Manufacturing safety solutions

Transcription

1 Manufacturing safety solutions 4 th Quarter 2011 Inside this issue Manufacturing property conservation and protection Manufacturing property conservation and protection by Robert Mauerman Upcoming events Zurich s Manufacturing Industry Practice Leader, Pat McCon, will present a success story titled The Critical Focus Safety Audit Process at the National Safety Congress to be held on November 1 at 3:30 p.m. For additional information on the Congress, visit nsc2011/. Zurich s Real Estate Industry Practice Leader, Jeff Shearman, will present Fire Protection Systems at the Steel Industry Safety and Health Conference held at the Association for Iron and Steel Technology in Mobile, AL on November 7 at 1:30 p.m. Registration is open to the public. For additional information, visit conf/11_safety.htm. Introduction A comprehensive risk management program for manufacturing companies should emphasize property conservation and protection. Property is the lifeblood for a goods-producing and shipping manufacturing enterprise. Without a functional building to house production and associated operations, a manufacturing company will face major disruptions, loss of business income, and be at risk of major issues like lost customers, relocation, revenue shortfall and even survivability of the firm. The increasing complexity of manufacturing demands a formal, comprehensive risk assessment to fully evaluate the various exposures to loss resulting from inadequate insurance or inferior risk management controls. An effective property protection program includes a structured approach to control uncertainties or potential exposures to loss by assessing what the particular uncertainties are and developing strategies to minimize these risks. Key questions manufacturers should ask when evaluating the effectiveness of their property protection programs are: What could happen to my property? How and why could these incidents and events happen? What controls could be instituted to prevent these events or incidents from happening? What actions and measures could be taken to mitigate the adverse consequences and the ultimate loss potential arising from these events of incidents? What insurance protection is necessary to recover any financial loss? The key to an effective property protection program lies in identifying risk, controlling exposures, pre-planning and appropriate insurance coverage. Below are some example loss scenarios which demonstrate a structured risk management approach. Fire loss A fire in a large textile manufacturing plant causes several millions in damages and killed one civilian despite the presence and operation of an automatic sprinkler system. The fire started in an equipment room of the plant and spread uncontrolled throughout the rest of the plant, activating over 75 sprinkler heads. The sprinkler system was not effective in controlling the fire because the system had not been properly maintained. The system deficiencies included closed valves, non approved retrofits and poor sprinkler head clearances.

2 Maintaining the water supply is the fundamental key to overall sprinkler system performance If fire sprinkler systems are not periodically inspected for mechanical deficiencies, proper function, valve actuation, water flow, sprinkler clearances, etc., the outcome can prove to be disastrous, as noted above. NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, provides the basis for a comprehensive Fire Protection Inspection and Testing Program, but all the requirements of NFPA 25 may not always be enforced by the local municipality. Some municipalities and insurance carriers alike elect to follow their own guidelines to adjust or supplement what the NFPA recommends. For example, some insurance carriers ask their customers to install locks and chains on all fire protection system water supply valves even if they are equipped with tamper switches. Other carriers are okay with tamper switches or locks as a means of security. Some ask for monthly testing of water flow alarms while others ask for a quarterly or semiannual routine. s Risk Engineering division seeks a consistent, meaningful Fire Protection Inspection and Testing Program. This means that we desire to follow NFPA 25 with limited exceptions. The attached table highlights the recommended frequency of inspections and tests of some of the commonly found features in industrial fire protection systems with references to some other NFPA publications. Table 1: Frequency Weekly Monthly Visually check all fire protection control valves that are fitted with breakable seals to verify that they are open. Include valves inside ceilings, in pits, and at fire pumps. Start and run electric fire pumps via pressure drop for at least 10 minutes and diesel fire pumps for at least 30 minutes exercising both sets of batteries. Verify that the diesel fire pump s fuel tank is at least two-thirds full. For dry pipe, preaction, and deluge sprinkler systems, check the gauges for proper air pressure to verify that the systems have not tripped and check their enclosures for adequate heat to prevent freezing. Comment: Years ago, the requirement for churning an electric fire pump was monthly. Not exercising a fire pump often enough can lead to drying and premature failure of packing glands. Visually check all locked and/or supervised fire protection control valves including those inside ceilings, in pits, and at fire pumps to verify that they are open. Exercise the fire pump controller s circuit breaker and isolating switch. Check the water level in the water storage tank by examining or overflowing it (where a water level alarm is not installed). Comments: Some insurers request weekly valve checks and some authorities overseeing health care institutions only request quarterly valve checks. The monthly frequency has been a long-standing requirement of NFPA 25. 2

