Severe windstorm studies have shown that storm-related damage can be prevented or minimized. The keys to this are windstorm preparation planning in advance of the storm, and organized action during and after the storm. Windstorm…
Read More Category: Business Interruption / Time Element
Currently we are in unprecedented times with the COVID-19 virus, which has caused a global recession. One of the direct results of the virus is the impact on business. Companies have furloughed employees on a…
Read MoreThe National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports annually on large-loss fires and explosions that occurred in the United States the year before. Those fires are defined as events that result in property damage of at…
Read MoreSince the influence of technology has been greatly increasing, machines have been implemented into industrial processes to aid the manufacturing of a product. This is due to the rise in demand for many different products…
Read MoreRising concern over cybersecurity is being driven by high-profile data breaches and the growing realization that potential revenue losses from cyber risks can rival those of business interruptions and natural disasters. The scale of cyber…
Read MoreOccasionally loss prevention procedures need revision as we learn more about how to protect the hazard. In January 2008 we wrote a comprehensive article on Property Loss Prevention in Glass Manufacturing Plants. This month we’ve…
Read MoreThe major hazards associated with hurricanes are: storm surge and storm tide heavy rainfall and inland flooding high winds rip currents tornadoes For coastal areas, storm surge and large waves produced by hurricanes pose the…
Read MoreOn Monday October 29, 2012 a Cat 1 (80 mph 1-minute) hurricane made landfall in Atlantic City, NJ. The storm had a very broad windfield with a 1,000 mile diameter of tropical storm force winds.…
Read MoreTwo years ago a leading article with a major head line in the USA Today stated “Fierce Hurricane Season Predicted.” The article went on to say that an “extremely active” hurricane season was to occur…
Read MoreRecent studies have shown that anywhere from 10 to 25% of facilities can experience flooding. Flood maps can give an indication of the flood exposure for a facility. However, there could be errors in these…
Read MoreWhat is COPE? It is the Construction Occupancy Protection and Exposure risk for each building. Significant fire damage in large buildings occurs approximately 300 times per year in the United States. Such fires cause property…
Read MoreRisk Management Solutions, Inc. (RMS) specializes in developing probabilistic models of catastrophes. These catastrophe (CAT) models are developed using detailed databases of highly localized variations in hazard characteristics, as well as databases capturing property inventory,…
Read MoreA common misconception is that property losses due to winter weather only occur in regions where harsh winters are the standard. Actually, areas that don’t usually have severe weather suffer larger and more costly losses,…
Read MoreHurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 in the Northern Hemisphere. Windstorm is the second highest cause of property loss after fire. Recent severe windstorms have proven that buildings and roofs designed to…
Read MoreA more recent version of this article topic exists; go there now. Vacant facilities need loss prevention consideration just as much as full-functioning ones, and in many cases perhaps more so. Empty facilities pose exposures…
Read MoreYou might wonder why fire protection is important in a building that is under construction – especially if the building will have noncombustible and/or fire rated construction. An estimated 4,800 fires occur annually on construction…
Read MoreFire Suppression System Impairments Industrial fire suppression systems include automatic sprinklers, gaseous systems as well as foam systems that might be used in aircraft hangars or to protect certain flammable liquid operations. Associated with the…
Read MoreInformation technology equipment/systems include computers and peripheral support such as memory, programming, records, storage, and human activities. Guidance can be found in NFPA 75-2009 “Standard for the Protection of Information Technology Equipment,” which forms the…
Read MoreDuring inspections of electrical rooms, property loss prevention engineers should determine how much of a presence there is of “grouped power cables.” There are no clear definitions or criteria as to what amount of cables…
Read MoreWe occasionally see on TV news where buildings are inundated or submerged in flood water after heavy rain, typhoons or hurricanes. Many people believe it never happens to their own buildings. But is that really…
Read MoreSeveral factors come into play when it comes to designing earthquake protection for a building. These include site selection, building type and the particular building code used. This month, we will discuss considerations for structural…
Read MoreThere are various types of glass manufacturing plants, and the processes and associated hazards differ significantly. One thing they have in common is that business interruption potential is higher than other types of occupancies, since…
Read MoreFacts about Hailstorms: Hail develops during most mid-latitude thunderstorms, often melting before reaching the ground. Hail forms in the updraft of a thunderstorm with stronger storms producing larger hail. The updrafts pull the precipitation up…
Read MoreBromochloroflourocarbons (Halons) were developed in the 1930s. Halon is low in toxicity, non-flammable, non-corrosive and very compatible with many materials. Halon has thermodynamic and physical properties that make it ideal as a fire extinguishing agent…
Read MoreFire pumps and fire booster pumps are critical pieces of equipment when it comes to providing an adequate fire protection water supply for many industrial and commercial properties. Fire pumps are needed at sites where…
Read MoreHeavy Duty Mobile Equipment (HDME) is widely used in mining, lumbering, road building and plant construction. Most HDME has high-pressure hydraulic systems. Smaller equipment, such as logging vehicles, front-end loaders and haulage trucks, are usually…
Read MoreTypically, we consider fire protection as a combination of adequate physical protection and implementation of loss control programs which in combination help to reduce the number of fires and minimize the extent of damage should…
Read MoreWhen most companies think of a disaster recovery program, the first issue that comes to mind is EDP operations. Do we have backup data or hot sites available? Is replacement equipment readily available? However, there…
Read MoreAlthough fires in air preheaters (ap’s) of US power plants are infrequent, the result can be extensive damage and downtime of several months. Here, we consider steps that can be taken to minimize the incidence…
Read MoreIn a recent issue of the Record, which is a quarterly publication of FM Global, the system of Exposure Driven Engineering was reviewed. Exposure Driven Engineering Exposure Driven Engineering is a concept, which consists of…
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