The construction of buildings and infrastructure is happening all over the world, all of the time. Construction or building sites are the locations in which construction is being carried out. Whether work is being carried out to develop new buildings or refurbishing existing structures, construction sites carry the same hazards and risks and can vary in size from one project to the next.
A typical construction site will include a secure perimeter to restrict unauthorised access, site access control points, office and welfare facilities and storage areas for materials, machinery and equipment.
With large numbers of personnel working around the clock and a plethora of high-value equipment in and around the site, it is essential that a reliable fire detection system is in place to provide suitable warning for safe evacuation and to allow fires to be dealt with in a timely manner.
What are the Risks?
There are many fire risks present in construction sites. Some of the most common include:
- Electrical and Mechanical Equipment
- There is usually an abundance of electrical and mechanical equipment that can include equipment such as drills, conveyors, excavators and mixers as well as welding machinery and joining machinery. Mistreated equipment or equipment that is damaged or faulty can easily catch fire.
- Arson and Vandalism
- Building sites are often left unattended and as such often fall victim to arson and vandalism. Whether targeted in random attacks by passers by, or in planned break-ins by professionals looking to steal tools or equipment, people trespassing on the site can start fires both accidentally and intentionally.
- Materials
- Material such as wood, insulation and chemicals can all easily catch alight and cause a fire to spread rapidly throughout the site.
- Temporary Lighting and Heaters
- If left unattended, damaged or mistreated, temporary lighting and heaters can set nearby materials alight and cause fire to spread.
What are the Challenges?
Building sites present some unique challenges for the design of suitable and reliable fire detection.
- Size
- Building sites can be very large and include a number of different areas. Therefore, if a fire is to break out it is important to be able to easily identify the location of the fire and alert others on the site to the impending danger.
- Expansion
- As building work progresses, the shape and size of the site changes. This often requires the constant repositioning of call points, detectors and sounders. The addition of walls, floors and ceilings makes it practically impossible to use wired devices.
- Attendance
- Building sites are often left unmanned. Therefore, if a fire occurs while the site is unattended, the site manager or emergency services must still be altered.
- Cost
- As these sites are usually temporary, hardwired fire detection systems can be very expensive and impractical.
Handpicked Products for a Construction Site
Evacuator Synergy provides a flexible, wireless detection solution that can be scaled up and down as required without the addition or removal of cables or any other additional work. It provides a battery operated system that can be constructed very quickly and modified whenever and wherever necessary as the building progresses. All this, combined with high power RF technology, makes them ideal for large building sites.
Evacuator Synergy components are housed in water and dust-proof enclosures to provide durability. Each component of the system can be assigned a unique address to allow the trigger device to be easily identified. When a device on the network enters an alarm state, it can be configured to trigger all the alarms on the network.
With the addition of the GSM 2, an Evacuator temporary wireless detection system can provide text alerts to staff on and off-site.
Wireless Base Station & Communication
The Synergy Base Station is an essential part of an Evacuator temporary wireless fire detection system. The base station acts as a system control panel and features an onboard display to indicate when the system is in test or alarm state. It can communicate with up to 40 call points, sounders, strobes and detection devices.
The GSM 2 provides GSM text notifications of fire, first aid and low battery to alert staff on and off-site, at evenings, during weekends and any other time the site may be unattended. It can be configured to alert key members of staff and can store up to five numbers for fire alerts and five different numbers for first aid alerts.
Wireless Detection Devices
The Evacuator Synergy Heat Detector can wirelessly interlink with up to 40 other devices using built-in radio frequency technology. It is powered purely by batteries and requires no wiring whatsoever. It is designed for ceiling mounting and is for indoor use only. These detectors provide an early warning of fire and, when activated, trigger all non-detector site alarms on the network.
This detector can also wirelessly interlink with up to 40 other devices and provides a detection point for fast flaming fires. The Evacuator Synergy Smoke Detector is also designed to be ceiling mounted and is for indoor use only. When activated, like all detectors in the Synergy range, these detectors can trigger all other non-detector site alarms to sound.
Wireless Manual Call Point and Audio Visual Devices
When the Evacuator Synergy Call Point is activated, the sounder emits a 100dB alarm while the built-in LED strobe delivers a bright, visual warning. They are housed in a water and dust-proof, IP55 rated enclosure making them suitable for most internal or external applications.
When the system is activated, the sounder/strobe emits a 110dB alarm and a visual warning from its LED strobe. These units are completely wireless and operate purely on batteries. Like all devices in the Synergy range, they have a low battery indicator to provide a suitable warning of when the battery needs replacing and an upgradeable battery pack is available.
Wireless Interface
The Evacuator Synergy Relay interface is a double pole changeover (DPCO) relay unit that is commonly used to automatically control devices such as turnstiles, air conditioner units or other apparatus that need to be automatically controlled in a fire event. It can also be used to trigger conventional alarms.
Why Choose Eurofyre?
- Complete System Supplier
- Eurofyre manufactures and supplies all aspects of fire detection and its associated safety products, including temporary wireless fire detection systems, and can provide expert advice and consultation.
- Demonstration and Training
- We offer demonstrations and expert training on a range of systems, including the Evacuator Synergy range, in our very own sophisticated training facility.
- After-Sales Support
- Eurofyre offers both on-site and telephone support to assist you in ensuring that your system is fully functional and operating at maximum efficiency. Our after-sales care and support are second to none.
For more information about Evacuator Synergy temporary wireless fire detection systems, or to discuss any of the other products that Eurofyre have to offer, please feel free to get in touch either by phone on +44 (0) 1329 835 024, by email to [email protected] or via the online enquiry form situated on our contact page.
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