Smoke Detectors Save Lives and Businesses

Many industrial sites are not protected by any automatic fire detection systems.  This means that a fire may burn for a considerable period of time before being detected and extinguished, particularly when an area is unoccupied.  The only means of notification of a fire is by an employee being in the vicinity and raising an alarm or by equipment shutdown due to loss of power or damage.

Whenever we recommend the installation of smoke detectors, the typical response is “When this place was built we didn’t need to install smoke detectors ………..we have not had a fire on site in its history and the risk is minimal”. This response is understandable and expected yet disappointing for it is never necessary for us to make such recommendations to a site that has experienced a fire during its life!

Consider this quote: “When anyone asks me how I can best describe my experience in nearly forty years at sea, I merely say, uneventful. Of course there have been winter gales, and storms and fog and the like. But in all my experience, I have never been in any accident … or any sort worth speaking about. I have seen but one vessel in distress in all my years at sea. I never saw a wreck and never have been wrecked nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort”.  This quote was made by E.J. Smith in 1907 who, 5 years later, Captained the HMS Titanic on her maiden voyage!

Simulated tests and investigations into real fires have shown that most fires develop in distinct stages. The first or smoldering stage produces very little heat and occurs over a relatively long period but is where early notification and reaction is critical in protecting life and property. If the fire reaches the second or flashover stage where flames rapidly develop then extinguishing using on site manual equipment becomes both difficult and extremely hazardous.

Smoke detectors provide early warning of fire during the smoldering stage where equipment will continue to operate and sleeping people can be made unconscious by the toxic fumes of combustion.

I think I read once that, after a serious fire, 90% of businesses never reopen!

I’ll never forget waiting at a remote Airport following a visit to a site that gave me a very negative response to my suggestion of installing a smoke detection and alarm system: I was approached by an employee of a nearby mine. He was clearly distressed but desperate to talk about his situation. Apparently he had been woken by the local Police early that morning and informed that there had been a fire which had destroyed his family home in Townsville. He stated that, although none of his property was insured, he was sure that the lives of his wife and 5 children had almost certainly been saved by the recently installed smoke detectors in the house.

My best advice is that you seriously consider the need for automatic smoke detection to reduce the risk of loss of life and critical equipment.

Your company probably has a management system that includes a risk management process to identify, asses and control anything which may be detrimental to your people or operations (as required under WHS Legislation).

You should use this process to:

• identify all possible scenarios which could cause a fire situation (hot work, smoking, electrical/mechanical failure etc),
• determine where fire is most likely to occur (control rooms, switchboards, kitchen, power house, accommodation etc)
• determine the likely effect on the business (loss of life, loss of critical equipment etc),
• implement preventative or control strategies (hot work procedures, smoking controls, thermographic scanning, housekeeping, inspections, additional fire extinguishers, training etc).
• then, decide if a smoke detection system is required and prioritise its installation (over time if necessary) in areas most critical to the operation and the safety of your people.

You should seek the advice of specialist contractors in this regard and any installation should be in accordance with relevant Australian Standards.

Tagged as: Fire