facilities. The following article explains in detail what is meant by the term preventive fire protection and how fire protection can be prevented.
Preventive fire protection - definition and delimitation
Preventive fire protection is a sub-area of general fire protection. Fire protection covers all efforts to prevent fires from starting, control fires that have broken out and save the lives of people and animals threatened by flames. This definition alone makes it clear how extensive the scope of fire protection is. This makes it difficult to allocate competences and responsibilities. The education or training of fire protection specialists would also be lengthy and highly complex in such a wide-ranging field. For this reason, fire protection is further subdivided in practice into preventive and defensive fire protection. The two sub-areas are explained in more detail below.
Preventive fire protection
Preventive fire protection is also known as fire prevention. But what exactly is preventive fire protection? It deals with measures, methods and possibilities to prevent fires from starting. Preventive fire protection also includes measures to prevent the spread of fire in the event that a fire does occur. Preventive fire protection is therefore an example of preventive efforts to avoid putting people, animals and the environment in danger in the first place.
In fact, the legislator considers fire prevention to be so important that it is explicitly mentioned in numerous legal regulations and ordinances. Its application therefore also affects many areas - preventive fire protection is relevant for the construction industry, public institutions have to deal with it and employers are also obliged to take measures to protect the lives of their employees.
In most cases, the responsibility for fire prevention lies with those responsible, i.e. building owners, public bodies or employers. However, preventive fire protection is also carried out by the fire service. For example, preventive fire protection plays an important role at the Hamburg fire brigade in the monitoring of events or in the context of expertises. Overall, however, preventive fire protection is of course a key issue from Berlin to Munich - and not just for the fire services.
Fire defence
Preventive fire protection therefore primarily comprises preventive measures; however, if a fire does occur, fire defence measures are required. Specifically, the aim is to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible, get people and animals at risk to safety in good time and minimise the risk of consequential damage to people and the environment. Preventive fire protection is carried out by various responsible parties; defensive fire protection, on the other hand, is the responsibility of the fire brigade. They have the necessary expertise and equipment to fight fires effectively and safely. Nevertheless, everyone can support the firefighters, because good preventive fire protection reduces the need for defensive measures.
Preventive fire protection - Legal regulations
Preventive fire protection is therefore an important tool for preventing fires in buildings. Legislators do not want to leave anything to chance here and have made preventive fire protection an integral part of some Regulations anchored. The following passage can be found in the Model Building Code (MBO), which is the legal basis for the building regulations of the individual federal states: "Building structures must be arranged, erected, modified and maintained in such a way that the development of a fire and the spread of fire and smoke (fire propagation) is prevented and, in the event of a fire, the rescue of people and animals and effective extinguishing work are possible" (Section 14).
Preventive fire protection also plays a role in the Occupational Health and Safety Act: "The employer must take the measures required for first aid, firefighting and evacuation of employees in accordance with the type of workplace and activities as well as the number of employees" (ArbSchG § 10).
Preventive fire protection is also addressed in the Technical Rules for Workplaces (ASR). Specifically, ASR 2.2 has the following objective: "This ASR applies to the installation and operation of workplaces with fire extinguishing equipment and to other measures for detecting, alerting and fighting incipient fires." Other health and safety regulations that address preventive fire protection are ASR 1.3, which deals with health and safety labelling, and ASR 2.3, which deals with escape and rescue plans.
Additional regulations can be found, for example, in the specifications of the statutory accident insurance, which can be found in issue 205-001 of the DGUV Information on the implementation of operational fire protection measures in practice, or in the requirements of the VdS (Association of Property Insurers).
Objectives in preventive fire protection
Even though it has already been mentioned several times, it should be clarified once again in this section: What does preventive fire protection aim to achieve? The answer to this is simple: to prevent fires. This includes recognising and eliminating all the risks that could lead to a fire breaking out. However, preventive fire protection also means taking preventive measures in case a fire does break out. In companies, this includes, for example, defining escape routes or providing fire extinguishers. With all the measures involved, preventive fire protection aims to protect people.
Incidentally, preventive fire protection is taken very seriously in Germany - the regulations here are stricter than almost anywhere else. Nevertheless, up to 500 people die every year as a result of fires or their consequences. This emphasises how important preventive fire protection and education about it still is.
Preventive fire protection - the three pillars
Anyone confronted with this for the first time may ask themselves: What is fire prevention? After all, it has already become clear how comprehensive and wide-ranging the topic is. In order to simplify the training of specialists - specialist planners for preventive fire protection, for example - preventive fire protection is divided into three areas: structural fire protection, technical fire protection and organisational fire protection. Preventive fire protection comprises different measures depending on the area in question. In practice, the sub-areas often merge into one another. In a company, preventive fire protection normally includes structural, technical and organisational measures.