3 Frequency Quarterly Test all waterflow alarms 1 and the low air pressure alarm on dry pipe/preaction systems. Test other supervisory alarms (e.g., fire pump running, fire pump power failure, pump house temperature, etc.). 2 Physically operate all post indicator valves (PIVs), including those mounted on walls. To do this, the PIV should be opened fully until a spring tension is felt indicating that the connecting rod has not separated from the valve mechanism. The valve should then be physically turned about three turns shut and reopened fully. Finally, the valve should be backed one-quarter turn from the wide-open position to prevent jamming. Test at least one main drain quarterly where the water supply passes through a backflow preventer or a pressure-reducing valve. Document the static and residual pressure readings. Immediately investigate nontypical reductions in pressure. Check the fire department connection to verify that it is accessible and the caps are in place. Test the water tank s water level alarm (where a water level alarm is provided). Comments: Risk Engineering requests quarterly testing because waterflow alarms summon the fire department and are considered critical devices. NFPA 25 desires semi-annual testing for waterflow switches. Health care authorities like The Joint Commission also require quarterly testing. Per NFPA 25, PIVs should be physically operated annually. We have found that infrequent exercising leads to costly overhauls of seized valve mechanisms. Semiannually Annually Test all valve position supervisory (tamper) alarms by physically operating the valves at the risers and water supply piping. Operate the manual starting mechanism at the fire pump controller. Flow test each fire pump at 100% and 150% of rated capacity, including the use of emergency power when an automatic transfer switch is present. Inspect and clear pump suction screens for debris (e.g., pond suction source). Trip test each dry pipe, preaction, and deluge valve. 3 Exercise all fire protection control valves by fully closing and reopening them. Flow each private fire hydrant for at least one minute. Test all manual fire alarm pull stations, smoke and heat detectors, and other fire alarm system components (i.e., the alarm panel s battery or generator backup power supply, facility s evacuation speakers, firemen s telephones, etc.). Fully flow each two inch main drain and document the static and residual pressure readings; immediately investigate nontypical reductions in pressure. For refrigerated systems, inspect sprinkler system piping internally for ice obstructions at the point where the piping enters the cooled area. Systems with approved air dryers are still required to have their desiccants checked annually. Check the antifreeze solution in antifreeze-based systems.

