Spectrum Fire Protection

  3 Types Of Smoke Detectors and Their Differences: In this post, we will discuss the three different types of smoke detectors and their pros and cons. The two most common types of smoke alarms are photoelectric smoke alarms and ionization smoke detectors. The third type of smoke alarm is a hybrid detector that is commonly called a “dual” detector. Let’s take a closer look at each type of detector to help determine the best protection for you and your family when it comes to fires. What Is A Photoelectric Smoke Detector? The photoelectric smoke detector makes use of a light beam that helps detect the first signs of smoke in the home. This smoke detector is best known for detecting smoke from a smouldering source. This could be a lit cigarette or a short-circuited wire from a piece of electrical equipment in the home that may be placed on upholstered furniture. Another great example of a smouldering fire would be overheated Christmas lights that are hung on a dry Christmas

  Building Compliance Obligations in New Zealand If you are the manager or owner of a New Zealand building, then you are legally obligated to provide evidence that the building meets the health and safety requirements set out in The Building Act 2004 and the associated regulations of that Act. Part of the process is that building owners have to hold a current Building Warrant of Fitness (BWoF) if there are any safety systems installed in the building. These systems, also called “Specified Systems” are the parts of the building infrastructure that, should they fail to fulfil their purpose, would potentially endanger the health, safety, and lives of occupants within the building. Prime examples of these specified systems are sprinkler systems, lifts and escalators, and smoke alarms. The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment maintain a full list of Specified Systems as defined by the Building Warrant of Fitness on their website. These specified systems will, of course, req

  The Building Warrant of Fitness Process The Building Warrant of Fitness serves a similar function to that of a vehicle warrant of fitness. It ensures the continued health and safety of building occupants. There are many parts of a building that can be damaged by regular wear and tear and could become a risk to occupants if left unchecked. These key aspects are vital to the continued safety of the building and the people therein and are often referred to as Specified Systems or Life Safety Systems. Specified Systems include things like automatic fire suppression systems such as sprinklers, automatic and manual emergency warning systems for dangerous emergencies including fires, automatic doors and windows, escape route presentation systems, lighting systems, emergency power systems, lifts and escalators, and mechanical air conditioning and ventilation systems. The main purpose of a Building Warrant of Fitness ( BWoF ) process is to ensure that these systems receive the regular inspe

  What is a Building Warrant of Fitness (BWoF)? The Building Act 2004 – which covers the safety and integrity of buildings – states that building owners with buildings that contain “specified systems” related to health and safety, then those buildings must maintain a Compliance Schedule and they must produce Building Warrant of Fitness documents annually. These documents verify that those specified systems have been adequately maintained and looked after. The Building Warrant of Fitness (BWoF) documents that the systems specified in the Compliance Schedule have all been properly inspected maintained, and reported on during the past 12 months. The BWoF and any supporting documents are supplied to the local council annually, and a copy of them should be displayed within the building itself where everyone can see it. The Building Warrant of Fitness should be renewed each year before it expires. Failing to have the documents renewed is considered a breach of the Building Act 2004 and yo

  The fire triangle, also known as the combustion triangle, consists of three vital components – heat, fuel, and oxygen. The three components are essential to start and sustain a fire.  The fire can’t be ignited, or it will extinguish almost immediately, even if one of these three ingredients are missing. So, how does this work? As mentioned earlier, the three components of a fire triangle are Fuel Oxygen Heat To put out a fire, the focus should be to eliminate at least one of these components.  The market is filled with many  different types of fire extinguishers  that help eliminate one or several of these components to put out a fire.  Whenever there’s a fire, the first and the most used natural extinguisher that comes to mind is water. Water eliminates the heat component, which effectively helps put out a fire.  Similarly, the foam-based fire extinguishers stop the fire from getting enough oxygen. The foam works on the same principle as a blanket