Hold your fire

Fire suppression systems are not something that any plant manager would ever want to put to the test, but being prepared for the worst case scenario is now part of their job description.

A change in legislation in 2006 placed the responsibility of fire safety directly onto managers instead of local fire departments.

This means the onus is on plant operators to protect staff, assets and the local community from the effects of a fire on their premises.

“The operator should be able to demonstrate an effective and practical plan for the containment and fighting of fires on its process installations,” says the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

But in spite of these regulations, industrial fires still happen with alarming regularity.

While some are the result of human error or arson, others are caused by faulty equipment or appliances, reports the UK’s Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA).

Recycling plants are proving particularly vulnerable to fire. In January, British newspapers reported on a fire at a Yorkshire tyre recycling plant that created a plume of smoke so large that it could be seen from space.

“The impact of fire loss is far reaching,” says the BSA.

“It goes beyond money and the traditional concept of risk. It includes life safety, business interruption, cash-flow volatility and loss of reputation.”

“Other outcomes may include the forced closure of a site, the relocation of the facilities and local job losses.”

The main role of a fire suppression system could simply be to extinguish or control the fire, but depending on the processing environment, it may also need to provide exposure protection to prevent domino effects, says the HSE.

To assess and counter such threats, many companies are turning to outside experts, such as Nobel Fire Systems.

The UK firm works directly with end users from range of industries, as well as building architects and designers, to provide industrial-scale fire safety systems.

Ian Bartle, managing director of Nobel Fire Systems, says fire-suppression strategies are all about managing risk based on “what is coming in, what is being processed, and then how it comes out at the other end”.

“The waste industry has previously been very unregulated, and there have been masses of very large fires,” says Bartle.

“They have mass storage of recyclable items that are waiting to be recycled and that is where the fires are starting … now some cannot even get insurance.”

Nobel’s approach to the threat of fire is based on risk assessment.

“We go through the full range of potential fire risks from electrical switchgear, to the protection of production facilities and control or computer rooms,” says Bartle.

“We will also look at different parts of the plant to determine risk factors based on efficiency, economy, and environment.”

For many companies, fire protection is more of a business protection decision than a response to tightening safety regulations, says Bartle.

“But in reducing the potential for fire loss, insurers also become interested,” he adds.

“We work a lot with insurers wanting to mitigate the potential for payout. There is a lot less tolerance now for not providing a safe environment.”

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