Safety equipment explained: The ins and outs of dry risers
You may not be familiar with dry risers unless you live or work on the upper floors of a high rise building, work in the construction industry or are in the Fire and Rescue Service. However you may be surprised to hear that they are a vital part of keeping residents or workers safe because they form an integral part of fire suppression systems in multi-storey constructions. Here is a brief guide to dry risers and what they do:
If you have not heard of dry risers before ponder this question for a few seconds: If there is a fire on the top floor of a 40-storey building how on earth do firemen tackle the blaze? It is too high to jet water at from the ground and the hoses are not long enough to reach the top. Dry risers are the answer.
Dry Risers comprise systems of valves and pipework built into a tall building which enable the Fire and Rescue Service to get substantial amounts of water to the upper floors in the case of a fire by connecting hoses to them. They get their name because they are left dry until they need to be used. In other words they are maintained empty. There are systems which are filled with water ready for when it is needed and logically these have been termed wet risers. Dry risers, also known as standpipes, are therefore an external access point at ground level through which water can be pumped from a fire engine pump to firefighters’ hose attachments on each floor.
Dry risers are not just useful devices – they are the law! If you are the landlord or are responsible for a high-rise building in any other capacity dry riser system access points need to be present on any floor more than 18 metres above ground level. You should also make sure dry riser testing takes place regularly.
Dry risers are important for many industries and properties. One firm which offers quality products at competitive prices is Ukdryrisers.co.uk. The company also specialises in dry riser testing so check out the website today for more information.
Dry risers
are important for many industries and at ukdryrisers.co.uk we can supply quality products, along with dry riser testing, at competitive prices. Visit us today for more information!