4 Frequency Every 5 Years Every 10 Years Every 20 Years Every 50 Years Flow test pressure-reducing valves (PRVs), and check the interior of all check/alarm/preaction/deluge valves. Perform a flushing investigation on older dry pipe systems. 4 Flow test of water supply system (every two years for private looped systems). Comments: The five year rule is per NFPA 25, but the standard is silent on private looped systems. Looped systems tend to be found at large, high-value facilities, so a two year frequency is desired by. Dry-type sprinklers (i.e., dry-pendent sprinklers) shall be replaced or a sample shall be subjected to testing at 10-year intervals 5. Fast-response sprinklers (e.g., ESFR and quick-response models) shall be replaced or a sample shall be subjected to testing at 10-year intervals 5. Sprinklers more than 50 years old shall be replaced or a sample shall be subjected to testing at 10-year intervals 5. Prepare for sprinkler impairment situations According to a recent study completed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), approximately 63% of all sprinkler system failures were the result of the system being shut off. Impairments occur when a fire protection system is taken out of service for routine maintenance or due to conditions such as a broken sprinkler head, leaking pipe, and system or building renovations. During these impairments the fire protection system is no longer capable of providing fire protection to the area it was designed to protect. In these instances, precautions must be taken to minimize the duration of the impairment, ensure prompt restoration of the system, provide temporary protection to the affected areas, and reduce hazards in the effective area. Having a formal, written impairment program in place with notification protocols and standard checklists can help companies prepare for such sprinkler system impairment situations. The impairment program Guidelines for Impairments to Fire Protection Systems offers best practices for managing fire protection system outages. This tool provides information, instructions and utilities for facilitating impairment notification and restoration of fire protection systems via fax, or online. should be notified of planned impairments before they occur. For emergency impairments, notify us as soon as the emergency has been controlled. We can help you monitor the status of the impairment and verify the system has been fully restored. Once the fire protection system is back in service, notify us of the restoration. Impairments and restorations can be reported by any one of the following methods: Online notification: Fill out our Fire System Work Permit Online (easiest method). Fax: Fax the Fire System Work Permit to the Fire System Work Permit to: uszfax_impairment_notification@zurichna.com. Please attach the permit to the . These guidelines may be downloaded by going to clicking on the Online Services menu tab, and then clicking Customer and Impairment Notification/ Restoration Permits. We will continue with the property conservation and protection theme with an article on Machinery Breakdown in our 1 st Quarter 2012 issue. Robert Mauerman is a Risk Engineering Portfolio Executive with Zurich Services Corporation in Chicago, IL.

5 Footnote 1: A waterflow alarm should operate within 90 seconds of opening the inspector s test drain per NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, 2010 edition, Section Footnote 2: Testing of supervisory devices is discussed in NFPA 72, Chapter 14. Footnote 3: For dry pipe valves, every third year, flood the dry pipe system overhead piping. Open the inspector s test drain (make sure it is fitted with a sprinkler orifice) and record the time taken for water to discharge from the drain. Begin timing once the low-point drain is fully open. During other years, the water supply valve below the dry pipe valve may be left partially open (a couple of turns). Once the dry pipe valve trips, shut the valve to limit flooding of the overhead sprinkler piping to facilitate quicker restoration and to reduce the potential for internal corrosion and scale build-up. Footnote 4: Section D.4 in the appendix of NFPA 25 gives guidance on when and how to have the piping on a dry system checked internally for obstructions. To summarize, dry pipe automatic sprinkler systems that use non-galvanized pipes are more prone to corrosion and scaling than wet pipe systems. A flushing investigation is needed for such systems when they become 15 years old. Repeat the flushing investigation when they become 25 years old and then again at five year intervals. If you encounter piping that shows signs of rusting or damage, it is prudent to request a hydrostatic test to verify its integrity. Footnote 5: See the UL website ( for submitting samples for testing, and do a search (e.g., field sample testing sprinklers ). NFPA 25 also discusses how many samples need to be submitted American Lane, Schaumburg, Illinois Risk Engineering (10/11) The information in this publication was compiled from sources believed to be reliable for informational purposes only. All safety recommendations and procedures herein should serve as a guideline that you can use to create your own policies and procedures. Any and all information contained herein is not intended to constitute legal advice and accordingly, you should consult with your own attorneys when developing programs and policies. We do not guarantee the accuracy of this information or any results and further assume no liability in connection with this publication and sample policies and procedures, including any information, methods, or safety suggestions contained herein. Moreover, Zurich reminds you that this cannot be assumed to contain every acceptable safety and compliance procedure or that additional procedures might not be appropriate under the circumstances. The subject matter of this publication is not tied to any specific insurance product nor will adopting these policies and procedures ensure coverage under any insurance policy. Risk engineering services are provided by. 2011