Components of a Life Safety System and Why It Should Be Inspected

Occupants inside a building should always feel safe and secure whenever they are carrying out their daily activities. They should also be protected from whatever risks throughout their stay on the property.

To ensure that a building can ensure these things to the occupants, it should be equipped with a life safety system. A life safety system is comprised of elements designed to protect a building and its occupants from fire, earthquake, or any other emergencies. It can also help evacuate occupants during critical situations. Ultimately, a life safety system can protect the building population from minor events like power and equipment failures.

Primary Components of the Life Safety System

The life safety system inside a building is often comprised of the following basic components.

• Fire Sprinklers and Suppression Systems: Two components often found in a life safety system are fire sprinklers and suppression systems. These components function by extinguishing or suppressing fire before it spreads and damages the building. They also help deter the fire from causing injuries to the occupants inside the property.

• Fire Alarm and Detection System: The fire alarm and detection system, alternatively, is a system meant to alert people inside the building about the presence of a fire. Once the occupants are alerted, the first thing that they are expected to do is to evacuate the building.

• Alarm and Security Monitoring: The life safety system is often equipped with alarm and security monitoring so they can check the property around the clock. Once the alarm has been activated, this system will immediately alert the authorities so they can address and attend to a potential security threat.

• CCTV Security Cameras: CCTV security cameras are helpful in buildings since they can record videos of various corners and spaces. Their presence alone already deters burglars and other people from committing crimes. They can also help improve the productivity of employees as they are monitored continuously.

• Emergency and Exit Lighting: During emergencies, a lot of buildings may be disconnected from the power supply, which disables lights from working. Emergency and exit lighting, fortunately, are installed to ensure that the pathways towards the exits are still illuminated. These lights ensure that occupants can evacuate as soon as possible.

• Access Control Systems: People entering and leaving the buildings can be difficult to monitor manually. But by installing access control systems, property owners can easily determine and control who can enter their rooms and spaces. Unauthorised entry of people inside a specific room or space can be deterred by installing these systems.

The Essence of Life Safety System Inspection

The life safety system and its components can only carry out their main functions if they are still operational. And the only way to confirm their condition is to inspect them. During the inspection of the system components, inspectors would mostly check their physical attributes. They will also check whether they can still function and react well to emergencies or not. Inspectors must likewise ensure that the system components are designed to meet basic code requirements.

An inspection report will then be sent to the building owners after carrying out the inspection. It may indicate any shortcomings that property owners have to fix. Another round of inspection can then be done to confirm that the building is compliant with safety requirements and codes.

To have your life safety system inside your building to be inspected by professionals, feel free to contact us at Key Compliance.