An approach to assess fire safety requirements in library facilities

Purpose — The objectives of this paper are to review current legislation and guidelines on fire safety in library facilities, and to present the finding of a case study to assess the provision of these requirements in the main library of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach — The authors have analyzed published literature and identified characteristics of combustible information media in libraries, causes of fire in library facilities, basic requirements of fire detection systems, basic requirements of fire suppression systems, and basic requirements of egress and evacuation. The authors then carried out an investigation to assess the provision of these requirements in the main library of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Findings — The findings from the case study conducted in the paper indicated that although the main library at KFUPM was found to have sufficient fire detection system, fire suppression system, and provision of the basic requirements of egress and evacuation, there are some recommendations for improving the status of fire safety. These recommendations are summarized as follows: a floor plan should be posted on each floor to illustrate the locations of evacuation routes, exits, and other fire safety devices; signs should be installed in the third and the fourth floor to guide students to evacuation exits; and furniture should be removed from the area in front of the stairway in the third floor. Originality/value — Fires are one of the main causes of life and property loss in cultural buildings. The high fire load of libraries makes them particularly susceptible to the spread of fire. The paper provides a systematic approach to the assessment of the provision of fire safety requirements in existing library facilities. The paper also provides insights to facility managers responsible for day-to-day operations of library and/or archival facilities.