Archive for the ‘News’ Category

5 Tips For Better Fire Extinguisher Placement

Simply having fire extinguishers is a great first step to keeping everyone safer in the event of a fire.

However, if they’re not easily accessible, they may not be useful at all. This is why fire extinguisher placement is so important.

Knowing exactly where to place your fire extinguishers could mean the difference between stopping a fire and having to evacuate as the building goes up in flames.

1. Must Be Visible At All Times

The single most important thing to remember is to keep your fire extinguishers visible at all times. The Ontario Fire Code states that any portable extinguishers be mounted so they’re visible at all times. This ensures they’re easier to find in the event of a fire.

In buildings where visibility is obstructed, such as in a warehouse, you must have signs in place that show where fire extinguishers are placed. They should still be visible and not stored in a closet or cabinet. There are a few exceptions to the cabinet rule, but the doors should be clear to still make the fire extinguisher visible.

2. Mounting

There are two main requirements for mounting/storing. For optimal fire extinguisher placement, you must use brackets to mount the fire extinguisher on a wall within easy reach.

When mounting, keep the carrying handle between one and one and half metres above the floor. This allows individuals of all heights to reach and lift the fire extinguisher. For larger extinguishers that are heavier, it’s recommended to place them lower as they’re more difficult to lift.

Alternately, you can place fire extinguishers in cabinets with glass doors. This is often the case in areas where you don’t want individuals messing with the extinguisher. Cabinets shouldn’t be locked unless it’s in an area where this is a common problem. For major occupancy buildings, you must ensure there are identical keys to the cabinet at all supervisory or security stations and there is an electrical remote release.

3. Keep Instructions Facing Forward

Fire extinguisher placement doesn’t just apply to location. It also means placing the extinguisher so users can view the instructions easily. If you multiple classifications, such as A, B or C, and they’re placed near each other, you’ll want individuals to be able to see which extinguisher they need.

In most cases, you’ll want to install multi-purpose fire extinguishers if you have multiple hazards in a single area. No matter what type of extinguisher you have, always install the extinguisher with the instructions facing forward.

4. Keep Fire Extinguishers Close

You always want your fire extinguishers to be close by, but this doesn’t mean you need one every few metres. Optimal fire extinguisher placement means keeping extinguishers within easy traveling distance according to the Ontario Fire Code Subsection 6.2.6.

For Class A extinguishers, they should be no more than 25 metres apart. Class B placement requires that fire extinguishers should be no more than 9-15 metres apart, depending upon the size of the extinguisher.

For Class C, the extinguisher should be kept inside or directly outside the room containing the electrical equipment. With Class D, keep the extinguisher no more than 25 metres away from the potential hazard.

Naturally, if you have a high hazard area or there are obstacles in the room, you may want to place an additional fire extinguisher to minimise traveling distance and ensure the best possible scenario for putting out a fire quickly.

5. Know Your Hazards

The most important thing to remember for the best possible fire extinguisher placement is to know your hazards. For instance, you’d want your commercial kitchen extinguishers closer at hand than general fire extinguishers throughout a restaurant.

The more you understand your hazards, the easier it’ll be to place the right type of extinguishers and the right amount within a set space. A combination of multi-purpose and hazard-specific are typically needed and will need to be placed according to the hazard type.

Once your extinguishers are placed, don’t forget about regular maintenance. Contact All Protect Systems to learn more about maintaining your fire extinguishers.

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Time To Change Your Batteries In All Smoke And Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Replacing your smoke or carbon monoxide alarm batteries is one of the most important household chores. It’s not something we often think about, but we know that ignoring it for too long could have very negative consequences.

For smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to do their job, they need to have working batteries. Once a year, old batteries should be replaced with new batteries. Even if your detector is powered by regular hydro they often have a back-up battery which must be maintained.

Don’t let your warning system expire on you. A smoke alarm is often your first warning when a fire starts. Ensuring it’s fully functional is crucial to providing as much time as possible to escape safely.

However, smoke alarms don’t last forever. Even when you replace batteries, the alarm itself still must be replaced every 10 years, from the date of manufacture.

