As the global economy grows each year and becomes more interconnected, container yards must undertake the growing demand of moving containers and loading and unloading ships. Approximately 80 percent of goods are transported by sea with an estimated fleet of 56K merchant container ships. Plus, as new ships are built, the capacity of containers they can handle increases. Container ship capacity is measured in 20-foot equivalent units (TEU), and globally 827M TEUs are handled at container yards each year. This puts extreme wear and demand on container handling equipment.
While proper maintenance reduces the likelihood of equipment downtime, it does not totally eliminate risks factors, including fire risks. Hydraulic system failure can be unpredictable, and container handling equipment can catch fire when hydraulic oil leaks or sprays onto hot components in the engine compartment. Other sources of fire include diesel fuel leakage in the engine compartment and electrical faults in panels and electrical rooms on cranes. Installing automatic fire suppression systems near these hazards minimizes equipment damage from fire and safeguards employees.
Firetrace protects thousands of container handlers across the world from fire with our automatic fire suppression systems. When speaking with customers at container yards and terminals about why they choose to protect their equipment from fire, the same two answers are always heard:
- Maximizing equipment uptime
- And protecting operators and nearby employees.
Maximizing Equipment Uptime
Down equipment from fire means fewer teams have to work overtime to load and unload ships. If there isn’t enough equipment to meet demand, ships may even be turned away, leading to millions of dollars in lost revenue for a container terminal.
Not to mention, equipment repairs from fire can take months, and total equipment replacement can cost $500K to $30 million depending on the size and complexity of the equipment. Installing fire suppression in and on equipment safeguards your equipment, productivity, and the bottom line.
Protecting Operators and Nearby Employees
Because you can’t predict when an equipment fire will start and why it puts employees at risk. At container terminals, support teams and extinguishers can be far away from burning equipment, and the delay in response time can result in a rapidly growing fire. This puts operators in more danger as they need to get down from the equipment. On larger equipment, a fire could result in the loss of structural integrity and lead to collapsing booms and beams.
Unlike traditional fire extinguishers, Firetrace systems automatically detect and suppress fires in seconds - significantly decreasing the risk of serious and life-threatening burns, falls, and injuries from falling objects.
For worker safety and reduced downtime, container terminals all over the world choose Firetrace.
Not all automatic fire suppression companies can address all the hazards that exist on container handling equipment; From engines to electrical panels and electrical rooms, Firetrace has you covered no matter the hazard.
Our customers trust us with their productivity and their most important asset, the lives of their employees. This is a responsibility that we take seriously by providing the best in fire suppression technology at an affordable price. Firetrace systems are currently being utilized to protect port equipment across the Americas, Africa, Middle East, and Asia. When determining the ideal fire suppression system for your container handling equipment, Firetrace has you covered.
