Fire outbreaks are perhaps one of the worst incidents that a person would want to see. With an increase in the number of incidents of fire and subsequent casualties, the administration across the globe has made it mandatory to have fire extinguishers at every commercial place. Apart from this, in order to ensure that while fighting the fire, people should be safe and sound. Therefore, dealing with the fire from a distance stands very crucial. Fire hose reels play a pivotal role when it comes to dousing the fire of a place.
What’s Present in the Fire Hose Reel System?
A fire hose reel is an entire system that consists of pipes, pumps, hose reels, and water supply. All the present units of the system are needed to fight a fire.
The placement of this system is always done at several strategic locations in the building or at a place. It is to ensure that fire is effectively dealt with without making any delay.
Working of the Fire Hose Reels
The entire system (fire reel hose system) is operated manually. It starts its operation by opening a valve present and ensuring that water flows through the hose with adequate pressure up to a certain distance. The pressure can be manipulated as per the requirements.
Each person should know the working of this fire hose reel. The water pressure from the hose should be directed at the base of the fire. This will help in cutting off the supply of oxygen and thus, dousing the flame.
Challenges with Fire Hose Reel
Like other items used in an emergency, fire hose reels, too, pose a challenge for the user. The challenge being to be serviced and maintained regularly.
As far as fire hoses are concerned, these are the supplement of the fire extinguishers and need to be provided in the fire compartment. The Building Code of Australia recommends placing a fire reel hose at places where the floor area is more than 500m2. But, the tweak is that these reels need to function properly when needed. That is why frequent fire hose reels testing needs to be conducted. This is a part of maintenance activity that ascertains that the reel hose performs when asked to deliver.
What is Fire Hose Reels Testing?
It is an essential activity conducted by professionals in order to make sure that the system solves the purpose. The experts carry out a thorough analysis and inspection of the fire reel hose as a part of inspection and evaluation. These professionals would evaluate the accessibility and functionality of the system. However, major fire outbreaks should be dealt with by professionals and certain things are required to be adhered to.
How Often Should Hose Reel Testing be Done?
“Safety is at your own hand”, says one of the professionals who carry out fire hose reels testing. Therefore, in such cases, the purpose should never be procrastinated. In fact, it should be at the top of the priority list.
As far as AS1851 measures are concerned, fire hose reels testing needs to be done every 6 months by industry experienced and well-trained professionals. In addition to this, the organisations that are into the business of fire hose reels testing also recommend getting the testing done as per the requirement.
The entire fire reel hose testing includes the inspection of the following things—
| ❖ Operating Instructions | ❖ Leakage |
| ❖ Signage | ❖ Record Label |
| ❖ Flow | ❖ Testing parts like Unwind, Nozzle interlock, Swing arm, |
| ❖ Accessibility | ❖ Damage (if any) |
Apart from this, the professional carrying out the testing would also check out for the proper functioning of the following things—
- Presence of any Damage in Hose or Bearings
- Presence of Fire Hazards or Obstructions if any
- Hose Guide & Fittings and other anchor points
Why are Testing stands necessary?
Before getting into why standing stands essential, it is necessary to know why fire hose reels are essential. These hose reels provide access to the strategic location within a building and are capable of extinguishing fire over a large area. Understanding the importance, regular fire hose reels testing stands essential. The testing conducted gives a detailed status report of the item as of now and the next date on which testing would be done.
Conclusion
For the buildings and organisations, carrying out fire hose reels testing is not only about securing the asset but also ensuring the safety of each individual- living or working respectively. Routine maintenance would provide ultimate peace of mind and would help to fight fire disaster.
