Features
False AlarmsWHETHER DURING EXPLORATION or production, enhancing fire detection in oil & gas installations is critical to uninterrupted safe working, production, and protection of the environment. Safety design engineers and operators expect technology to increase not only the safety of a facility but to make it far easier to design, install and operate. This has lead to several new developments in fire detection equipment. Here Jonathan Gilbert examines the use of fire detection technology in the oil & gas industry. Accurate and reliable flame monitoring, particularly in industrial market sectors such as petrochemical and oil & gas installations, continues to represent a technical challenge. It is difficult to determine the financial impact of false alarms in automatic fire detection systems globally, however the associated cost of false alarms can have a significant impact on plant operations. Such occurrences are a drain on plant resources and can seriously affect productivity. Aside from emergency response call-outs and plant downtime, false alarms often require investigations and reports which create further pressures on resources. |
Clean room protectionHeiko König, state-approved expert for the on-site inspection of fire protection systems, discusses the increasing importance of fire protection as part of the facilities management disciplines in chemical plants and laboratories. Fire protection is an essential factor in the survival of every company. For instance, Germany is a highly industrialised country with respect to safety and security technology yet, every five minutes, there is a commercial fire and the annual economic loss cause |
Management SolutionsFIRE SAFETY AND asset protection are frequently closely aligned with security and in recent years industrial security management teams have two prime issues to consider: conventional precautions and measures in order to protect people from standard risks in hazardous environments and also protection from possible terrorist attacks which might hit their sites at anytime. Lars Waldow, computer software specialist, discusses the benefits of centralised security management systems. Regardless of whether a fire or a discharge of hazardous materials is caused by terrorist attacks or any other reason, it is essential that, in an emergency, procedures for a rapid evacuation of the building as well as the initiation of appropriate countermeasures is crucial to save life and assets are in place. |
Hazmat IncidentsINCREASINGLY FIREFIGHTERS FULFIL non-fire rescue and emergency roles and preparing to deal with Hazardous Materials (usually abbreviated to Hazmat) incidents has become a regular part of a fire crews emergency work. Neil Wallington, FME’s Consulting Editor reflects on this aspect of a firefighter’s role. In worldwide emergency services terminology, Hazmat consist of a range of dangerous goods such as solids, liquids, or gases that can pose danger and harm to people and other living organisms, property or the environment. These dangerous substances encompass compressed gases and liquids, and hot materials, including all goods containing such materials or chemicals, or may have other characteristics that render them hazardous in specific circumstances, especially when involved in fire. |
Flame & Flash Fire ProtectionIAN HUTCHESON PROVIDES FME readers with a better understanding of fire and flash fire risks, as well as key regional safety standards and existing innovations in protective equipment on the market. In industrial settings and emergency situations involving hazardous chemicals, there are a wide range of potential risks from chemical spills, to mechanical hazards and flash fires. Unfortunately not all protective equipment is designed to face every type of hazard and this is especially true when it comes to flash fires. Ideally when evaluating hazardous material or "hazmat" suits for protective applications, a gas-tight suit needs to provide emergency responders with protection from a wide range of risks, as the incident environment often contains many unknowns. In order to ensure protective suit performance in the event of fire or flash fire exposure, there are many considerations, including established safety regulations and design and fabric components. |
UAE Regulations for Product ApprovalThe UAE Federal Ministry of Interior Decree 505 released in October last year provides a framework that harmonises fire regulations for commercial buildings across all of the individual Emirates. Tom Bell-Wright explains. Since 2008, Dubai Civil Defence has had in place a Product Approval scheme called the DCD Product Approval Document Technical Review Process. As the document states "All products that claim a fire safety characteristic are subject to this review." |
2013 Features
ISSUE 20 - March/April: Hazardous Environments
- False Alarms
- Clean room protection
- Management Solutions
- Hazmat Incidents
- Flame & Flash Fire Protection
- UAE Regulations for Product Approval
ISSUE 21: June/July: Leisure & Tourism
- Hotels; sports stadia; entertainment & exhibition complexes; holiday resorts
- Detection & evacuation
- Passive protection
- Fire sprinklers & watermist
- High rise firefighting
- Techniques
- Training
ISSUE 22: September/October: Transport
- Airplanes; trains; ships, cargoes; road vehicles
- Specialist fire suppression
- Firefighting
- Simulation training
- Vehicles
- Tunnel protection
ISSUE 23: December/January 2014: Intersec 2014 Fire Industry Special
- Systems; equipment; services; vehicles
- Prevention: fire safety engineering, education, specialist construction materials
- Active/passive protection: detection, alarm, extinguishers, glazing, intumescents
- Firefighting: vehicles, rescue equipment, foams
- Firefighters: training, personal protection
- Automatic fire suppression
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