Fire Safe Europe
11 Jun 2020
When it comes to fostering a sustainable future, the building sector has an important role to play and has embraced this responsibility by aiming to improve buildings’ energy-efficiency and decrease buildings’ negative consequences on the environment.
To do so, green materials and technologies have been increasingly marketed. These new ways are a valuable contribution to increase the sustainability of our buildings. Yet, it is crucial also to ensure that the fire risks associated with these recent techniques are properly accounted for. Indeed, building fires can have substantial impacts on the three components of sustainability: the environment, the society and the economy. That’s why when building sustainable, it is essential to make sure fire safety is upheld, and the building is fire resilient.
To raise awareness of the potential impacts of building fires on sustainability, we decided to test the level of knowledge of the fire safety community when it comes to buildings’ sustainability and fire resilience. Through a series of polls on our social media platforms (from 2 June to 8 June 2020 (closed midnight). Total votes: 4 843), we found out that:
POLL #1: 34% of participants did not know what fire resilience is. Only 51% answered correctly stating that fire resilient is “the fact that a building can resist to, adapt to, recover from fire and get back to its essential function quickly and efficiently”.
POLL #2: A majority of participants (73%) was aware that the potential environmental impacts of a building fire are: air pollution, soil pollution and groundwater pollution;
POLL #3: When it comes to the potential consequences of a building fire on society, 59% knew that both transports and schools might close down.
POLL #4: Finally, 70% were able to identify all the possible economic consequences of a building fire on their community, namely shops closing, job and financial losses, damages and repair costs.
The following infographics have been developed to give further information on the potential adverse impacts of building fires.
Potential impacts of building fires on the environment
Building fires can release effluents and by products that contaminate the environment. These impact air quality because of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. They also pollute the soil, and their infiltration, as well as the contamination of firefighters’ runoff water, spoils water sources underground. All these potential negative consequences of a building fire on the environment endanger people’s health and well-being.
Potential impacts of building fires on the society
Due to the contamination and destruction, it can trigger, a building fire can cause disruptions to the community’s life. Transport connections can be interrupted, schools forced to close for a while as well as essential public offices. In short, life can be significantly slowed down, which can bring a burden on citizens’ shoulders, having to find appropriate coping mechanisms.
Potential impacts of building fires on the economy
When a building catches fire, it often implies sensible damages and repair costs. In the case of commercial buildings which might have to close business, it may also lead to important financial loss. In the worst cases, building fires can also trigger job loss.
Hence, if we want to foster a truly sustainable future and provide for people needs and well-being, it is essential to make sure our buildings are fire resilient. Fire resilience is the capacity of a building to resist to, adapt to and recover from a fire and resume to its essential functions in a timely and efficient fashion. Addressing fire resilience in our buildings will ensure we strengthen our buildings’ sustainability and work towards a truly sustainable future.