TM-RE News

Issue No. 44 | April 2024

Importance of Fire Compartments
Many of the buildings you use on a daily basis, such as offices, commercial facilities, factories, andwarehouses, have "fire compartments." Fire compartments are designed to prevent the spread of fire.
It is unlikely that people are aware of fire compartments on a daily basis. In this article we will
reaffirm the purpose and importance of fire compartments, which play an important role in the eventof a fire. In addition, we will summarize the basic points you should pay particular attention to.

1. What is Fire Compartment

2. Purpose of Fire Compartment
As mentioned earlier, fire compartments are
established to prevent the spread of fire, heat,and smoke. Even if a fire were to break out,
having measures such as fire compartments not
only ensures the safety of people but also
protects assets from fire. If the damage fromthe fire can be limited, it will be possible toshorten the recovery period for your business.

Fire compartments are stipulated by the building
codes and fire protection laws of each country,
and are compartments within a building that areestablished to prevent the spread of fire in theevent of a fire. They are set based on concepts
such as compartments according to area,compartments by occupancies, and verticalcompartments (e.g. elevators, staircases, etc.)
to prevent the spread of fire between floors.

Therefore, it is important to properly maintainfire compartments in the buildings you use, and
it is one of the basics of fire prevention
management.

The fire compartment consists of the walls,
floors, and ceilings of a building. Required fire
resistance rate varies by country, and it isusually set between 1 and 4 hours.
Column 1
Some countries have specifications for fire wallsthat are rated for two hours, for example.
The fire resistance performance of building
structural materials and fire doors etc. isdetermined based on the results of fire tests.
There are various standards such as ASTM*1 andUL*2 regarding fire test methods, and thesestandards specify standard heating times andtemperatures. For example, ASTM E119, which
is one of the rules for standard fire tests, hasestablished the standard time-temperature
curve as shown on the right.

Figure 1: Standard time-temperature curve

Furthermore, ASTM E119 also requires that
immediately after a fire test, post hose stream
test be conducted on the test member toconfirm the strength of the member after it has
been exposed to flame.
*1 ASTM: ASTM International. The world's largest
private, non-profit international standardizationand standard-setting organization.

*2 UL: Underwriters Laboratories Inc. ULstandards are product safety standards
established by UL. The purpose is to standardize
the functions and safety of everything frommaterials, equipment, parts, tools, etc. toproducts.

(https://www.astm.org/about/overview.html)(https://www.ul.com/)-1-@ Tokio Marine Asia Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

TM-RE NewsIssue No. 44 | April 2024

3. Control of Fire
Looking back at past fire incidents, there
are cases where buildings were completelydestroyed. The spread of the fire could havebeen limited if the building had been
properly fire compartmentation. Human
factors are greatly involved in active fire
protection systems. For example, there arecases even if fire extinguishing equipment isinstalled, if it cannot be operated properly,
or if the fire extinguishing equipment is not
functioning due to maintenance work.

We cannot reduce the risk of fire to “zero” inthe buildings we use. Many fires occur inindustrial facilities every year. Therefore, thelaws of each country require that buildings beequipped with a “fire prevention system”, suchas fire compartments and fire extinguishingequipment.
There are two types of fire protection systems,
which every building needs to have to maximize
their protection: active and passive fire
protection systems. The two types of systems
work together to help stop and contain thethreat of a fire. Alone, each one can beeffective, but, together, they offer you the best
type of protection you can get for your building.

On the other hand, fire compartments,
which are a passive fire protection system,
are a safety feature that is built into thebuilding if properly installed. Therefore, wecan expect that they can be used tosuppress fires (prevent the spread of fire)
without requiring any special measures inthe event of a fire.

1) Active Fire Protection Systems

An active fire protection system means that
action of some kind is taking place. Thisaction can be manual, meaning that aperson or persons may engage in it, or it
may be automatic, deploying once fire,smoke or heat is detected. This includes all
fire extinguishing equipment. This includes
not only equipment for extinguishing fires
such as fire extinguishers, hydrants, andsprinklers, but also equipment for notifying
the danger of fire, such as fire alarmsystem, and smoke exhaust equipment.

Of course, as mentioned above, fire
protection can be maximized through a
combination of active and passive fire
protection systems. As I mentioned earlier,passive fire protection systems such as firecompartments are particularly useful in theevent of a fire (emergency). This is because
the involvement of human factors is limited.
Hence, if they are properly maintained, it
can be expected to perform its functions
reliably.

2) Passive Fire Protection Systems

Therefore, please understand that it isimportant to properly understand thepurpose, function, and role of fire
protection compartments, and to properly
maintain them on a daily basis.

Passivefire
protection
systemiscomponents or systems of a building or
structure that slows or impedes the spreadof the effects of fire or smoke without
system activation, and usually without
movement. Examples of passive systems
include fire compartments and theirelements such as floor-ceilings and roofs,
fire doors, fire-resistant coatings etc.

4. Maintenance of Fire Compartments
As mentioned above, it is important to properly
maintain fire compartments within buildings.
We have many opportunities to visit ourcustomers’ facilities and check them from a fire
safety perspective. At that time, the following
are basic points of view that are often pointed
out, especially in relation to "fire walls.“While many people may infer that an active
fire protection system will be the mosteffective way to protect a building fromfire, passive fire protection systems areequally as - if not more than - effective atpreventing damage and loss of life.

1) Fire Doors / Fire Shutters3) Control of Fire

Fire walls have openings for people andobjects to pass through. Fire doors and fire
shutters are usually installed there.

