The latest trends and news on protecting your facilities and enclosures from a devastating fire. Stay up to date with Firetrace. Subscribe today!
September 13, 2021
If you own a business, you know how devastating a fire can be. Not only do fires reduce profits by damaging property and equipment as well as increasing downtime, but they are a serious safety risk for you and your employees. And while not all fires are entirely preventable, there are many steps you can take to increase your chances of preventing fires and reacting quickly when one does occur.
August 24, 2021
Fire departments respond to more than one million fires each year in the United States alone. And while that number has been steadily decreasing since the 1970s, fires still present the potential for extremely hazardous situations whenever they occur. But while they all burn, not all fires are the same. In order to group fires—and the ways to extinguish them—fire professionals developed a system to classify fires.
December 8, 2020
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a clean agent is an electrically non-conducting, volatile, or gaseous fire extinguishant that does not leave a residue upon evaporation. A clean agent fire suppression system uses either a chemical or inert gas to suppress a fire at the inception stage before it can grow and is incredibly effective in extinguishing Class A, B, and C fires.
November 17, 2020
The fire suppression agent, Halon is still in use today; however, there is no new production of Halons. While Halon is considered a clean agent by The National Fire Protection Association because it’s electrically non-conducting and does not leave a residue, Halon has an extremely high potential for ozone depletion and contributes to global warming potential. On January 1, 1994, Halon production ceases in compliance with the Montreal Protocol and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The use of Halons has been reducing over the years, but there is still demand for it for specific applications.
November 9, 2020
Clean agent fire protection systems that use chemicals like FM200 and discharge as a gas are considered to be safe in normally occupied spaces. FM200 complies with NFPA Standard 2001: Standard for Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems, EPA SNAP Program (Significant New Alternative Policy), Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL), and Factory Mutual Research Corporation (FMRC). FM200 is a clean and colorless agent that suppresses fires through heat absorption. It is electronically non-conductive, making it safe for sensitive equipment and leaving no residue behind minimizes the downtime after a fire incident.
April 28, 2020
Fire in wind turbines is the second most common type of accident reported after blade failure. While certain types of wind turbines have a higher occurrence rate of fire, all wind turbines have fire risk factors. Within the nacelle, highly flammable materials including, hydraulic oil and plastics, are located near electrical wiring and equipment. A fire can quickly start and spread if there is an ignition source like an electrical arc or a fault within the transformer.
December 16, 2019
Most experienced machinists have seen at least one fire on the job. Cutting metals at high speeds creates plenty of opportunities for sparks to ignite flammable materials. Many fires in machine shops are preventable, either by minimizing sparks or making sure they do not ignite flammable materials. But mistakes can happen. Our analysis of 24 fires in machine shops shows that one mistake, in particular, causes almost 30% of all fires.
October 7, 2019
Adding automation to your machine shop will not just increase your overall productivity, it will help keep employees engaged. Using automation for repetitive and monotonous tasks, allows your workers to use their skills on larger, more important projects.
October 1, 2019
Your response to a fire disaster is crucial in minimizing downtime and getting operations back up and running as quickly as possible. Downtime, as well as repair and replacement costs, rapidly add up. Learn three key guidelines to help you return to normal operations following a fire.
September 12, 2019
According to Dust Safety Science, in 2018, dust collectors ranked the highest when it came to combustible dust incidents with 51 fires, 12 explosions, 23 injuries, and one fatality. While reported dust collector fires are not as common as in other equipment, the damage and threat to personal safety are significant. Learn about fire hazards and fire protection methods.
August 13, 2019
With the rise in number and intensity of wildfires, utility providers are looking at a number of ways to reduce risk. They are integrating traditional tactics with technological advancements. