Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Construction and layout of the building
How the building or structure is constructed in terms of 
its materials and the quality in which the materials have 
been used within the building has an effect upon any 
potential fi re growth rate. Clearly, buildings constructed 
of wood have the potential to speed the fi re growth rate; 
however, in itself, due to the nature of wood (strengthens 
when it is burnt) the fi re growth rate would be affected 
more by voids between fl oors, ceilings and roofs in 
wooden buildings than the use of wood itself.
The size and layout of a building also has the 
potential to affect the growth rate. When a building 
has high ceilings, such as in the case of atria (found in 
shopping malls), fi re growth is likely to be much slower 
than those buildings with low ceilings, or those that 
Category 
Fire growth rate 
Examples
1 
Slow 
Open plan offi ce – with limited combustible materials, stored or used
2 
Medium 
Warehouse – which is likely to have stacked cardboard boxes, wooden pallets
3 
Fast 
Production unit/warehouse – baled thermoplastic chips for packaging, stacked plastic 
products, baled clothing awaiting delivery
4 
Ultra-fast 
Production unit/warehouse – fl ammable liquids, expanded cellular plastics and foam
Manufacturing, processing, repairing, cleaning or otherwise treating any hazardous goods or 
materials
Table 7.2
Fire growth rates
Heater
Towel drying 
Figure 7.19
Fire spread by radiation from heater to com-
bustible material
Figure 7.20
Fire spread by radiation from one building to 
another
7.4.4 Direct 
burning
When combustible materials come in direct contact 
there is a physical transfer of heat from the ignition 
source to the material which in turn releases vapours 
which ignite and propagate the fi re. It is true to say that 
direct burning makes use of one or more of the previ-
ously discussed methods of heat transfer; however, it 
is appropriate to mention this method as a reasonable 
proportion of fi res are started in this way and when 

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