Between April 2014 and March 2015 the Fire and Rescue Services attended 154,700 fires in England alone. This sounds like a large number, but it’s actually a record low since records began. Though this statistic is promising, homes and businesses are still devastated whenever a fire tears through them. Considering this, let’s look at fire safety in businesses and why fire shutters are the greatest defence when it comes to flames spreading through a building.

Why Are Fire Shutters Important?

In the event of a fire, fire shutters protect businesses by slowing the spread of flames and reducing a fire’s overall impact. They work by compartmentalisation, which is a method of containing the fire in one specific area for as long as possible. This allows Fire and Rescue crews the maximum amount of time to control and extinguish the fire.

Fire shutters are often required for businesses to meet building regulations and fulfil commercial risk assessments. Additional benefits include their high level of security and potential for reduced insurance premiums.

Fire shutters can be used anywhere in any building, but they are ideally suited to kitchens (especially those using deep-fat fryers), automotive garages and gas storage facilities.

Independent Testing and Fire Ratings

Externally awarded fire ratings are a guarantee of the highest standards possible in fire safety. Ideally, your fire shutter will be rated up to 4 hours, meaning it is built to withstand a fire for that amount of time. Often this is expressed in minutes, either in the product description or the product name as ‘240’. Fire shutters in Britain are tested against the British Standard BS EN 1634 -1, -2, -3, for fire resistance and smoke control.

Additional Features

• Electrically operated shutters must also have a manual operation feature to ensure safety in the event of electrical power being compromised by a fire.

• Fusible links offer an additional layer of protection, in that they cause the shutter to automatically close once it reaches a certain temperature.

• Some fire shutters can be integrated into the building fire alarm system so that the shutter descends in a controlled manner when an alarm is triggered, whether the fire is in the immediate vicinity or not.

Services and Maintenance

Roller shutters of every kind should be part of a building maintenance plan to ensure their safe operation. This is especially true of fire shutters that play a key role in the event of a fire emergency. The fire shutters should be tested and maintained alongside the regular fire alarm tests and fire exit door checks.

Safe and Secure Roller Shutters is the premier manufacturer and installer of roller shutters and fire safety shutters in North Wales and the East of England. You can enjoy top quality and a perfect fit when purchasing doors made by our experienced team of manufacturers. Every door is made to measure exactly to your aperture, and all are fire safety rated for maximum protection for your business. We also offer annual or one-off maintenance and repair services. Contact our friendly team today.