According to the U.S. Fire Administration, over 3,000 people die each year in the United States from fires. This is a startling number, but not compared to the fact that there are over a million fires in the U.S. each year.
There are many ways to reduce your risk for a fire on your business property, including getting sprinklers installed. While you should also have a fire extinguisher on hand and employees trained to use it, as well as follow all local fire safety protocols, sprinklers can be extremely beneficial.
Why You Need Fire Sprinklers
The primary reason why fire sprinklers are so effective is that it is an automatic system meant to protect your building from fire. As soon as the sensor on the sprinkler system picks up heat from the flames, the sprinkler heads will go off and help reduce the severity and damage of the fire. The sooner the water hits the source of the fire, the sooner it can be put out. While it doesn’t always put out a large fire, it is still effective at reducing the overall damage before the fire department arrives.
Another benefit of fire sprinklers is that your business will be considered more environmentally-friendly. When sprinklers are used to assist in putting out a fire, there is less that a fire extinguisher needs to do. This reduces the chemicals used for putting out a fire. Since it reduces damage to your building, you are also helping to reduce how much burned items end up in landfills.
Features to Look For
There are certain features you want to find with your new fire sprinkler systems that are common with the modern models. They include:
- Temperature-sensitive element on each sprinkler head instead of just the system itself.
- Individually-operated sprinkler heads. These only activate the heads that are sensing the heat or flames, instead of setting all the sprinklers off together. It also allows the sprinkler head near the fire to turn on first to limit the damage.
- Temperature control. This lets you control the temperature required for the sprinkler system to activate.
Importance of Maintenance
After your fire sprinklers are installed, you still need to keep them maintained and make repairs as needed. On a routine basis, have the sprinklers looked at and inspected to be sure they are working properly. If not, get them repaired right away. The last thing you want to do is have a fire in your building that gets excessive because some of your sprinkler heads were faulty.
In addition to having a good fire sprinkler system, you should also protect your business from fire with a commercial property insurance policy. It will cover any damage caused by a fire, even with fire sprinklers installed.
