EFECTIS HOW SAFE ARE OUR HOTELS FROM FIRE?

In Turkey, where domestic and international tourism is intense throughout the year, the increasing activity particularly in the summer months we are in, brings the fire safety of tourism facilities into question. To ensure fire safety in hotels and touristic buildings, it is firstly necessary to correctly define the concept of “fire safety”.

Fire safety of a structure is a process that starts with the correct design of the building, continues with the correct material selection and the correct application of the selected material. Afterwards, it should be supported by the correct implementation and control of issues such as building permit, utilization permit and practice permit.

When we consider fire safety in terms of hotels, we can see that the main factors causing fires are lack of user care, lack of taking the necessary precautions in the kitchen, problems in electrical contacts, and delayed completion of maintenance-repair works. In cases where the right fire safety designs are not implemented, fire tends to rapidly grow and become difficult to control. Fire safety starts with design.

Specializing in fire safety for 70 years, the fire consultancy team of Efectis creates a fire concept specific to the building in question, working on each building’s special requirements. During architectural, electrical, and mechanical project preparation phase, the correct inclusion of passive and active fire safety measures in the design and the planning of the most appropriate evacuation for the people in a building play a vital role in the safety of life and property. Choosing the right material for the right project is a must.

When the material selection is not correct, even the best project cannot yield the right results for fire safety. Incorrectly selected facade materials for instance, can ignite rapidly and cause the fire to spread vertically to the entire building facade in a very short time, inducing smoke and flames to spread into the building from the facade openings, regardless of the cause of the fire. Therefore, the risk of material damage and loss of life is quite high in buildings where correct selection of facade material is not implemented. These materials must prove their qualifications with test reports from accredited laboratories. In the absence of relevant reports, it is essential for public health and safety that designers and contractors never use these materials on high buildings’ facades.

Changes made during use in a building may disregard fire safety. In the event that the purpose of use of building sections changes, the storage of materials is not suitable for the design, the building sections are illegally used or incorrect modifications are made, structures lose their fire resistance performance. It is necessary for the experts to regularly inspect the building to determine whether it continues to be used in a way that is suitable for its intended use and does not threaten fire safety.

In summary the right project, the right material, the right application, inspection, and the right operation are the five essential steps of fire safety in hotels, as in all building types.

Fethi Uğur
Fire Engineer
Efectis Era Avrasya