A warehouse is a large building that stores raw materials and manufactured goods ready to be distributed for sales. Warehouse buildings tend to differ in size; however, most are very large and contain multiple stories. Warehouses are used by wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, importers and manufacturers and are typically located throughout villages, towns and cities.
Blochairn Road Warehouse Fire, Glasgow
On Thursday 17th August 2017, a fire broke out in the Blochairn Road warehouse at 3:45am in Glasgow. Twelve appliances and over 50 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze which was spreading rapidly throughout the building – around 90% of the entire two-storey warehouse was up in smoke when emergency services arrived at the scene.
Around 400 workers were said to be in the building when the fire broke out and were processing orders and loading vans before being evacuated to safety. Fortunately, no one was deemed to be injured from the blaze, although part of the M8 was blocked off which caused havoc for those travelling to work that morning.
The fire was declared as complicated due to the low water pressure in the area, caused by the number of appliances tackling the blaze. As well as this, explosions were heard throughout the building. The cause of the fire is not yet known, however, investigations will take place here on out to find out what caused this intense fire.
What Are The Fire Risks Associated with Warehouses?
There are many fire risks associated with warehouses such as:
- Flammable Substances
Many warehouses hold a variety of flammable substances which increases the risk of fire dramatically. The majority of the time fires caused by flammable substances are accidental. However, poor maintenance of equipment used with flammable substances can heighten the risk of fire. - Electrical Apparatus
If pieces of electrical apparatus have electrical faults, are not serviced regularly or have been subjected to misuse then the risk of fire rises. Therefore, it is important to test electrical apparatus regularly and treat them with respect. - Store Rooms
Many store rooms in warehouses hold flammable materials and some have limited supervision. If this is the case, a fire can break out and may not be detected until it is too late; therefore, we suggest that you keep storerooms as tidy as possible and ensure regular housekeeping takes place to lower the risk of fire.
The Importance of a Reliable Fire System in Warehouses
Due to the large amount of machinery and materials, and workers accessing the building at all hours of the day, it is essential that a reliable fire detection system is in place.
Cost-Effective Solution
Eurofyre are proud, British manufacturers of specialist fire detection equipment for commercial and industrial use and can offer a cost-effective solution to help keep buildings safe from fire.
As well as this, Eurofyre offer an ‘open’ protocol solution as we believe that every client should have the option to choose their own maintainer or installer and should be given complete control over how their system is managed, while also receiving the highest level of support.
What are the Most Common Fire Alarm Systems Used in Warehouses?
The most common and effective fire alarm systems used in warehouses are:
Analogue Addressable
The ProFyre A4 panel is the perfect choice for large-size properties such as warehouses due to its modular nature. The A4 panel has the ability to hold a maximum of 8 loops and 250 addresses per loop. The ProFyre A4 panel can also be installed on its own or to work on a peer-to-peer network facility by listening to other nodes.
Find out more about the ProFyre A4 panel
Conventional
The ProFyre C24, on the other hand, is the ideal choice for medium-size properties as it is a fully featured, expandable panel available in 8, 16 or 24 zone versions. The C24 panel also offers a high standard of quality and reliability that is very easy to commission, install, maintain and operate.
The ProFyre C24 panel has been designed to accommodate a variety of applications and is available with two mounting options; semi-flush and surface.
To find out more about any of Eurofyre’s fire detection systems feel free to contact Eurofyre on +44 (0)1329 835024 or by email to [email protected]. For all the latest fire protection news sign up to our newsletter using the form at the bottom of your screen or follow us online on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google+ or sign up to our newsletter (in the footer below) to receive all the latest information from Eurofyre.