Industrial Fire Safety: Minimize the Threat of Fire

Industrial Fire Safety: How to Avoid Industrial Accidents

Are you looking for some good news about Industrial Fire Safety? The 2018 Report on Fires in Industrial and Manufacturing Properties from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) leaves some promising messages and important admonitions to owners/managers of commercial and industrial properties. Let’s look at some of the results.1

  1. Commercial, industrial, and manufacturing fires are decreasing; “fires at industrial and manufacturing properties have fallen substantially over the past three decades, from 114,500 fires in 1980 to 39,700 in 2015, a 65% decrease.” (pg. 1) In 2015, there were 16 deaths, 273 injuries, and more than $1.2 billion in damages, so there is still plenty of room for improvement in Industrial Fire Safety. But the numbers are moving in the right direction.
  2. 71% of industrial, manufacturing, and commercial fires happen outdoors, which is also good news. In general, this allows people to move away from the fire quickly. Another 9% are vehicle fires, and only 20% of commercial fires start in structures. The highest loss of life, injuries, and property damage happen in structure fires. Therefore, the lion’s share of regulations and inspections are geared toward structures that house people. That means the focuses are in the right place.
  3. Research is constant and in-depth, so the contributing factors and sources of fires are well-known, so codes and code enforcement are specific. Restrictions of cooking in office space result from the number of fires that happen while cooking. Structures that house processes that heat, use, or create a flame, and spread sparks or embers are the focus of higher regulations, for good reason. The NFPA knows the potential danger of electricity and has implemented many guidelines to protect life and property. Since extensive research has identified the greatest potential of heat, spark, and flame, commercial property owners should take the guidelines, codes, and inspections very seriously.
  4. The contribution of dust, lint, fiber, and debris to the propagation of structural fires is equivalent to propagation from flammable gas or liquid. Facility owners should be encouraged to go beyond building codes, regulations, or guidelines concerning cleaning all fuel sources regularly, including proper ventilation.
  5. 51% of structural fires in 2015 were confined to the object of origin. Fire sprinklers are successful in extinguishing commercial fires 87% of the time. Why is that? Because fire sprinkler and suppression equipment WORK. The major cause for these systems’ failure is lack of maintenance.

The National Fire Protection Association is not a regulatory agency, but a group of scientists providing information and research for the common good. Regulatory agencies recognize the value of the research the NFPA provides and develop building codes and guidelines for commercial properties within their jurisdiction. These building and fire codes require frequent inspection and testing of fire safety equipment. Building and fire codes prevent fires from happening and from spreading. This also results in a reduction in the loss of both human life and property. Admittedly, sometimes the regulations seem time-consuming and hard to follow completely. Remembering that you are depending on similar results in the event of a fire on your property increases their value exponentially.

Have a question about Industrial Fire Safety?

Call Fire Safe Protection Services today at 713-722-7800 or visit our online form and we will be in contact as soon as possible about your questions regarding Industrial Fire Safety Systems.

 

1 https://www.nfpa.org//-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports/Building-and-life-safety/osIndustrial.pdf