Fixed fire protection solutions

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1 Risk Engineering Fixed fire protection solutions At a glance Fixed fire protection can reduce the severity of fire events and positively impact Risk Engineering Assessments. To provide an effective solution it must be in service, maintained and designed correctly. Water mist systems are preferred, where proven, for certain local applications such as Industrial Oil Cookers, but have severe limitations where protecting buildings. Realizing the benefits Fixed fire protection is an effective way to reduce the risk of property damage and business interruption from the effects of fire. Acceptable fixed fire protection solutions can also positively impact Risk Engineering Property Assessments. However, any fire protection system needs to be carefully selected, designed and maintained to ensure all stakeholders have confidence that it can effectively control, suppress or extinguish a fire. Approach to property fire assessment Acceptable fixed fire protection solutions are considered when assessing both the magnitude of the loss (loss estimates) and the risk quality (Risk Grading): Loss estimates Two loss estimates are used within Property Fire assessments. The Estimated Maximum Loss (EML) assumes fire protection is impaired, with the control of fire mainly dependent on physical barriers, separation and delayed manual firefighting. The Probable Maximum Loss (PML), however, assumes private and public fire protection systems, where provided and operational, are in service. The provision of comprehensive fixed fire protection is one approach to reduce the PML. A small PML (compared to a large EML) can demonstrate a well-protected facility. Risk grading Global Risk Grading is used to assess risks in a consistent manner, helping our business partners in risk selection and pricing and customers in the identification, assessment and management of risks. The Property Fire Risk Grading covers a range of risk factors relating to construction, management practices, fire detection and protection, utility and incidental hazards, process hazards, external exposures/arson and manual firefighting. Acceptable fixed fire protection, either to the building or to specific local hazards can potentially influence the risk grading, within a number of Risk Factors. Risk Category Property fire risk factor Fixed fire protection considerations Construction Management programs Fixed fire detection and protection Utility and incidental hazards Process hazards External exposures/ arson Manual fire fighting Fire divisions Building combustibility Hot work/contractor controls Housekeeping and smoking controls Training employees regarding safety Maintenance procedures Management practices Fixed fire protection including sprinklers Fire detection Electrical systems and equipment Heating and cooling Incidental hazards Controls of process hazards Flammable liquids, gases and dusts External exposures Arson Yard storage Fire team Fire brigade and water supply Building protection (reducing PML) May indicate positive management attitude Building protection Means of detection Fire water demand and duration guidance

2 Recognized Solutions An acceptable fire protection system is one that has been evaluated and considered a Recognized Solution, for property assessment purposes. A Recognized Solution is an acceptable fixed fire protection technology guided by a combination of fire protection standards, recognized testing laboratories, acceptable test protocols, and manufacturer s guidelines. Together, these components provide the guidance needed to select, design, install, and maintain fixed fire protection technology. fire protection standards Acceptable test protocol Recognized Solution recognized testing laboratory Manufacturer s guidelines Fire Protection Standards Many third-party property fire standards are published globally. It is important that an appropriate standard is chosen, as not all are fully aligned with Best Practice. For example, within Risk Engineering, a number of fire protection standards are applicable for automatic sprinklers, based on the most recent editions available, within both their scope and limitations. In some cases, further guidance will be provided to achieve a Recognized Solution. Document Country Name APSAD R1 France Extinction automatique à eau de type sprinkleur AS Australia Automatic fire sprinkler systems General systems BS EN inc. LPC bulletins UK LPC rules for automatic sprinkler installations incorporating BS EN CEA 4001en Europe Sprinkler systems: planning and installations NFPA 13 USA Standard for the installation of sprinkler systems SS EN Sweden Regler för automatiskt vattensprinklersystem VdS CEA 4001 Germany Richtlinien für Sprinkleranlagen Planung und Einbau Ensuring fixed fire protection is effective According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), nearly two thirds of cases where sprinklers failed to operate were due to the system being shut off. It is therefore essential that systems are in place to ensure installed fire protection system remains fully operational to protect both the assets and business. The key messages can be summarized as follows. Is the fire protection: In service? For example: Are valves open, do the pumps have power/fuel, is the water/firefighting agent source available, is there a robust impairment management system? In working order? For example: Is there a robust maintenance, inspection and testing program? Designed right? For example: Is the system designed to the appropriate codes and standards, by an approved contractor and appropriate to the current building occupancy? Fire Protection Impairment Systems A fire protection impairment compromises the installed system and increases the potential for a serious loss. A robust impairment management program helps to minimize the extent and duration of impairments and reduce the potential sources of fire. Risk Engineering offers a global impairment reporting system to its customers. Support is available at: Impairment-Reporting 2

