Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems

Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems

Fire Protection Systems for Special Hazard Environments

Every commercial facility is required to install and maintain a fire safety system, but buildings with special considerations require Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems (SHFPS). These buildings include:

• Manufacturing facilities
• Hospitals and medical centers
• Museums and art galleries
• Archives and data centers

This article explains why Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems are needed and how they are implemented for specific settings.

When Are Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems Needed?

Traditional fire suppression systems, such as sprinkler systems that use water or fire extinguishers that use sodium bicarbonate, are effective at extinguishing certain types of firs, but generally make a mess and can damage the building and contents. Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems are designed to:

• Detect fires quicker and apply a solution sooner
• Use suppression agents that are safe for people and do very little damage to the precision equipment or irreplaceable records.

Due to the sensitive nature of the systems, they will require trained personnel to design, install, service, and repair.

Why Are Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems Needed?

Due to the content or function of some buildings, special measures are required to suppress potential fires. Examples include:

• Industrial and manufacturing facilities.
  • Some manufacturing processes increase the risk of fire, such as flammable or explosive products.
  • Some products should not be exposed to water, even to extinguish a fire, since the runoff would be toxic.
  • Electric-driven machinery and equipment pose electrocution hazards when exposed to water.
  • Certain laboratories will need special fire protection.
• Archives and data centers. Crucial records, both paper and electronic will be destroyed in the case of a fire, but they need not be destroyed during a suppression attempt.
• Most inhabited buildings have traditional fire suppression systems and evacuation plans to quickly move people out of harm’s way. Hospitals and certain medical centers house vulnerable people, who cannot easily be evacuated. Special systems will be activated to protect the people most at risk.

Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems Measures

The key to preventing major fires is early detection. A fire both spreads and grows hotter as time passes. As a part of special fire protection systems, advanced detection and control technologies discover fires in their early stages and employ suppression measures quicker than traditional methods. Such technologies include:

• Air Sampling Smoke Detectors. A traditional smoke detector is passive and waits for the smoke to pass over its sensor. This detector actively draws air in to monitor air quality, seeking smoke. This early warning system triggers the appropriate fire suppression measure needed.
• Visual Flame Detection. Specially designed cameras in enclosed or remote spots provide video images of sensitive areas at high risk for a fire to start. These cameras must be shielded to prevent an electrical spark from igniting an explosion. The video is monitored to detect a flame.
• Fire Detection Tubing. This detection and delivery device is installed in very small enclosed spaces of mission-critical equipment. When a fire is detected, the technology is in place to deliver a suppression agent instantly.
• Digital Linear Heat Detection. A series of detection sensors are installed along the length of an important asset. An increase in temperature anywhere along the length of the protected area will initiate the appropriate fire suppression measures to protect your people, equipment, and facility.

Special Hazard Fire Protection Agents

Another technology used in Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems is chemical agents that can suppress a fire without damaging the facility, equipment, or people. They are called “clean agents” because they suppress fire without causing damage from either water or chemical residues. Fire needs three things to start and continue: an ignition source that produces heat, fuel, and oxygen. Each of these agents is designed to remove one or more of these necessary things. They also have special properties that make them useful in very specific applications. A few of these clean agents include:

• FM-200 is a non-toxic gas with properties that absorbs the heat at the source of a fire. Since it is gas, FM-200 leaves no residue.
• 3M Novec 1230 is another colorless and non-toxic gas that is often used in data centers and in proximity to precision electronic equipment.
• Ansul INERGEN is a gaseous compound, a combination of nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide. INERGEN deprives a fire of oxygen, displacing it at the fire source. However, it leaves enough oxygen in a space for people to breathe, so it is often used as a fire suppressant where people are still present.
• CO² is a common inert gas that starves a fire by displacing the oxygen in space. CO² does not conduct electricity, so it is often used around electrical components. Since carbon dioxide is toxic to humans in high concentrations, it is best used in unoccupied spaces.

Choosing the right agent and appropriate detection measures for your facility and equipment requires professional training and experience.

Have questions about Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems?

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 Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems questions.