Fire safety
in offices
The main fire risk in offices and business premises is electrical. It is therefore important to monitor risk areas while implementing a comprehensive evacuation system to protect staff.
Fire safety standards for offices are set out in the French Labor Code. They primarily aim to ensure the safety of people in the event of a fire, particularly through an evacuation strategy.
- Articles R. 4216-1 to R. 4216-30 and R. 4216-32 to R. 4216-34 set the mandatory provisions to be followed during the construction or modification of the workplace. This includes information on smoke extraction, storage, and handling of flammable materials.
- Articles R. 4227-1 to R. 4227-41 and R. 4227-55 to R. 4227-57 describe the provisions regarding fire prevention and protection in workplaces that employees must absolutely adhere to (storage and handling of flammable materials, alarm systems, and safety instructions).
Fire Safety for Employees as a Top Priority
In office buildings, the priority of a fire safety system remains the safety of employees and potential visitors. To ensure this, the French Labour Code specifically provides for three systems to be implemented.
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Alerting in Case of Fire
The focus is on installing an audible alarm to warn office occupants of a fire and instruct them to evacuate the premises. The type of alarm system to be installed depends on the building’s layout, the number of people present, and whether flammable materials are handled.
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Protecting Employees During Evacuation
Since smoke and toxic gases are the leading causes of death during a fire, smoke extraction helps limit the spread of deadly substances by removing them via ducts and ventilators.
This system is mandatory under Article R. 4216-13 for rooms over 300 m² located on the ground floor and above, rooms over 100 m² with no windows, and those located in the basement.
Contact your Smoke Extraction Expert DMF -
Trained Staff Ready in All Situations
Staff training enables them to manage the situation before the arrival of emergency services. A safety officer should be trained on each floor to raise the alarm, use fire extinguishers in the event of a fire, secure their workstation, and evacuate.
Contact your Training Expert OFC
Are you subject to the smoke extraction requirement in your offices? DMF supports you in your project
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Protected office buildings
at the request of insurance companies
On their side, insurance companies may recommend specific measures such as automatic fire detection or automatic fire extinguishing by water mist to protect property in high-risk areas such as storage rooms, IT rooms, kitchens, waste disposal areas, and parking lots.
Sustainable operation
thanks to maintenance
According to article R 4227-17, all installations and technical and safety devices must be maintained and checked on a regular basis (usually once or twice a year). This maintenance ensures the proper functioning of equipment at all times.
Réseau DEF, at your side for your fire safety projects
For over 60 years, Réseau DEF has supported many office buildings in their fire safety projects, whether simple or complex. We are involved from risk analysis to system implementation and maintenance.
The more than 60 companies in the Network are all experts in a specific field of fire safety and work hand in hand to offer complete solutions tailored to your industry and projects. Discover the experts in your country
