Why and How to Choose Flame Retardant and Fire-Resistant Cables

Fire safety is becoming a big concern with the rise in high-rise buildings, smart cities, and industrial zones construction. The primary reason for an upsurge in fire accidents is electrical faults, inappropriate building plan, lack of evacuation plan, and insufficient monitoring of fire protection systems.

Fire results in undue damage to the life and safety of occupants, materials, with a cost of the destroyed infrastructure. An accidental fire in a high-rise building has to encounter various challenges related to evacuation timing, false alarm management strategy, smoke control, panel capabilities, rapid data transfer, and control across the building’s fire system.

Gloster Cables has brought a wide range of fire-resistant and fire-retardant products to deal with these challenges. These specifically designed products resist the spread of fire and improve the chances of escape and survival, resulting in damage control and saving lives.

Common Scenarios of Fire at Home and Commercial Spaces

The places like home and commercial spaces get equipped with fire hazards and their sources such as electrical appliances, smoke, heating, trash, etc. An electrical system is present in all structures and is one of the major causes of fire. We need to design, install, and properly maintain the electrical system to avoid any arcing or heating leading to an electrical fire.

A large percentage of electrical fire is due to worn-out or tired electrical equipment. A deteriorated insulation or dirty electric motor should be monitored and replaced on time. And all approved electrical equipment needs to get used appropriately. Overloaded cords such as the use of multiplug adapters may lead to short circuits or fire accidents.

Other causes can be any operator error or accidental occurrence such as defective installations, heating equipment left on, items left in electrical equipment, or clothes left in contact with lamps. We require specialized electrical equipment in areas where hazardous materials are in use to prevent fires and explosions.

Key Reasons of Fire and Challenges to Deal with It

Electrical circuit failure

Electrical circuit failure happens due to excess temperature, excess current or voltage, ionizing radiation, and mechanical shook.

Burning of the layers

Overheating and over-voltage lead to the burning of electric circuit layers. Old wiring also decreases the capacity to handle energy-intensive homes.

Overloading

Overloading, installing high wattage bulbs, overloaded cords, etc., causes melting of the metal wire with the load. Dealing with a fire accident at home or any commercial buildings throws several challenges.

Gas Emission

The smoke from the fire is a bunch of toxic products. It contains carbon monoxide to a large percentage but also contains cyanide. Cyanide prevents our body from absorbing and taking oxygen which is dangerous to our health.

Toxic Flame

It takes even less than a minute for a small fire to turn into devastation. House fires are dangerous because of the flammability of materials such as plastic and synthetic materials present in the house that turns into toxic flame.

Evacuation

High-rise structures face evacuation challenges during a fire breakout. It can result in panic or crush events, and even death. A proper evacuation plan is required to avoid such mishaps.

How Fire-Resistant Cables Help Avoid Fire-like Mishaps

We can prevent fire accidents by maintaining proper safety protocols and fire-resistant products. The application of fire-resistant cables complying with the latest Standards and Codes of Practice for fire detection helps avoid fire-like mishaps.

The below-mentioned Fire-resistant cable features help avoid and control the spread of fire. And with an increase in chances of our survival and escape.

Circuit integrity

The limited circuit integrity of fire-resistant cable enables it to work even during a fire. It gets used for critical electrical circuits such as safety circuits and life support circuits to function during emergencies.

Low smoke and gas Emission

The fire cable insulation and jacketing get made with materials that produce low smoke and toxic gas when exposed to high temperatures or fire.

Flame retardant

The flame retardant cables help curb the spread of fire by preventing it from propagating to new areas.

Zero halogen gases

Halogen-free cables are insulated with materials that do not produce toxic halogen gases when exposed to fire or heat.

How to Choose Fire-safety Wires and Cables

We need to choose and install safe cabling at homes, office buildings, hospitals, and other commercial and industrial places.

Using fire-resistant or fire survival cables can help in an emergency by enabling emergency lighting, ventilation, pressurization fans, etc. It helps in safe evacuation, functioning of water pumps, working of smoke extraction pumps, and others. A fire can be less damaging when we use Fire retardant cables with are low smoke, zero halogen gas emission, and other properties.

Gloster Wires and Cable Products to the Rescue

Gloster is a leading manufacturer of Fire survival cables. Its range of products includes heat resistant cables, fire survival cables, RTD cables, fire alarm cables, armoured cables, instrumentation cables, etc. These fire survival cables have a fire barrier placed above each conductor, made of muscovite MICA tapes that can handle up to 1000ᴼC temperatures. For armour cable, Gloster Cables uses an additional fire safety below the armour that protects it from the heat generated from the metal particle.

The cables manufactured by Gloster have the following properties that make them suitable for domestic, commercial, and industrial places.

Fire resistant

Gloster’s fire-resistant cables keep working during a fire situation. And be used for fire-resistant safety circuits, public address and emergency voice communication, control & instrumentation system, and high-temperature installation conditions for hospitals, airports, offices, high-rise buildings, etc.

Flame retardant

Flame retardant cables help in the spread of fire and comply with IEC 60332 standards.

Zero halogen and low smoke

Gloster flame retardant cables are halogen-free according to EN 50525-1 and have low smoke properties that make them suitable for high-rise buildings and commercial structures.

Triple Extrusion technology

Gloster Cables has introduced domestic range cables with triple extrusion technology that has FRLSH properties. The first layer is HR-FRLSH insulation to stand high conductor temperature up to 105ᴼC, and the second layer restricts the spread of flame, poisonous gases, etc. The third layer is abrasion-resistant.

Standards followed

Gloster follows BS 6387, BS 8491, BS 8434-2, BS EN 50200, and IEC 60331 standards for various tests related to energy, fire resistance, flame retardant, low gas emission properties.

Gloster Cables Putting Safety Above Everything Else

Gloster has more than 25 years of industry presence and has been continuously flourishing in its infrastructural capabilities with its innovative products. Its emphasis on Research and development yields the best products that meet customer expectations complying with several national and international standards. Its fire-resistant products are made with materials of top-most quality, can sustain long, and have high fire survival properties.

Gloster Cables believes in keeping the safety of lives and infrastructure above all and is pushing its limits through innovation, improved product development, and adherence to several global standards.