Electricity, an indispensable element of human life, can pose potential dangers if not used correctly. Among these potential dangers is fire, as 25% of fires in Istanbul are caused by faults in the electrical installations of buildings.
Haydar Çatalbaşlı, Electrical Group Coordinator at Üçay Engineering, stated, “It is possible to prevent electrical fire risks in buildings,” and highlighted the necessary measures to be taken. Here are the details…
According to the data from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department, as of the end of 2023, there were 24,285 fires in Istanbul. 25% of these fires were caused by electrical sources. Moreover, in these fires, structures, their electrical installations, and electronic systems were damaged. Injuries and fatalities also occurred.
Haydar Çatalbaşlı, Electrical Group Coordinator at Üçay Engineering, stated, “It is possible to prevent electrical fire risks in buildings,” and highlighted the necessary measures to be taken.
“Preventing Electrical Fires in Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Projects”
“Projects built in accordance with the Electrical Internal Installation Project Preparation Regulation can prevent electrical fires. In this context, cables are selected to be non-halogen gas emitting or flame-retardant according to the CPR class, the joints of the cables are ensured to have sufficient solid insulation, cable cross-sections, circuit breakers’ nominal currents, and short-circuit breaking capacities are appropriately selected, grounding and loop impedances are correctly implemented, necessary places use residual current devices (RCD) and arc fault detection devices (AFDD), and sufficient insulation is provided in panel covers. Additionally, systems are selected to meet exproof (flameproof) conditions when necessary.
“Fire Risks in Existing Building Stock Can Also Be Eliminated”
With the measures taken, fire risks in the existing building stock can also be eliminated. We recommend that the electrical installation of buildings be inspected annually by an authorized engineering firm.
Avoid overloading the electrical installation in buildings and strengthen the installation infrastructure if necessary. Broken and worn cables should be replaced, and a ‘residual current relay’ should be used to prevent leakage current in the circuit. In this context, it is necessary to detect serial arcs with a thermal camera and analyze the energy used in terms of fire risk. For installation inspection, using the TS HD 60364-6 methodology, the tests and grounding tests in Article 46 of the Electrical Internal Installation Regulation should be applied to all machines. The boundary value and the measurement result should be explained as appropriate.
In addition, to protect against fire, buildings should have fire warning systems, automatic extinguishing systems, structural measures to prevent the spread of heat and smoke during a fire, escape routes, emergency lighting, fire hydrant installation, storage, pumps, hydrants, hose cabinets, and extinguishers.
As Üçay Engineering, with our expert team and engineering capability, we play an important role in fighting fire by providing turnkey system solutions for both the existing building stock and newly constructed projects in electrical and mechanical installation applications,” they said.
About ÜÇAY GROUP
Founded in Istanbul in 2000 with the aim of creating environmentally sensitive systems by placing engineering at the center of corporate culture, Üçay Group today includes Üçay Engineering, Üçay Construction, Isomer, Evjet Technology companies, and EVREKAA R&D Center. Üçay Group offers quality products and services to its customers in the fields of HVAC, energy, E-Mobility (under the Elaris brand), electrical, mechanical, and technology.
