With the recent tragic event of the building collapse in Southern Florida how does the property insurance industry react? Collapse is in insured peril. The building was a 12-story plus penthouse concrete framed condominium tower…
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Transformers can be either dry type or fluid filled. In this article, we will talk about fluid filled transformers and, in particular, the types of testing that should be conducted on the fluid or oil …
Read MoreAs of June 21, 2019 Honeywell is recalling their Gamewell-FCI and Notifier Photoelectric Smoke Sensors sold with fire alarm systems. They have noticed that certain sensor models can possibly malfunction and not alert the occupants…
Read MorePlastic-based composite panels have been, and continue to be, a highly desirable construction material. They are energy efficient, cost effective and lightweight. But the panels are often made of highly combustible plastic materials, posing serious…
Read MoreThe increases in the number and size of energy storage systems (ESS) has brought with it a growing potential for fire hazards. While numerous technologies can be used in an ESS, batteries are the most…
Read MoreThe large numbers of food factories and warehouses worldwide will continue to climb in the coming years. These food facilities have similarities in their construction that may put them at increased fire risk. Risk factors…
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 MoreThe 2018 update of NFPA 70E®, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace®, was released late last year. It is meant to eliminate unacceptable risk associated with the use of electricity in the workplace, and…
Read MoreThe following is an updated review of the fire hazards of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Panels. Previous Risk Logic articles from January 2015 and January 2014 still apply but new data has entered the field of…
Read MoreIron and steel sprinkler piping, particularly dry pipe sprinkler systems, are subject to blockage and degraded flow performance by internal corrosion and tuberculation of the interior of the piping. We are all familiar with common…
Read MoreEmergency generators are used to maintain electrical power to facilities and equipment considered important and/or critical to continued plant operations. They may be found in occupancies such as data processing, molten materials, communications switching, medical…
Read MoreYou might think that since you have smoke detection and/or heat detection in your building that it is almost as good as having sprinkler protection to protect your property. Is there really that much difference…
Read MoreRecent studies by Liberty Mutual and National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) have shown that sprinklers are the most effective way to reduce loss of life and property damage in industrial occupancies (warehouses and manufacturing facilities).…
Read MoreDamage to fire protection equipment can occur during winter weather and in all regions. It happens in areas where freezing temperatures are common and in areas where temperatures are typically moderate with freezing temperatures not…
Read MoreYou might have noticed that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been making a shift in labeling requirements for chemicals. The new system is the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and…
Read MoreMany jurisdictions have adopted NFPA 25, Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, to help ensure that sprinkler systems are properly inspected and maintained. Many property insurance companies often require that this standard…
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 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 MoreProcessing, handling and storing of combustible dusts within enclosed equipment (i.e., mixers, blenders, mills, separators, cutting tools, holding bins, dust collectors, cyclones, etc.) can easily create an explosive atmosphere that could be ignited by tramp…
Read MoreYou may be considering adding one or more tanks that contain ignitable (flammable and combustible) liquids at your facility. FM Global Data Sheet 7-88, Storage Tanks for Flammable Liquids, gives guidance on how these tanks…
Read MoreThis is a new NFPA recommended practice, as opposed to standard. It outlines a systematic approach to provide documented confirmation that the fire protection and/or life-safety systems, as envisioned by an owner and/or their design…
Read MoreThey go by many names – computer rooms, server rooms, main distribution frame (MDF) rooms, data centers, electronic data processing (EDP) centers, information technology (IT) equipment rooms, etc.; but, no matter what you call them,…
Read MoreMetal cleaning can be performed through spraying/immersion in solvents, corrosive solutions and vapor degreasers, through mechanical cleaning, and, by heating treating in oil or molten salt baths (discussed in our February 2011 article). In this…
Read MoreThe term fire pump is often used to describe both a fire pump and a booster pump. While the pumps themselves can be the same in both instances, the terms describe different arrangements. A fire…
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 MoreCommercial ammonia refrigeration systems are widely used throughout various industries, but are used primarily in the food industry to help prolong shelf life. All refrigeration systems operate essentially as heat pumps, removing the heat from…
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 MoreFreeze-ups can cause damage to your site’s buildings, operations and fire protection equipment. Here are some basic items that can help prevent and control that damage. Have a winterization plan in place. Review it well…
Read MoreWhen trying to determine what liquids need to go into your flammable liquids room, you may be tempted to use the flammable liquid labels that are on some of the liquid containers. However, this mistake…
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