What are Fire Rated Roller Shutters? How do they work?
Fire rated roller shutters are made of steel and are relatively similar to regular steel roller shutters in terms of appearance.
They are usually used as part of an overall fire strategy to prevent fires from spreading too quickly within buildings.
Fire rated shutters are equipped with a thermal fusible link mechanism which causes the shutters to lower on their own once a certain temperature is reached. The descend happens once the brakes of the motor are released.
They are sometimes linked to the building’s security system and can also be activated once the fire alarm goes off.
In the event of a fire, the lowering of the shutters helps to create a compartment within the building to prevent the fire from spreading too quickly so as to enable everyone in the building to escape in time.
They are designed to withstand fires for up to 4 hours depending on the fire rating selected. Types of fire rating available are 1, 2 and 4 hours. 2-hour fire rated shutters are the most popular type of fire rated shutters installed in buildings.
Fire shutters can be customised to fit the size of your premises. They also come with a manual hand chain which may be used to raise or lower the shutters in case of a power failure.
Optional items which can be provided are the Electronic Release System, Direct Current transmission signal as well as backup batteries.
Fire rated shutters are also sometimes made a requirement for certain types of properties such as factories, shopping malls, hotels and train stations due to fire safety reasons.