Fire protection is a fundamental requirement at every event venue but it can also be one of the most challenging. The fire detection and alarm systems (FDA) have to be designed to suit the venue’s unique and specific uses and, together with the high footfall and constantly changing set up at many event and exhibition sites, it presents a variety of issues that need to be taken into consideration before a solution is installed.
Regardless of the type of event, every exhibition hall and venue requires automatic fire detection throughout the building, to protect visitors, staff and the building itself. Designing a suitable solution needs careful planning and assessing, looking at the site, size and set up, which will all have a significant impact on the choice of FDA system.
The most complex consideration for exhibition halls and conference venues has to be the multi-use aspect. The majority of venues can host a multitude of different events every month, from the latest concert tour, to themed trade shows, exhibitions and corporate conferences. If the use of the building is for a specific exhibition or conference, it is likely to have several mid-height structures positioned at various points throughout the venue, which will impact on fire detection. In addition, these would also usually incorporate sectioned off areas that require power sources, as the stands may need to run computers, monitors and other electrical equipment.
At the other end of the event scale, when these buildings are used to host concerts, the layout is often dramatically different. There could be tall structures at the stage end of a hall, and then low level seating for the audience covering a large proportion of the floor space. Important considerations for the FDA solution in these cases would be the additional temporary lighting rigs and sound systems that need to be kept clear of any detection equipment, to ensure it is still free to pick up the first signs of a fire. Even the type of performance has to be taken into account, as common special effects such as stage smoke and pyrotechnics can lead to false alarms unless properly managed by the FDA system.
As fire industry experts, we have been involved in providing FDA solutions to exhibition halls and event venues. One recent installation was at the prestigious G Live entertainment venue in Guildford, which presented a challenge in terms of the sheer scale of the building, and the complexity of the cause and effect and programming. The venue required an FDA system that would provide the most reliable, least disruptive cover and incorporate a voice alarm element to protect the multi-use areas of the site.
The solution which we designed for the venue’s specific requirements included the main six loop Vigilon system with a Voice Alarm and Public Address (VA/PA) system integrated into the building. In all of the public areas the site has a full PA system with speakers to allow both voice evacuation and public announcements, and the system which was developed also had a performance mode to be used when public were present, and a non-performance mode, which both triggered different evacuation procedures according to whether the public were on the premises.
Another element of conference and exhibition venues that impacts on the specific FDA solution is the size of the site. Many centres tend to be extremely large, in fact, it is not that unusual to install a system in a venue the size of an aircraft hangar. The height of the exhibition space determines the most appropriate detector to use. If reasonably low, a traditional point detector can be used to cover up to a height of 10.5 metres. For structures up to 15 metres high, aspirating smoke detection can be used, or for buildings with a higher roof space, beam detection would need to be employed.
The sheer number of visitors is a major issue when considering fire safety protocol for these types of venues. Aside from the people actually attending an event, there is often a multitude of employees involved in setting it up, as well as the performers or exhibitors taking part. Due to the nature of the venue, it is highly likely that a large proportion of the people temporarily occupying the building would be unaware of the evacuation procedure. This can result in visitors leaving a venue completely rather than waiting around to be given the all clear to re-enter.
This is why in exhibition and conference venues, such as the G Live building, the role of a VA/PA system has proven to be vital to manage the circulation of people safely in an emergency, greatly improving both the response time and the evacuation. A spoken message identifies the nature of the problem and gives specific and detailed information to the public. VA systems provide the opportunity to broadcast both pre-recorded and live messages in a variety of languages and announce exact instructions when people are not familiar with the surroundings to improve the safe management of a phased evacuation.
Selecting the right FDA solution for an exhibition hall or event is about recognising the unique needs of the space and designing a solution that will offer both the ultimate level of protection without impacting on the many thousands of visitors that attend these sites. Safety is paramount, as is the success of the event itself.
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