Different sprinklers for different fires

Burning wood compared to burning rubber requires significantly different volumes of water to control and therefore sprinklers with different capacities. 6,5 litres of water is needed to control 1 kg of burning wood and 26 litres of water is needed to cont

When it comes to protecting your clients’ goods from fire there is no such thing as a ‘one size fits all’ sprinkler solution. Every location requires an expert evaluation and specifically tailored fire management installation. A thorough assessment of risk by the broker at policy inception is crucial to price the insurance premium correctly.

Busting the Hollywood myth

There are many misconceptions that brokers need to correct when guiding their clients through the various stages of fire risk management. Chief among these is that sprinklers do not all activate at the same time, as seen in the typical Hollywood blockbuster.

Heat from a fire activates only those heads in the immediate vicinity of the fire. And generally between two and six heads nearest the fire are the maximum that operate under fire conditions. What this means is that the sprinkler heads cannot be spaced out too far from one another...

A universal truth is that sprinklers are, without doubt, the most effective fire protection system available at this time. They are highly effective fire management devices, provided they are correctly installed and maintained. A functioning sprinkler system will pick up the first signs of a fire and activate accordingly, sounding an alarm. Unfortunately the maintenance requirement is all too often ignored.

Brokers at the “risk” frontline

Business insurance brokers can play a vital role in reducing unnecessary fire losses by offering knowledgeable guidance to their clients. When you are ‘on the ground’ at a clients’ warehouse or office building it helps to have the backing of a company such as Etana, which is able to offer support and advice on every facet of the risk assessment.

There is no disputing the value of a properly installed sprinkler system in protecting both insurer and client from loss. A recent fire event in a building was stopped in its tracks when a correctly installed sprinkler system was activated in a food warehouse, turning a potential loss of R50 million into just R2 million.

Teamwork to quash fire perils

This loss event was mitigated due to the sprinkler system being properly maintained. The sprinklers were of an appropriate design and the water pressure and flow were correctly “matched” through the system. Broker, client, insurer and the sprinkler installer therefore worked together to reduce the impact of the insured event.

At a recent Etana seminar in Johannesburg, the Automatic Sprinkler Inspection Bureau (ASIB) shared three horror stories with brokers in attendance. Each of these “warnings” was courtesy of ASIB’s real-world experience.

• Batteries on fire pump systems are often neglected, with batteries running flat and rendering the fire pumps useless.
• There have been cases where the wires connected to a sprinkler alarm were disconnected because repeated faulty activations were irritating the neighbours.
• Decoratively attractive pancake-shaped sprinklers are installed although these are forbidden to be used in the South African market. These sprinklers are often painted over during routine warehouse and building maintenance, rendering them ineffective.

Don’t forget safety drills

The moral of the story… Don’t allow the mere presence of a sprinkler system to lull you into a false sense of security. You need to implement and follow a strict fire safety procedure including regular maintenance and testing of all installed safety features.