Firefighters rush to student block blaze in Coventry
Firefighters were called to a reports of a blaze at a student accommodation block in Coventry. The fire crews were dispatched to Hillman House around 1.45pm on Sunday (20th November).
The fire crews who were dispatched from Coventry and Foleshill Fire Stations were called to the flats on Corporation Street. The crews managed to get the fire under control within an hour and left the scene shortly after.
West Midlands Fire Service confirmed that the cause of the fire was a pan being left on the stove. Thankfully, the residents are said to have not been harmed in the incident.
Stories like this is why we stress prioritising fire safety in all homes and accommodations. Students are likely not educated on fire safety and different types fire extinguishers.
So for in those situations we recommend fire blankets and all firexo fire extinguishers as they do not require as much training.
Fire blankets are an excellent choice for any domestic properties as they can be used without formal training. A Firexo fire extinguisher can be used on any class of fire, so cannot be mixed up in a panic and used incorrectly.
Fire Safety Signs Regulations Summary
The basic fire safety regulations for signs are as follows. According to this legislation, workplaces should follow the below stipulations:
- All fire safety signs should clearly and effectively mark escape routes and exits
- Fire doors and escape routes must be clearly marked
- Signage must be displayed along an exit route
- All fire safety signs should be illuminated
- Escape route signs should feature direction arrows
- Emergency exit signs above fire doors should not have arrows
- All fire escape route signs should be in picture form
- Braille and tactile fire safety signage should also be displayed
- Signage should be visible from a distance and at an appropriate height
- Employees should be trained in the use of fire extinguishers
- Employees should be aware of the location fire alarms
- Employees should be trained in what to do in the event of fire
- All fire-fighting equipment must be clearly identified
What are the Fire Safety Signs?
Fire safety signs are designed to provide safety information, warnings about hazards, or to give information. Fire safety signs and symbols come in the different colours such as red, green, yellow or blue. In the fire safety regulations for signs it states how signs must be visible. Therefore quite often, fire safety signs are photo-luminescent so that they can be seen in the dark or through smoke.
There are four main categories of fire safety signs:
Fire Action Notice Signs
These signs provide information on what to do in case of fire. They will display the phone number of the fire brigade, what exits to use if there is a fire, where the assembly points are, and any additional information. Fire action notices must be displayed by fire alarms and at final exit doors.
Fire Exit, Fire Door and Fire Assembly Signs
Although some premises that have simple layouts may not require fire exit signs, they are mandatory for complex buildings. Some premises may require directional signs that show the shortest escape routes.
Fire doors must carry a sign that states: ‘Fire door, keep shut’. Some fire doors will require signage that provides instructions on how to open the door.
Fire assembly signs show where employees or inhabitants must gather once they have exited the building. The assembly point should be far enough away from the premises to avoid hazardous debris and ensure that the emergency services personnel can operate without hindrance. Assembly points should be accessible for old, young, or disabled people.
Fire Equipment and Fire Alarm Signs
If a fire breaks out, then employees will need to know what firefighting equipment they should use and where to access it. These signs will usually be affixed to the walls next to fire extinguishers or on the extinguishers stands themselves.
Fire alarm signs must be clearly positioned next to alarms and call-points. They will often have fire action notices next to them to provide information for the person who is raising the alarm.
Warning and Prohibition Signs
Warning signs alert employees to fire hazards on the premises. This can include flammable substances such as gas, chemicals or oil. Prohibition signs are used to stop people from engaging in activities that may heighten fire risks, for example, smoking or using naked flames. Warning and prohibition signs are often grouped together.
What do Blue Signs Mean in Fire Safety?
Blue safety signs contain information on mandatory actions that must be carried out to maintain fire safety. They are circular and feature white text or graphics.
What do Red Signs Mean in Fire Safety?
Red fire safety signs provide information on the location of firefighting equipment, supplementary information, or information on prohibited actions. Prohibition signs are circular with red borders, white backgrounds and black text and graphics. Fire equipment signs are square shaped with red backgrounds featuring white text and graphics.
What do Yellow Signs Mean in Fire Safety?
Yellow fire safety signs are warning signs that provide information on flammable substances in the immediate area. They are usually – although not always – triangular in shape with yellow backgrounds, black borders and black text and graphics.
