The fire protection measures in the Cleanroom are defined by the customer. The customer’s fire protection expert defines the requirements and translates his specifications into technical implementation. These can be the following technical measures, for example:
- Escape routes
- Smoke detection
- Connection to the fire alarm system (BMA)
- Sprinklers (for the room and/or the ceiling plenum)
- Smoke extraction
- Flammability
The individual requirements can be very individual. Examples of implementation or possible solutions can be found below. It is advisable to involve the fire safety expert and the authority that may approve Cleanroom at an early stage. By clarifying the points mentioned, an early check and coordination can take place so that the installed Cleanroom can be used without delay.
1. escape routes
The escape routes from Cleanroom must be checked and agreed with the fire safety expert. Airlock doors can act as a barrier in room-in-room solutions in the event of a fire, so separate escape doors from Cleanroom may be necessary.
The following points should be noted:
- Is it possible and permissible to escape via the personnel airlock if a sitover is installed here as a barrier?
- How many people use the escape route, how wide must the escape door be?
- Is an escape route via the roller shutters required? What door equipment is required for approval as an escape route?
- Is an escape through sliding doors required? What opening options do the sliding doors have in the event of a power failure?
The fire protection concept also includes considerations regarding the marking and lighting of escape routes. Depending on the size of the room, the brightness of escape route signage with escape route luminaires may be sufficient. If the luminosity of the marking is not sufficient, additional mains-independent emergency luminaires must be installed.
2. smoke detection
There are generally two types of smoke detectors:
- Smoke detector
- Active smoke aspiration systems
When planning fire protection, it must be decided which areas need to be monitored for smoke and which systems can be used to do this.
Both systems must be checked and maintained regularly. Care should therefore be taken during planning to ensure that the systems are well positioned so that they are accessible for inspection.
If smoke is detected and an alarm is triggered, all fans in the Cleanroom are switched off to prevent the smoke from spreading or, in the worst case, being pushed downwards and hindering escape. The system is shut down immediately.
3. connection to fire alarm system (BMA)
The clean room control unit can be connected to the in-house fire alarm system. When triggered, all fans in the Cleanroom are switched off.
4. sprinkler
Depending on the size of the hall and the structure of the building, the fire protection expert may stipulate that both the Cleanroom and the ceiling plenum must be equipped with sprinklers. In this case, the pipe penetrations of the sprinklers and the sprinkler heads must be well sealed with rosettes to Cleanroom and the statics must be taken into account.
5. smoke extraction
Depending on the local conditions, smoke extraction must be provided after firefighting. As a rule, smoke extraction must take place via defined open areas. These can be door and gate openings or toughened safety glass panes, for example, which are then smashed with an emergency hammer. In extreme cases, additional smoke extraction doors or flaps in the wall or ceiling are required.
6. flammability
Depending on the surrounding building fabric, it may be necessary to restrict flammability in order to ensure sufficient escape time in the event of a fire. In exceptional cases, for example, the construction of an airtight clean room shell of fire resistance class B2 may not be sufficient and the requirement of fire resistance class A2 may be necessary. In this case, it is advisable to consult the local fire protection expert.
