New cannabis bill could see construction taking the high road
The proposed amendments to the Cannabis for Private Purposes bill that seeks to further decriminalise cannabis usage and legalise South…
The proposed amendments to the Cannabis for Private Purposes bill that seeks to further decriminalise cannabis usage and legalise South…
Christopher Gordon, University of Ghana Ghana has six designated Ramsar sites. These are wetlands designated under the criteria of the…
Adewumi Badiora, Olabisi Onabanjo University Nigeria has a very high crime rate. The Global Peace Index ranked it the world’s…
Inner city living is boosting the city residential property market and driving urban rejuvenation Inner cities. Love them or hate…
Raphael M. Kieti, University of Nairobi; Robert W. Rukwaro, University of Nairobi, and Washington H.A. Olima, University of Nairobi In…
Waterfall is closing the loop on waste Waterfall prioritises sustainability and responsible environmental stewardship as a strategic imperative, keeping the…
Introducing Helsinki EcoWood by EcoCeramic Ceràmica. Right now, the hybrid Japandi trend is rising fast, with its calming combination of…
Flagstaff, located in the OR Tambo district in the Eastern Cape, began its existence as a trading post and essentially…
The revised version of South African National Standards (SANS) 10139 published recently by the standards division of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has brought South Africa in line with fire safety standards similar to those in the UK and Europe, highlights ASP Fire CEO Michael van Niekerk.
SANS 10139 provides recommendations for the planning, design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems in and around buildings other than dwellings. It is based on the British Standards BS5839-1, Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings.
Its revision comes in the wake of two recent devastating fires, one at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg and the other at Table Mountain. The latter eventually swept onto the upper campus of the University of Cape Town, causing extensive damage to the African Studies Library reading room.
“The seriousness of fire is often overlooked and its impact is often underestimated. It is crucial that a national set of guidelines and rules for the designers and installers of fire protection systems is provided for them to follow and uphold. The costs of fire within this country runs into the billions of rands and needs to be prevented,” the SABS said in a statement.
The revised standard includes updated recommendations about the need for a fire detection system, variations from the standard, system components, detection zones, communication with the fire services, staged fire alarms and manual call points. In addition, it contains updated requirements for smoke detectors and for the spacing and placing of automatic fire detectors. There are also updated measures to limit false alarms and a commentary on inspection and servicing has been added.
As part of its value-added service offering to its clients, ASP Fire works closely with insurance brokers and underwriters to address a client’s fire risk based on the outcomes of a fire-safety risk assessment report. This assists in preventing damage to property and products, loss of life, financial loss, consequential loss of profit, loss of productivity and insurance repercussions.
A rational design is the performance-based design of fire safety and prevention mechanisms and strategies in a building in order to provide the same or better fire safety levels as prescribed in the National Building Regulations. Here a fire-risk consultant such as ASP Fire visits the premises in question, or reviews a set of new building plans, in order to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of all areas of the property in terms of fire safety and risk.
Critical revisions contained in SANS 10139
Syndicated content from Leading Architecture & Design
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
On Topic ...
Heron IVC: Walking the green talk
Italtile unpacks new Nordic wood looks
Focus on sustainability grows in East Africa