Sprinkler systems are traditionally acknowledged as an efficient means of protecting buildings against extensive damage from fire. They are also now acknowledged as an effective means of reducing the risk to life from fire. Systems are being developed which may be suitable for use in workplaces with residential areas, such as care homes and houses in multiple occupancies.
Sprinkler systems need to be specifically designed and installed to the appropriate hazard category in accordance with an approved code of practice.
This will ensure that that the operation of the system will effectively limit/control the effects of the fire with minimal failures or unwanted operations (these are usually due to inappropriate use or poor maintenance).
Further information on the requirements for sprinkler systems and their benefits can be obtained from your local fire authority.
In many industrial and commercial premises, fires can pose a serious threat to the safety of employees working in or adjacent to areas involving:
• Process machinery.
• Electrical switchgear and transformers.
• Control – and data – processing equipment.
• Flammable materials storage.
Fires involving these risks can effectively be dealt with by the installation of fixed fire- fighting systems that may be either automatically or manually operated. For example, process equipment and machinery which handles flammable substances (e.g. printing machines, rolling mills, or oil-filled switchgear), may be protected by extinguishing systems, using dry powder, foam, carbon dioxide or other inert gas. However, recent developments using water mist technology mean that these systems may also be useful, especially in food-processing areas.
Similarly, protection of control- and data-processing equipment may be achieved by systems designed to totally fill the room or the cabinets containing such equipment with a gas-flooding extinguishing medium to a specified concentration. These types of systems use a range of gas-extinguishing media. Where there is a possibility that these may discharge into occupied areas, you need to ensure that the resulting concentration of the extinguishing medium will not be harmful to anybody present.
Where necessary, protection of large-scale storage facilities of flammable materials, especially in bulk tanks, may also be achieved by fixed deluge water or foam systems.
The design and installation of fixed fire-fighting systems require a high level of expertise, including the ability to carry out a thorough risk assessment and select the appropriate system and fire-fighting medium. Such systems have to be specially designed and can be expensive. If you are considering installing such a system, you should liaise with the relevant enforcing authority and consult a reputable company at an early stage. The British Fire Protection Systems Association can supply you with a list of companies in your
the area that undertakes this type of work.
5.0 Outline of portable fire fighting equipment: Unfortunately, there is no universal fire extinguishing agent. Therefore, there is a possibility that some fire extinguishers, if used on ignited materials or liquids, may make the fire worse and potentially put the employee (or person tackling the fire) at greater or increased risk. Under the British Standard EN-2, fires have been divided into broad classifications for extinguishing purposes. This will assist in selecting the most effective extinguishing agent to be used on the most appropriate types of fire and burning material:
Class A
Fires involving solid materials where combustion normally takes place with the formation of glowing embers
Class B
fires involving liquids or liquefiable solids
Class C
fires involving gases
Class D
fires involving metals
Class F
fires involving cooking oils or fats
Class A
All solid materials, usually organic origin nature (contains compounds of carbon) and generally produce glowing embers
Class B
All flammable liquids and solids, which can also be sub-divided into:
Non-miscible with water (i.e. petrol, oils, solvents, paints & waxes)
Class C
Fires involving Natural Mains Gas, Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG - Butane & Propane etc), Medical or Industrial gases.
Class D
Fires involving metals (where water is generally ineffective and/or dangerous).
Specialist Dry Powders are produced for certain Class D fires, particularly those involving alkali metals such as Sodium and Potassium. These Dry Powders extinguish metal fires by fusing the powder to form a crust, which excludes oxygen from the surface of the molten metal. A specific agent is added to prevent the powder from sinking into the surface of the molten metals.
Class F
A new class specifically dealing with high temperature (360°C) cooking oils used in large industrial catering kitchens, restaurants, and takeaway establishments etc. Cooking oil fires, because of their high auto-ignition temperatures are difficult to extinguish.
Sprinkler systems need to be specifically designed and installed to the appropriate hazard category in accordance with an approved code of practice.
This will ensure that that the operation of the system will effectively limit/control the effects of the fire with minimal failures or unwanted operations (these are usually due to inappropriate use or poor maintenance).
Further information on the requirements for sprinkler systems and their benefits can be obtained from your local fire authority.
In many industrial and commercial premises, fires can pose a serious threat to the safety of employees working in or adjacent to areas involving:
• Process machinery.
• Electrical switchgear and transformers.
• Control – and data – processing equipment.
• Flammable materials storage.
Fires involving these risks can effectively be dealt with by the installation of fixed fire- fighting systems that may be either automatically or manually operated. For example, process equipment and machinery which handles flammable substances (e.g. printing machines, rolling mills, or oil-filled switchgear), may be protected by extinguishing systems, using dry powder, foam, carbon dioxide or other inert gas. However, recent developments using water mist technology mean that these systems may also be useful, especially in food-processing areas.
Similarly, protection of control- and data-processing equipment may be achieved by systems designed to totally fill the room or the cabinets containing such equipment with a gas-flooding extinguishing medium to a specified concentration. These types of systems use a range of gas-extinguishing media. Where there is a possibility that these may discharge into occupied areas, you need to ensure that the resulting concentration of the extinguishing medium will not be harmful to anybody present.
Where necessary, protection of large-scale storage facilities of flammable materials, especially in bulk tanks, may also be achieved by fixed deluge water or foam systems.
The design and installation of fixed fire-fighting systems require a high level of expertise, including the ability to carry out a thorough risk assessment and select the appropriate system and fire-fighting medium. Such systems have to be specially designed and can be expensive. If you are considering installing such a system, you should liaise with the relevant enforcing authority and consult a reputable company at an early stage. The British Fire Protection Systems Association can supply you with a list of companies in your
the area that undertakes this type of work.
5.0 Outline of portable fire fighting equipment: Unfortunately, there is no universal fire extinguishing agent. Therefore, there is a possibility that some fire extinguishers, if used on ignited materials or liquids, may make the fire worse and potentially put the employee (or person tackling the fire) at greater or increased risk. Under the British Standard EN-2, fires have been divided into broad classifications for extinguishing purposes. This will assist in selecting the most effective extinguishing agent to be used on the most appropriate types of fire and burning material:
Class A
Fires involving solid materials where combustion normally takes place with the formation of glowing embers
Class B
fires involving liquids or liquefiable solids
Class C
fires involving gases
Class D
fires involving metals
Class F
fires involving cooking oils or fats
Class A
All solid materials, usually organic origin nature (contains compounds of carbon) and generally produce glowing embers
Class B
All flammable liquids and solids, which can also be sub-divided into:
Non-miscible with water (i.e. petrol, oils, solvents, paints & waxes)
Class C
Fires involving Natural Mains Gas, Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG - Butane & Propane etc), Medical or Industrial gases.
Class D
Fires involving metals (where water is generally ineffective and/or dangerous).
Specialist Dry Powders are produced for certain Class D fires, particularly those involving alkali metals such as Sodium and Potassium. These Dry Powders extinguish metal fires by fusing the powder to form a crust, which excludes oxygen from the surface of the molten metal. A specific agent is added to prevent the powder from sinking into the surface of the molten metals.
Class F
A new class specifically dealing with high temperature (360°C) cooking oils used in large industrial catering kitchens, restaurants, and takeaway establishments etc. Cooking oil fires, because of their high auto-ignition temperatures are difficult to extinguish.
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