User Manual

5
Siemens Switzerland Ltd
Building Technologies Division
1.1.3. Potential danger to human life
Over and above any codes and regulations, it is the moral responsibility of the hotel management to protect
guests and staff from fire hazards. The reputation of a hotel is directly related to successful fire prevention. Even
one incidence of fire where the prevention measures prove insufficient can damage a hotel‘s otherwise good
reputation, which is then extremely difficult to re-establish.
People staying at a hotel as guests are usually not familiar with the hotel layout, the location of fire exits, fire
escapes or even the alarm signals. Hotel guests also vary greatly in physical condition, age and mental awareness.
One can assume that guests are asleep most of the time they spend in a hotel. It is a safe assumption that the
printed warning notices (customarily provided in guest rooms) are not being read. Each of these factors can be
dramatically intensified during the stress situation created by an emergency event such as a fire alarm or hotel
evacuation.
1.2. Fire protection in hotels
The goals of fire protection are to efficiently protect people, assets and the environment from the dangers and
effects of fire, and to minimize material damages, operational interruptions and the consequent loss of business.
Personal safety is generally regulated by national and regional regulations, while the protection of material assets
is mainly determined by the guidelines and directives issued by insurance companies. Many hotel associations and
other interest groups have also developed their own guidelines on fire safety for hotels. These generally give
advice to owners, managers and staff on good fire safety management and actions to be taken in the event of a
fire.
Effective fire protection is based on the coordination of the appropriate structural, technical and organizational
fire protection measures.
1.2.1. Fire protection objectives
The primary goal of fire protection is to avoid personal injury and material damage. In a hotel, the safety of guests
and personnel is of paramount importance. All persons working and staying in the hotel are reliant on the security
of the hotel – this is especially true for fire protection.
If a damaging fire can no longer be prevented, the effects of the fire must be limited as efficiently as possible.
Typical protection objectives are:
• Personal injury must be prevented.
• Asset damage must be kept to an absolute minimum.
• Environmental damage due to extinguishing water must be avoided.
1.2.2. Fire protection concept
A fire protection concept is the result of a methodical approach; making use of an array of measures to minimize
the fire risk and achieve the specified protection objectives.