Install Smoke Alarms It’s the Law

Working smoke alarms are required on every level of your home and must be located outside all sleeping areas. For new homes The Ontario Building Code requires smoke alarms with visual indicators be installed in all bedrooms. To survive a fire, you need to be provided with an early warning and know what to do when the smoke alarms sound.

If you are a tenant, it is the responsibility of your Landlord to ensure that their rental property comply with the law. If you are a tenant and don’t have the proper number of detectors or the detectors do not work, contact your landlord or property manager immediately. Adversely it is against the law for tenants to remove batteries or tamper with smoke or carbon monoxide detectors.

Tampering with or removing the batteries from your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms is against the law. Failure to comply with the Fire Code can result in a ticket for $360 or a fine of up to $50,000.  

The General 10-Year Rule

Every smoke alarm has manufacturer’s recommendations for when you should replace it. This should be used as a guideline, but the actual date may vary based on the product installed. You should also consult the company who installed your smoke alarm system for their recommendation based on your organization and the alarm system you have installed.

For most standard smoke alarms, the average lifespan is 10 years. Once again, double-check the manufacturer’s warranty details as to the maximum lifespan. Most residential systems only last for a max of 10 years, even those wired in.

Backup batteries should be replaced at least twice a year with fresh batteries. While most smoke alarms are now wired in, backup batteries are still required in the event of a power outage.

While the 10-year rule works for some smoke alarms, different types of systems may last longer or for less time.

Have Smoke Alarms Inspected

A good way to tell if it’s time to replace your smoke alarms is to have them inspected. For multi-unit dwellings, All Protect Systems Inc. will tailor a maintenance program to inspect your alarms on a regular basis. If this hasn’t been done, contact All Protect Systems Inc. to schedule an inspection.

If any abnormalities are found, you’ll be advised to replace your smoke alarms immediately. Even if the alarms are new, it’s still recommended to replace any alarms that aren’t working properly 100% of the time. The last thing you want is to have your alarm fail when you need it most.

Perform Regular Tests

You can also perform regular tests to ensure your alarms are working as they should. Test them as part of your emergency plan at least monthly. Not only does this help you to stay on top of your smoke alarms, but it also helps everyone practice fire escape strategies so if the worst does happen, everyone is as prepared as possible.

Structural Changes

If you’ve made major structural changes, you may need to also replace, relocate or add smoke alarms. Construction and changes to the wiring could result in your alarms not working as planned. Have all alarms inspected after the changes are complete. Plus, you’ll likely need to re-do your system to account for the changes for optimal fire safety.

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

Once you’ve learned the regular date to replace your smoke alarms (either by the manufacturer or the installation company), stick to that schedule unless an inspection advises you to do otherwise. You should never wait past this recommended date. Even if the alarm still appears to be working, it could quit at any time. Ideally, you should replace the smoke alarms just before the recommended date to be safe.

Not sure when to replace your smoke alarms? Learn more about All Protect System’s fire alarm services and how we help maintain your alarms.I

How Often Should You Review Your Fire Safety Plan

A fire safety plan is designed to help you escape as quickly and safely as possible should the worst happen. However, it shouldn’t be a plan that’s created once and never looked at again.

Over time, things may change in your structure requiring revisions to your plan. Of course, if the use of the building changes, additional revisions may be necessary too.

By law, you have to review your fire safety plan regularly. This is for your safety and the safety of all occupants in the building.

Annual Reviews

According to Ontario Fire Codes in subsection 2.8.2, you have to review your fire safety plan at least every 12 months. Keep in mind this is the minimum. However, they should be reviewed as often as necessary to ensure the safety of occupants.

All aspects of the plan should be fully reviewed. If any changes are made to the building or use of the building, the plan should be reviewed immediately after the changes are made.

In the case of major demolition or construction, a temporary plan should be put into place to account for the new hazards. As soon as the construction is over, it’s important to review the previous fire safety plan to ensure it’s still valid.