The Best Fire Extinguishers for Cars
What is the best fire extinguisher for cars? To answer that question, first the features of a great fire extinguisher for cars must be looked at. So for an Extinguisher to be the right fit for a car, it has to be able to deal with:
- Class A Fires (Wood, Paper or Any Carbonaceous materials)
- Class B Fires (Flammable Liquids)
- Class C Fires (Flammable Gases)
Bearing this in mind there are only a few extinguishers that can combat all of these classes of fire.
This then makes a Dry Powder fire extinguisher the most suitable and affordable choice. These extinguishers however aren’t recommended for use within a confined space so should be avoided for use inside motorhomes and caravans when there are people close. But instead for those cases a AFF Foam fire extinguisher is recommended.
Here at Fireology we have a great range of products that would be suitable for use in cars, caravans and motorhomes. It is important that the right type of extinguisher is used on each fire, we aim to aid that choice with our expertise here at Fireology.
Our pick of the best fire extinguisher for cars is :
- CommanderEDGE 1kg ABC Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher
Or
- CommanderEDGE 2kg ABC Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher
In the UK fire extinguishers aren’t required by law, but in other European countries they do. So to find out what safety equipment is required in different countries across Europe, click the link here and find our blog post about safety regulations whilst driving across Europe.
Lithium-ion Battery Fires 5 – How do you deal with lithium-ion battery fires?
We know how a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery fire may occur. But how do you deal with lithium-ion battery fires? Li-Ion battery fires you may think would be classed in class D of fire and so therefore would be able to be extinguished by a Dry Powder extinguisher. But no, they are not classed as a class D fire even though lithium is a metal, the nature of the fire means that they cannot be extinguished like a usual class D fire.
Products
The new products that are being developed and produced of late are AVD Vermiculite extinguishers and EV fire blankets. The EV fire blanket is specifically designed for electric vehicles and is placed directly over the electric car to maintain the fire. These fires are much harder to put out as the fires themselves are around 700℃ to 1,000℃ and can burn for up to 24 hours. But with the EV fire blanket it can drastically reduce this time by depriving the fire with oxygen.
The AVD Vermiculite extinguishers are products aimed to try to target all types of Li-Ion battery fires. They are a water based extinguishing system with vermiculite particles suspended in the water to act as a smothering tool to stop the fire from receiving oxygen. These extinguishers are designed to deprive the fire from heat, oxygen and also act as an electrical barrier.
British Standard
Currently there is no British standard for these types of extinguishers and technology, and also there is no Kitemark that is able to be displayed on the extinguisher itself. This is because there is no current actual fire rating for this type of extinguisher so it is unable to to kitemarked. The industry has been particularly slow in trying to get these extinguishers to a certain standard and also finding a fire rating for them. This therefore isn’t allowing the widespread of this technology as it is seen as not as much of a know entity.
Check out our last iteration of Lithium-ion battery fires here.
how do you deal with lithium-ion battery fires
Lithium-ion Battery Fires 4 – Damage and Penetration
Spreading knowledge and knowing about the dangers of Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is important as they are a growing danger in the modern home and in modern life in general. Whether the battery has damage or penetration is important to think about as this creates a large amount danger. They are seen as a horrible danger with a spontaneous nature, e-bikes and e-scooters have been banned from all London transport systems after a number of fires on the network caused by these vehicles.
Damage and Penetration to Li-ion Batteries
Li-ion battery fires can sometimes occur after disposal of the batteries themselves. These are due to when the battery is penetrated or crushed. These scenarios are a danger when disposing of and maybe even still at the end of the life of one of these batteries. This comes from when potent electrolytes leak through the hole in the battery, this then often creates a chemical reaction that releases heat. This then in-turn heats the other cells in the battery and can lead to thermal runaway. Thermal runaway is when a cell of the Li-ion battery enters a self heating uncontrollable stage which leads to the explosion and then fire.
Disposal of Li-ion Batteries
This is a huge danger when disposing these batteries, on a domestic scale officials recommend placing and leaving the batteries into salt water for at least two weeks then disposing them as hazardous waste. If one of these batteries were to get to landfill and get damaged this could lead to thermal runaway and then could cause an absolutely huge fire damaging the whole site by engulfing it into flames. So when disposing and dealing with damaged Li-ion batteries please take great care.
Check out our last iteration of Lithium-ion battery fires here.
damage and penetration