Two types of fire protection systems are
mentioned above, and when it comes tocontrolling fires, the focus tends to be on
fire extinguishing equipment, that is, active
fire protection systems. However, there arecases where it is not possible to properly
control fires with active fire protection
systems alone.

a. Fire Doors
Many people understand that fire doors
should be kept closed at all times unlessthey are equipped with an automatic closing
mechanism linked to a fire alarm.
-2-@ Tokio Marine Asia Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

TM-RE News

Issue No. 44 | April 2024

Although fire shutters are fire resistant, ifthey are exposed to a fire for a long time,radiant heat will be transferred to theopposite side of the fire area. If combustible
materials are placed close to the shutter,
there is a risk of fire spreading due toradiant heat, so we usually recommend thata space of about 2 meters be maintained on
both sides of the fire shutter.

However, we often see cases where fire
doors, which people often pass through, aresecured in place with wedges, etc., asshown in the diagram. It is important not tothink that “in an emergency, we will closethe door and it will be okay,”' but tooperate the door “always closed”.

Figure 2: Fire door

Even if your fire door is equipped with a door
closer, if it does not close naturally, it isimportant to have it repaired immediately.

Figure 3: Fire shutter

2) Penetrating Parts such as Piping

b. Fire Shutters

There are parts where cables and piping
penetrate through the firewall.

In some warehouses and factories etc., fire
shutters are installed at openings in firewalls. In order for the fire shutter to close
properly, it is necessary that no objects areplaced under the fire shutter and that theshutter rail is not damaged.

These penetrations require that the gaps be
backfilled with non-combustible material. Ifgaps remain, smoke and heat may spreadthrough the gaps, and the fire may spreadto adjacent areas using the cables as a
combustion medium.

As for fire shutters that are not self-closing,
they are basically closed at all times, justlike fire doors.

Cables may need to be rerouted whenchanging or expanding equipment.

Column 2In 2022, a fire broke out at one of confectionery factory in Japan and six people died. In this accident,
the following points, including those related to fire compartments, can be used as reference points interms of fire prevention.
▪ The fire started in the drying equipment. The fire did not start from the gas or electrical equipment
being used, but it was caused by an oxidation reaction of oil contained in food scraps remained in
the drying equipment and the heat generated by the drying equipment.

▪ Polyurethane foam was installed on the ceiling where the fire started. This ignited, producing alarge amount of black smoke and causing the fire to spread rapidly.
▪ The fire occurred at night, and there was a power outage immediately after the fire broke out. It isalso speculated that a large amount of black smoke was generated, making evacuation difficult.
Additionally, although the fire shutters were properly closed, some employees were not aware of
the evacuation exit next to the shutters, so they were unable to evacuate, resulting in confusion.
Employees should understand the importance of fire compartments. Fire compartments also relate toevacuation routes. It is important to check both of these points during safety training for employees.
(Compiled by the writer with reference to the fire accident report released by the Fire and Disaster
Management Agency of Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on 31 March 2023.)-3-@ Tokio Marine Asia Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

TM-RE News
It is important to make sure to fire-stop thegaps with non-combustible material after
the rerouted work is complete.

Issue No. 44 | April 2024

4) Utility Rooms
If there is a utility room such as an electricalroom or AHU room, it is usually separated fromthe surrounding area by fire compartment. Thisis based on compartmentation by occupancy.
On the other hand, there are cases where
fire doors with louvers are installed at theutility rooms. It is recommended that doors
installed in fire walls be fire doors.

5. Conclusion
Figure 4: Fire-stopping of penetrations

In this article, we have summarized the purpose
and role of fire compartments in order toremind everyone of the importance of properly
managing fire compartments in buildings thatare used on a daily basis. Although the focus ison fire compartments, it goes without sayingthat proper maintenance of both passive andactive fire protection systems in a building,along with active fire protection systems suchas fire extinguishing equipment, will help
reduce fire risk.

3) Penetrating Parts such as Conveyors

In order to transport products and raw
materials etc. in warehouses and factories,
fire walls may have openings for roller
conveyors to pass through.
In order to protect this opening, it isimportant to provide a gap in the roller
conveyor as shown in the diagram below, orto allow the roller conveyor to partially flip
up so that fire shutters, etc. can be closed
securely.

Properly maintaining the passive fire protection
system, “fire compartments”, is one of thebasics of fire prevention management. We
would appreciate it if you would recognize thisimportant role once again and use it as areference for thorough safety management inyour company.

Figure 5: Example of roller conveyors

Topics related to this article are covered in thefollowing back issues of our TM-RE News. If
necessary, please contact our person in charge.

Reference: Fire and Disaster Management Agency▪ No.11 (July 2021)
Proper Maintenance of Fire Doors▪ No. 20 (April 2022)
Management of Emergency Evacuation Routes▪ No. 30 (February 2023)

Figure 6: Example of belt conveyors

Spotting Fire Doors Failures

Reference: Fire and Disaster Management Agency
Published By:

Risk Engineering Department[Contact]

Email: TMA_RE@tokiomarineasia.com

Disclaimer: The information, suggestions, and recommendations contained herein are for general informational purposes only.
This information has been compiled from sources believed to be reliable. No warranty, guarantee, or representation, either
expressed or implied, is made as to the correctness or sufficiency of any representation contained herein.

Writer: : Mr. Hiroaki Suganuma, Risk Engineering Dept., Tokio Marine Asia Pte. Ltd.
-4-

@ Tokio Marine Asia Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved