How Fire Barriers Help to Protect the Environment

Most business owners have a good idea of how fire partitions work and why they’re so important. These partitions protect people, buildings, equipment, machinery, and tools from not only fire but also smoke and heat. However, not everyone knows that a fire partition also protects the environment.

So, for anyone who wants to do everything possible to keep their employees and assets safe while at the same time working to save the planet, a fire barrier is an outstanding solution.

Ways a Fire Barrier Keeps the Environment Clean and Safe

Before going over the benefits, it might help first to compare a fire barrier vs. a fire partition. While both types of fire separation protect people, assets, and the environment, there’s one primary difference. A barrier must have a one-hour fire-resistant rating at a minimum. A partition must have at least a 30-minute rating for specific types of occupancies and a one-hour minimum rating otherwise.

The following are some examples of how both a fire partition and fire barrier benefit the environment.

Eliminates or Reduces Contaminated Wastewater

If a fire starts in a facility that deals with toxic materials and there’s no barriers in place to limit the spread of the fire, huge amounts of foam or water are used to put the flames out, and that liquid, likely contaminated with toxic materials, has to go somewhere. Depending on the company’s location, it could end up in a nearby river, lake, or ocean. Now, the body of water becomes contaminated, killing plants and marine life.

Even if a company isn’t near a main body of water, the contaminated runoff can seep into the soil and even pollute the aquifer. Again, that would damage plants, as well as impact animals and insects living in the area. A fire barrier helps reduce the amount of polluted water created from fighting a fire, making it easier to contain.

Prevents Chemicals From Catching Fire

Regardless of the type of chemical, any exposure to heat or flames could lead to a disaster. Whether a fire barrier or a fire partition is utilized, a fire can be prevented from getting to the chemical storage, and if the fire started in the chemical storage, they would prevent the fire from spreading to the rest of the building. Like with toxic materials, limiting the amount of water used to fight a fire, also limits that amount of contaminated waste water that needs to be contained and treated.

Not only does a fire barrier prevent the fire from spreading, but it also keeps workers safe if they’re in a building with stored chemicals when a fire breaks out. Instead of breathing in toxic fumes while trying to evacuate, these people can shelter in place until first responders arrive.

Prevents Wildfires

All you have to do is watch the news to see the destruction that wildfires cause. They burn down homes and businesses, destroy vegetation, and kill animals. Even after putting out a wildfire, it takes decades for the environment to recover. Substations sometimes start these fires when transformers fail and ignite. Again, with a superior fire barrier installed, the risk of flames spreading to create a wildfire diminishes dramatically.

We Can Help

At DuraSystems, we have outstanding protective solutions, including a fire barrier. Call us so that we can help you protect your business and the environment.