Risk Assessment Of Factors Related To Fire Protection In Dwellings

Abstract

A Monte Carlo simulation (CRISP) of entire fire scenarios has been developed for use in risk assessment. CRISP'S basic struchlre is a two layer multi-room zone model, with extra features, most notably people, included. The model has been used to perform a fire risk assessment of a domestic house. If a house has more than two storeys (which may also be the case if an attic or roof space has been converted for use as living accommodation in a two-storey house), the Approved Document of the Building regulations for England and Wales recommends protecting the staircases with fire-resisting construction. The purpose of the CRISP study was to investigate whether the provision of smoke alarms would remove the need for staircase protection. It was found that smoke alarms did provide an acceptable level of risk for the occupants, which was comparable to that provided by passive fire protection.