Main Areas To Review

The Fire Codes require buildings to have a fire safety plan in place at all times. During your review, you should check each of the following:

• Emergency procedures, such as sounding alarms, notifying the local fire department, escape routes, evacuation procedures and controlling the fire
• Assigning and training supervisory staff
• Ensuring documents diagramming the fire emergency systems are current
• List when and how fire drills are carried out
• Detail how fire hazards will be controlled
• List preventative maintenance for overall safety
• Provide alternative solutions should your fire protection systems go down

After reviewing all of these, place the revised version of your fire safety plan in an approved location. This should be a location that’s easy for others to see and access in the event of a fire.

If you didn’t make any revisions, add the latest review date to your existing plan. This allows everyone to know that it was reviewed within the last 12 months.

If you run a retirement home or care facility, you must keep your fire safety plans on record for at least two years, even if they’ve been replaced with a newer version. The Chief Fire Official may request to see them at any point. This is just to double-check the safety of the occupants.

Reviews For Homeowners

Much like with commercial businesses and residential structures, homeowners should also have a current fire safety plan in place. Reviewing these annually and holding regular fire drills helps to keep your entire family safer.

Why Review Your Fire Safety Plan

It takes time to review your fire safety plan and that’s why some people don’t want to do it. After all, why bother if nothing has changed? However, it’s important to review all existing plans as a refresher so everyone knows what to do if a fire occurs. Plus, you may see better ways of evacuating than you did in the past.

Another reason is to ensure your plan is up to date with the latest fire codes. If your plan doesn’t meet the minimum standards, you could face fines or worse if a fire does happen and you weren’t prepared. Remember, it’s not just the building on the line – it’s everyone inside and the surrounding area about your building. Having a current plan in place keeps everyone safer. That’s well worth taking the time for.

Do you need help in creating an up to code fire safety plan for your structure? See how our Fire Safety Plans service can help.

Introducing Our New Look!

All Protect Systems is proud to announce that we have completed our re-branding project! This re-branding reflects both the sale of our security division and the addition of in-house fire extinguishers to our service offerings. We now specialize in:

• complete fire alarm and fire warning systems servicing,
• fire extinguisher sales and service, and,
• emergency and exit lighting.

After 22 years of supplying and servicing burglar alarms, access control systems, and cameras, we sold our security division in July of 2017 to Damar Security Systems. Damar is another long-standing, well-respected family business with a great support staff.

You will find our updated logo on our inspection paperwork, our office signage, and on our technicians’ trucks. The red maple leaf and bold text will be familiar for our existing customers, but look fresher and brighter than ever before.

All Protect Systems now specializes in the service of fire and life safety systems. We are always glad to discuss what services we can provide for you. Check us out, you won’t be disappointed!

Backflow Testing

In most buildings you will find two backflow prevention devices. The purpose of these devices is to protect potable water supplies from contamination or pollution due to flow back into the public supply lines. It is a mandatory requirement that these devices be tested on an annual basis and proper test reports completed. The domestic water backflow is always tested by a plumber or mechanical contractor experienced in providing this service. The sprinkler backflow device is tested in conjunction with the annual life safety systems by the sprinkler contractor. All Protect Systems will coordinate this very important service along with your annual inspection.

Is Annual Maintenance Required?

In Ontario, The Ontario Fire Code outlines the annual requirements for maintaining your fire alarm, emergency/exit lighting, fire extinguishers and other life safety systems. It is mandatory not optional to make sure the systems installed in your building are functioning as intended to protect life and property as needed.  There are also daily, weekly, monthly and semi-annual requirements for your systems. Contact All Protect today to discuss your needs.

Fire Extinguisher Servicing

A proper annual inspection of a Fire Extinguisher consists of not only signing the inspection tag but also visually inspecting the exterior of the cylinder for damage, corrosion or wear. This is important as the extinguisher does contain a charge to allow it to propel the powder when activated. When doing an annual inspection the All Protect technician also breaks the tamper seal on the handle pull pin to inspect the operation of the handle and mechanism. An indication that this is being done is to ensure that the tamper seal has a current year date stamp on it.

Let the All Protect team provide this very important service to you.