Smoke ventilation– essential to modern fire protection!

Fires in factories and warehouses, offices and public buildings have proved time and time again that our worst enemy in case of fire is toxic smoke gas. Just a few minutes after a fire breaks out, the smoke build-up inside a building can be overwhelming.

Around 80 percent of all fire victims are not killed by the flames but by smoke inside the building. And fire-fighters who had smoke-free access on initial attack often find their retreat paths cut off by smoke-filled rooms. In other words: it is particularly important to evacuate smoke from the building especially in the early stages after a fire has broken out.

Smoke and heat exhaust systems (SHEVs) – typically built into flat roofs – are used for this purpose. SHEV flaps that open in case of fire quickly evacuate smoke and toxic gases through the roof and upwards into the atmosphere, allowing fire-fighters to complete targeted fire-fighting operations. There can be no dispute about priorities here: protecting human life, and this includes saving yourself and rescuing people who are in danger, followed by protecting property and buildings.

Domelights and continuous rooflights by LAMILUX fitted with SHEV flaps appropriate for the size of building and the required control and drive technology comply with DIN 18232 and EN 12101-2. The former specifies basic requirements for SHEV systems with respect to dimensions in relation to the building size; the latter defines the required functionality and triggering safety of the devices.