Fire Safety in Self-Storage Facilities in Kenya
At any warehousing facility around the globe, fire safety is always foremost on the mind of the facility operator. Because of the severity of the damage fires cause to facilities as well as the potential for the loss of human life it imperative to take all of the proper measures to ensure that the storage facility you choose has taken all of the right steps regarding fire prevention.
Extinguishing supplies
When you visit your next facility, have a look around and see if you see any fire fighting equipment. Look for fire extinguishers, the red bottle, that can put out a localised fire. The fire extinguishers tend to use a foam to put our fires and are very effective. You should also see if there are any water hose reels that can fight against larger fires. Water hoses are good for larger fires that require a longer soaking than a fire extinguisher may be able to provide. Lastly, you might also see if the building is equipped with fire sprinklers. These are usually found up in the rafters or ceiling and can douse the entire floor with water and new sprinkler systems can emit a powder which extinguishes fires. So there are a lot of options.
Fire safety, however, is not only about fighting the fire, but also about getting to safety should a fire erupt. While at the facility look around for fire exits. When you are in a self-storage facility you will be going down long corridors and you want to make sure that there is more than one fire exit on the floor. These should be marked with bright green signs saying “EXIT'“ on them. It is also important to remember never to use a lift as a means of escape in a fire situation.
As the old adage goes, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” This is no different if a fire is started indoors or outdoors, so look around for smoke detectors in the next storage facility you are visiting. Having smoke detectors can greatly reduce the a fire getting out of control as well as save lives by alerting people early that something is smoking and if caught early may be put out even before it starts.
Most modern buildings are obliged to build to fire code, but there are a lot of older tired facilities that don’t always meet these specification, especially in East Africa. So when it comes to fire prevention and safety, make sure that you look for fire extinguisher systems, fire alarms and fire escapes. If you don’t see them, you might want to reconsider leaving your belongings there and find a facility that takes fire safety seriously.