3 Fixed Fire Protection Specialist Support A detailed review of fixed fire protection from concept through to acceptance testing is recommended. Specialist knowledge can be provided by Risk Engineering regarding potential protection options, standards and industry best practice. Support activities can include: Fire Protection Project Concept Review A preliminary review of a proposed facility/occupancy, conducted at an early stage in the project. Fire Protection Specification Review A review of a proposed fire protection design (e.g. sprinklers, fixed fire protection, water supply, fire detection) based on Best Practice. Fire Protection Plan Review A detailed review of plans (e.g. sprinkler drawings, hydraulic calculations etc.) based on Best Practice. Fire Protection Systems Installation On-site Assessment A site visit by ZRE at one or more stages during the installation of the fire protection systems to identify deviations from the specification and/or Best Practice. Fire Protection Acceptance Tests Witnessing fire protection acceptance testing on-site. When fixed fire protection solutions are unclear Within our constantly changing world, there are times when a fixed fire protection solution is unclear or not considered practicable. Fire testing and research can be conducted to identify proven and practical solutions. Risk Engineering is involved in research in cooperation with customers and partners such as the Property Insurers Research Group (PIRG). Recent examples have included: Developing a NFPA 13 sprinkler protection solution for the storage of exposed expanded plastics in racks. Developing a water mist solution for the protection of saunas in non sprinkler protected buildings. Source: by permission of BRE Contact Risk Engineering for more details. Conclusion Not all fire protection systems provide effective property protection solutions. Selection, installation and maintenance should be done with care. However, where an acceptable fire protection system has been installed, there can be significant fire protection benefits to both the business and other stakeholders. A case study illustrating the assessment of water mist systems for property protection purposes is provided in an Annex. 3

4 Annex Case study: Water mist What is Water Mist Water mist systems use smaller droplets of water compared to sprinkler systems. The smaller droplets of water absorb heat and in very hot fires, turn to steam, potentially suppressing the fire. Water mist is often promoted as a versatile, green solution that is suitable for a wide range of applications and locations, both for local applications and more general building protection. However, water mist is not suitable for every application or scenario. Any water mist solution must be proven for the intended application by suitable fire tests. Types of water mist applications Local application Protection of property Extinguishing systems Fire control systems Open nozzle systems Closed nozzles (like sprinklers) High or low pressure High or low pressure To be proven by fire test To be proven by fire tests Local application systems example Fires in industrial oil cookers within the food manufacturing industry have historically caused a number of large losses. The term industrial oil cooker is used to differentiate cooking units using larger quantities of oil within industrial food manufacturing facilities, compared to smaller deep fat fryers found in, for example, fast food restaurants. A number of protection options exist within current fire protection standards including carbon dioxide, spray and water mist, each with advantages and disadvantages. Water mist is our preferred solution for industrial oil cookers, particularly due to its high cooling effect reducing the risk of re-ignition and low water consumption. However, it is essential that the system is: listed, approved, or certified by a recognized testing laboratory (e.g. UL/LPCB/VdS) for its intended purpose utilizing listed/approved components designed, installed, and maintained in accordance with acceptable published codes or standards (e.g. NFPA/EN/CEA/ BS) addressing the intended purpose designed, installed, and maintained in accordance with manufacturer s literature. Often, reference is made to NFPA 750 Standard on Water Mist Fire Protection Systems. This standard contains the minimum requirements for the design, installation, maintenance, and testing of water mist fire protection systems, but does not provide definitive fire performance criteria, nor does it offer specific guidance on how to design a system to control, suppress, or extinguish a fire. Instead, reliance is placed on the procurement and installation of listed water mist equipment or systems that have demonstrated performance in fire tests as part of a listing process. Functional tests are also essential. In our experience, these steps are often overlooked. Case study 1: A fire occurred on a large unprotected donut fryer that contained over 2000 liters of oil. A local water mist system was subsequently installed. The fire test data provided by the installer was based on a fryer involving only 25.9 liters of oil, and did not demonstrate fire performance for the larger fryer. Case study 2: A site had multiple industrial oil cookers ranging from 6m to 14m in length. Five quotations were received for water mist systems, all claiming to be in accordance with NFPA 750 and that the systems would extinguish a fire. On investigation, the claims for two systems were based on a kitchen galley test and the remainder were based on maritime cabin tests. Again, these tests did not demonstrate fire performance for the industrial oil cookers. In this case, a Recognized water mist solution was developed in co-operation with the customer, utilizing listed components, representative fire tests and adequate water supplies. Local application systems conclusion: Water Mist may be acceptable for local applications (and in some cases, may be the preferred solution in high heat release fires such as industrial oil cookers or machinery spaces), but should be proven by suitable and realistic fire tests that reflect the risk to be protected. All of these protection systems utilize open nozzles where all the heads discharge water upon activation of the system. 4