Structural fire protection
Structural fire protection refers to buildings. Preventive fire protection must already be taken into account during construction. In newer buildings, the aspects relevant to fire protection are recorded in the fire protection concept. This facilitates Fire safety officer in the company This makes their work much easier, as they can constantly compare the actual state of the building with its target state. This is particularly important when structural changes are made. Unfortunately, preventive fire protection is sometimes forgotten. However, if escape and rescue routes change due to a new room layout, the fire protection concept must be adapted without fail.
In addition, structural fire prevention also includes a sufficiently high resistance of the components to fire. The specific requirements are precisely defined in the building regulations of the respective federal state. This also includes the room layout and the fire resistance of the materials used. Structural fire prevention also includes Windows and Doorswhich, in the event of a fire, prevent the fire from spreading to the entire building.
Preventive fire protection aims to prevent fires; however, it can never be completely ruled out that a fire will break out in a building. Structural fire prevention therefore also includes a well thought-out escape and rescue route concept that ensures that everyone in the building can get outside as quickly as possible.
Technical fire protection
Another pillar of fire prevention is preventive fire protection for technical systems. This includes all technical systems or aids that fire safety officers and Fire protection assistants in the company to help prevent fires or contain them in good time. Examples of this include smoke detectors, fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems, hydrants and fire extinguishers. Of course, preventive fire protection also means regularly checking and maintaining these systems to ensure that they work in an emergency.
Preventive organisational fire protection
The third pillar is called preventive organisational fire protection. It aims to educate or train individual employees so that they can take on tasks in the area of preventive fire protection. First and foremost, this includes the fire safety officer, who must undergo extensive training. In addition, organisational preventive fire protection requires evacuation assistants who, in the event of an emergency, ensure that all people in the building seek the outside in an orderly fashion without panicking. Fire safety assistants are also trained in measures to bring smaller fires under control. Organisational preventive fire protection therefore distributes responsibilities among several people in order to reduce the risk of panic in the event of a fire.
Preventive fire protection - examples of specific measures
Preventive fire protection in Hanover and everywhere else therefore comprises three pillars: structural preventive fire protection, system-based preventive fire protection and organisational preventive fire protection. In other words, the design, technical systems and trained employees should ensure that fires do not start in the first place or can at least be brought under control quickly. However, some people may still not really realise what preventive fire protection actually is. To make the individual areas of responsibility even clearer - and to emphasise once again how extensive preventive fire protection is - the following sections describe individual measures from the area of preventive fire protection in detail.
Structural measures
Structural fire prevention deals with structural measures that reduce the risk of a fire spreading in a building. This can be achieved in various ways. For example, fire-resistant ceilings and walls ensure that flames remain controllable for longer. Fire-resistant glazing, on the other hand, can withstand fire significantly longer than conventional glass. Structural preventive fire protection also includes closing off individual rooms or corridors with gates, flaps or doors to prevent fire and smoke from spreading throughout the building. Fire protection coatings applied to floors or systems are another effective means of ensuring that preventive fire protection is successful. Overall, structural measures and structural preventive fire protection are aimed at preventing a fire from spreading so that it can be controlled more quickly and damage is minimised.
Organisation of escape and rescue routes
Structural preventive fire protection also includes the organisation of escape and rescue routes. This includes developing appropriate escape and rescue plans, as well as recording them in a plan. In addition, preventive fire protection should include regular drills in which the escape routes are actually used. The clear labelling of escape routes supports those fleeing in an emergency. Structural fire prevention must also ensure that escape routes are kept clear at all times and that emergency exits are not blocked or obstructed. Only in this way can preventive fire protection contribute to saving lives in the event of a fire.
Implementation of fire alarm systems
Plant-based preventive fire protection, on the other hand, uses technical aids to detect fires as quickly as possible and nip them in the bud. This naturally includes the implementation of a fire alarm system, but regular maintenance must also be carried out so that preventive fire protection can work. Preventive fire protection systems also include the development of an emergency plan, which also includes the relevant emergency numbers. Appropriate positioning in the building allows everyone to see at a glance what needs to be done and who needs to be informed. The provision of extinguishing equipment and recurring practical exercises in its use enable fire safety officers and helpers to extinguish small fires quickly. Preventive fire protection in plant engineering therefore also includes this aspect.
