User Manual

ManualsBrandsSiemens ManualsFire - Addressable detectors and basesFire protection for student accomodation – appl guide

Unrestricted

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boland_Hall_fire

Fire protection in

student accommodation

Protection of people, assets and reputation

The high number of fire brigade call-outs to student accommodation shows

that this is an area that demands close attention. The great majority of these

fire alarm incidents are also found to be false alarms. This is not only a

significant cost factor, as frequent false alarms lead inevitably to a feeling of

complacency among the residents and a reluctance to evacuate the building

every time a fire alarm is activated. This student apathy was cited as a

significant contributing factor leading to the death of three students in the

Seton Hall fire

, New Jersey in 2000. The challenge is to eliminate false

alarms, while still ensuring early detection of any real fires in their incipient

stage so that they can be dealt with quickly and easily.

Purpose built (or converted) accommodation for university and college

students frequently consists of a number of self-contained community units.

Each of these units is made up of a small number of bedrooms with either

ensuite or shared bathroom facilities, together with a large kitchen/lounge

area. As in normal domestic housing, the kitchen is always a critical area,

however, the age, inexperience and composition of the tenants are significant

factors that influence their behavior and lead to an increased risk of fire-

related incidents and false alarms.

Reducing the number of false alarms is obviously a high priority and installing

the appropriate fire detectors that are designed to respond correctly to the

various deceptive phenomena can go a long way towards eliminating such

nuisance alarms.

Minimizing the risks must be the main objective of the responsible parties.

Achieving this goal not only requires the installation and maintenance of an

appropriate fire protection infrastructure, it also relies on establishing a clear

fire safety policy and ensuring that the in-house fire protection regulations are

fully understood and complied with.

Summary of content (11 pages)

PAGE 1
Fire protection in student accommodation Protection of people, assets and reputation The high number of fire brigade call-outs to student accommodation shows that this is an area that demands close attention. The great majority of these fire alarm incidents are also found to be false alarms. This is not only a significant cost factor, as frequent false alarms lead inevitably to a feeling of complacency among the residents and a reluctance to evacuate the building every time a fire alarm is activated.
PAGE 2
Content Content.................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 3 Basic conditions.............................................................................................................................................
PAGE 3
Introduction Highlights ◼ Approx. 60% of all fire brigade call outs in the UK were due to false alarms.1) ◼ Kitchen fires account for approx. 80% of student accommodation fires.2) ◼ Reducing the number of false alarms helps eliminate student apathy and unnecessary fire brigade call-outs. ◼ Ensuring that fire safety regulations are understood and followed is essential.
PAGE 4
Basic conditions Critical Points ▪ Preventing delayed fire detection (e.g. by the fire aerosols being diluted by the airflow from the HVAC system) ▪ Preventing false alarms due to deceptive phenomena.
PAGE 5
▪ Tampering with the fire protection system in any way (e.g. removing detectors or covering them with clingfilm etc.
PAGE 6
3 4 2 1 Figure 1 Positioning of the system elements System elements 1. ASA neural fire detector (with voice sounder beacon base) 2. Optical smoke detector (with voice sounder beacon base) 3. Manual call point 4.
PAGE 7
Details Comments/Notes Automatic fire detectors in the kitchen/lounge area Early detection of all types of fire and a robust response to deceptive phenomena (steam, heat) ▪ Parameter set with robust behavior to deceptive phenomena ASA neural fire detectors Automatic fire detectors in student bedrooms Medium deceptive phenomena at the detector ▪ Parameter set with balanced detection behavior ASA neural fire detectors Automatic fire detector in corridor Low deceptive phenomena at the detector ▪ Para
PAGE 8
Practical experience As described in the introduction, student accommodation frequently consists of several different areas each with its own set of challenges. The corridor is non-critical and can be served by a standard optical smoke detector, however, the kitchen and bedrooms require a more sophisticated solution. Modern fire detection systems offer the possibility of adapting the detection behavior of the detectors to such different situations.
PAGE 9
Further considerations Interference from the HVAC system Whenever a smoke detector with a temperature sensor (ASA neural fire detector) is used, the detector must not be mounted in the airflow of the heating unit. Otherwise, the local rapid and significant temperature rise caused by the heating being turned on (or turned up) may lead to the triggering of a false alarm.
PAGE 10
ASAtechnology Share the experience For intelligent, reliable fire detection with genuine alarm guarantee With our dedicated program for consulting engineers, you can benefit from our extensive application know-how and complete portfolio. ASAtechnology is a unique technology from Siemens that converts signals into mathematical data which is compared with programmed values in real time using intelligent algorithms.
PAGE 11
Smart Infrastructure intelligently connects energy systems, buildings and industries to adapt and evolve the way we live and work. We work together with customers and partners to create an ecosystem that intuitively responds to the needs of people and helps customers to better use resources. It helps our customers to thrive, communities to progress and supports sustainable development. Creating environments that care. siemens.com/smart-infrastructure Article no.