Fire Protection and Fire Resistance Ratings - What's the Difference?

There are many different rules and regulations that commercial building owners have to follow to keep their building safe and to avoid incurring hefty penalties. One such regulation they need to adhere to is fire safety codes. This can be achieved by utilizing fire-rated construction materials, products, and systems to lessen the likelihood of a fire breaking out. 

Learning about the two is crucial if you want to create a building effective against potential fire threats.

What is Fire Protection?

Most commercial or industrial buildings with highly flammable materials or products inside should protect them before they go up in flames. Otherwise firefighters may not be able to control the spread of fire. It is the reason fire protection equipment and systems exist.

'Fire protection' refers to active equipment that you install to slow a fire from spreading. A good example of fire protection is fire sprinkler systems. It's the most common and necessary for any building because it's effective at dousing fires as quickly as possible. You will never know when a building might catch on fire. In some instances, fires break out when there's no one around. The hope is that the fire sprinkler system would extinguish it before extensive damage occurs.

Besides fire sprinkler systems, fire alarms alert people a fire is spreading throughout a building. It's an effective method for preserving life and reducing the risk of casualties caused by the fire. You also have smoke dampers that prevent the smoke from going through other areas of the building.

It would be best to install the latest advancements in fire protection to protect your building from potential fires most effectively. Some fire protection systems can detect fire and extinguish flames within seconds, saving your building from considerable damage. While spending for the best fire protection systems may be expensive, you should consider it an investment.

What is Fire Rated?

Building owners and contractors also refer to it as a passive fire protection measure since they cannot extinguish fires but only contain them. When a fire happens in one building area, the fireproof walls, floors, and ceilings prevent them from transferring to other areas within the building until the fire protection systems or firefighters extinguish the flames.

Note that having fire protection without fireproofing cannot keep a building safe from potential fires. When fires spread too fast, the fire protection systems may not put out the flames quickly enough. And if you only have fireproofing without fire protection systems, the fire will consume the building faster.

Since you now know the difference between fire protection and fireproofing, don't forget to purchase quality fire-rated products and equipment from Fire Safety Equipment. Call us and we will help you make the right choice for your building and get your order on its way.