Ensuring an adequate supply of extinguishing water
Preventive fire protection therefore includes, among other things, the provision of extinguishing equipment. The supply of extinguishing water should also not be overlooked. In an emergency, the fire brigade is dependent on having access to large quantities of water in order to extinguish fires that have got out of control. To this end, extinguishing water points and underground hydrants have been installed everywhere - another preventive fire protection measure. However, preventive fire protection systems must now ensure that these points remain accessible. In concrete terms, this means that nothing may be placed on an extinguishing water point.
Elimination of ignition sources
Preventive fire protection also means thinking about ignition sources. These can be short circuits from appliances or machines as well as sparking work. A general ban on smoking in the workplace is also preventive fire protection - in addition to a protective measure for non-smokers. In some companies, flammable liquids must also be stored. Preventive fire protection means that a separate room is used for this purpose, which is accessible from the outside. In addition, preventive fire protection ensures that fire bridges to such sources of danger are avoided at all costs.
Maintenance of the installed protective measures
Preventive fire protection can be achieved through many protective measures. However, it is not enough to simply purchase and install them. Preventive fire protection in particular includes equipment that can break down. If this is only discovered in an emergency, the consequences are fatal - and all the efforts made for the purpose of preventive fire protection are in vain. For this reason, preventive fire protection in particular must always take into account the maintenance and servicing of all protective measures taken.
Carrying out exercises
Preventive fire protection is multi-layered. It includes the handling of equipment as well as certain behaviours designed to prevent fires from starting and spreading. It is necessary to carry out regular practical exercises so that all those affected, especially the staff in a company, know what preventive fire protection means. Preventive fire protection also includes instruction and training so that employees are always aware of the importance of the topic. The appointment of responsible persons such as the fire safety officer, fire safety assistants and evacuation assistants also ensures that preventive fire safety is observed in the company.
Support for the fire brigade
Preventive fire protection is the most important means of preventing fires as far as possible. However, this is not always successful, which is why the fire brigade has to arrive in an emergency. However, in order for them to fulfil their task quickly, preventive fire protection must ensure that the emergency services have unhindered access to the building. Access routes must therefore be marked with an absolute stopping ban, which applies not only to cars but also to parked objects. Preventive fire protection can also mean that the fire brigade is given quick access to the building at all times, for example by means of a separate key box.
Preventive fire protection - competence and responsibility
There are many professions or additional training programmes in which preventive fire protection plays a central role. This recognises both the importance of this topic and its complexity. Specialist planners for preventive fire protection, for example, advise building owners on the implementation of various regulations relating to preventive fire protection. This is a specialised training course intended for architects and engineers.
Those who subsequently want to delve even deeper into the topic of preventive fire protection and deepen their knowledge can attend further specialised training. The title acquired is "Preventive fire protection expert". Professionally, such experts deal with checking and monitoring how well preventive fire protection has been taken into account during the construction of a building and whether the measures taken are sufficient. There is therefore a change from an advisory to a controlling authority in the field of preventive fire protection.
Similar tasks to those of a fire prevention expert can be carried out by people who complete a degree in fire prevention. They should also be qualified to carry out individual fire protection concepts for buildings based on a prior analysis of various risk factors. Preventive fire protection is often a Master's degree programme for people who already have a Bachelor of Engineering. However, distance learning universities also offer the Preventive Fire Protection course as part of their programme.
Another body that organises many training and further education courses in the field of preventive fire protection is TÜV. This is primarily about additional qualifications for employees in companies. Preventive fire protection is provided by fire safety officers, fire safety assistants and evacuation assistants, among others. TÜV offers appropriate training and certification courses to make it easier for companies to organise preventive fire protection.
A look at job sites and career portals shows that preventive fire protection is literally a hot topic. There are numerous preventive fire protection job vacancies, i.e. those looking for specialists who are well versed in the subject of preventive fire protection.
Preventive fire protection - Conclusion
Preventive fire protection helps to reduce the number of fire fatalities in Germany year on year. Nevertheless, every person who falls victim to a fire is one too many. Preventive fire protection from Düsseldorf to Hamburg is therefore dedicated to the systematic reduction of all sources of danger that can lead to the outbreak of a fire. There are three main areas of preventive fire protection: structural, technical and organisational fire protection. This is intended to make it easier for specialists to specialise; specialist planners for preventive fire protection, for example, work in structural fire protection, while fire protection officers take care of organisational fire protection within companies and businesses.
The specific tasks and measures that need to be taken also reflect the complexity of the issue. It begins with the choice of walls, ceilings and coatings during the construction of a building and extends to the installation of various fire alarm systems and extinguishing devices and the regular training and instruction of employees. We at Brandschutztischlerei Beelitz will be happy to support you with the right equipment for your building! We specialise in various fire doors and fire protection windows and are on hand with help and advice - because preventive fire protection from Munich to Berlin is our passion! See our expertise for yourself.
