In the summer of 2013, a coal-fired power plant was needed to carry out maintenance work on a conveyor belt. Maintenance personnel turned off the fire sprinkler system to avoid accidental activation during welding. The sparks ignited the carbon residue on the conveyor belt. The fire grew, and pieces of the burnt conveyor belt fell 180 feet down on a pile of coal, which then caught fire. The total cost of this fire was $ 1 million.
In late fall 2013, a steelworks maintenance team closed the water supply at the head of the flood for fear of freezing. A fire was lit and went into an electric arc furnace. He fired three floors, burned equipment, property and injured five workers. The fire cost millions of dollars.
What do these events have in common? In both cases, the fire sprinkler system was disconnected uncertainly. Fires such as these occur weekly in circumstances where the fire extinguishing system was discontinued so the fire grows out of control. When the system is functioning and maintained properly, it is 96% effective at containing a fire, according to the National Association of Fire Sprinklers. There are times when the water supply needs to be shut down, but there is a sure way to do it. These are our tips for safely disconnecting a fire sprinkler system.
Tip # 1
Stop all dangerous activities in the affected area. In the first example above, we see that the coal-fired power plant closed the wet pipe for maintenance of the transport equipment. However, during the maintenance activity, welding and cutting were done in a coal handling area. These are very dangerous activities and should never have happened with the fire extinguishing system offline.
Tip # 2
If it is necessary to close the water supply to a Fire Watch Services, do so with fire protection in mind. Place a traveling fire patrol or stationary fireguard in the area to fight a fire if it is on; Place the appropriate equipment to fight fire in the area of concern. Also, do not forget to contact the local security and central alarm station to avoid a false alarm.
Tip # 3
Always ensure a professional connection and disconnect the fire sprinkler system. To disengage a sprinkler system, close the water supply control valve and open the main drain valve. Auxiliary and inspection valves must be open. The system and pressure gauges must be zero. Make sure all water is drained completely. Make sure there is a LOTO program that provides barrier control for work activities and make sure the system is back in operation as soon as possible.
To put the valve back into service, a fire protection professional must be called. Each type of system has its own procedures to bring back online. In addition, tests and inspections should be performed to ensure the system is functioning properly when it is back online.
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