5 Water mist & property protection One of the first water mist applications was within cabin spaces on ships. In this case, there is the potential for a big fire within a small space and limited ventilation a context where water mist can work well. More recently, water mist is increasingly being marketed for the protection of buildings such as schools, offices, hospitals or hotels typically using wet pipe systems with automatic nozzles, as an alternative to a more traditional and proven sprinkler system. However, in these buildings, the fire load, construction, ventilation arrangements and configuration can vary dramatically. As water mist is a bespoke solution which requires performance testing to demonstrate capability, it presents significant challenges in the demonstration and acceptance of water mist systems for property protection and also introduces constraints during future building changes. Water mist testing office example: The Building Research Establishment (BRE) in the UK developed an Office Test protocol, simulating an office cubical, desks and combustibles. A total of 48 fire tests were completed using low and high pressure water mist systems from various companies. Only one test was considered satisfactory, utilizing a nozzle spacing of 2.5m x 2.5m. Source: by permission of BRE Property protection the challenge: Buildings such as schools, offices, hospitals or hotels contain a range of occupancies from small rooms to storage rooms, kitchens and atriums. The wide range of features present challenges to water mist as a property protection option. Water mist systems in land based applications are essentially similar to residential sprinkler systems, with the objective to provide cooling and prevent flashover. For property insurance purposes, neither system is recognized as a solution due to limited scope of testing, limited water supply and installation standards permitting areas of the premises to not be protected, such as ceiling voids, attic spaces, etc. Water mist is only considered acceptable when proven by suitable realistic fire tests that reflect all features of the building to be protected and where the building occupancy or features are not changed. Disclaimer This document is intended for general information purposes only. Nothing in this document constitutes legal, technical or other advice. You should consult a suitably qualified person on any specific legal or technical problem or matter. While care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, no entity member of the Insurance Group ( ), including without limitation, in the United States, American Insurance Company, 1400 American Lane, Schaumburg, Illinois 60196; in Canada, Insurance Company Ltd, Canadian Branch, 400 university Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1S7; and outside the U.S.A. and Canada, Insurance Plc, Ballsbridge Park, Dublin 4, Ireland; Insurance Company Ltd, Mythenquai 2, 8002, Switzerland; Australian Insurance Limited, 5 Blue Street, north Sydney, SW 2060, Australia and other legal entities, as may be required by local law, accepts any responsibility for any errors or omissions. does not accept any responsibility or liability for any loss to any person acting or refraining from action as the result of, but not limited to, any statement, fact, figure or expression of opinion or belief contained in this document (06/15) TCL