Taking control of smoke

摘要

Incorporating a smoke controlrnsystem in the design stage of a building significantly improves safety. Smoke control systems come in many forms but their basic objectives are the same - keeping escape and access routes free of smoke, facilitating firefighting operations by creating a smoke free layer, and protecting a building's contents and reducing structural damage.rnThese systems are increasingly used to protect structures including multi-storey residential and public buildings, under croft car parks, shopping centres, warehouses and factories.rnIn apartment buildings, there is a legal requirement to protect the common escape routes to enable residents to escape in the event of a fire, and to assist firefighters needing to enter the building to deal with an incident. Statistics show that there are over 50,000 fires in dwellings in the UK annually and more than 300 fatalities, most of which are caused by the effects of smoke inhalation.