Accidents happen and all you can do is your best to be careful and prepare for the worst. Unfortunately, last Wednesday, January 19th 2016 an accidental fire completely ruined a rubber factory in Northeast Ohio. Employees at the Tristan Rubber Molding Inc. had reported the fire around 9 a.m. And although the Jackson Township Fire Department firefighters arrived shortly after, flames had already made it to the roof. According to the Jackson Township Fire Chief, “A firewall contained the flames to the north end of the building, but because a door in the wall was kept propped open, there was heat and water damage to the south end”. The damages were estimated at $3 million to the factory and everything inside. Not only did the fire destroy the factory, but managed to cause 75 percent damage to a nearby commercial area known as Belden Village Mall.
This is a perfect example of why improper use of fire doors is so dangerous.
Fire doors are a part of a building’s passive fire protection system. They have a well-thought out design with hundreds of moving parts, which allows them to help contain fire and smoke into one location of a building. Not only do they keep fire and smoke from spreading throughout a building, but they also provide a passageway for occupants to escape during a fire. Fortunately, the employees were able to evacuate the rubber factory unharmed. But, think about how much less property damage there would have been if the fire doors had been kept shut and used properly. It may be convenient at the time to keep the doors open, letting air flow through room to room and making it easier to move though the building. If a fire breaks out like it did at the Tristan Rubber Molding Inc., your facility could be left with millions in property damage due to the improper use of fire doors.
Fire doors are an important component in the fire safety industry and need to remain unaltered. Keeping fire doors blocked in the open position is one of the most common fire door deficiencies that are easily preventable. In order for a fire door to do its job and stop the spread of a fire and smoke, it needs to be visible and have nothing propping it open. It’s important to make sure that a facilities fire doors are being used appropriately. Otherwise, you run the risk of property damage and endangering the lives of its occupants.
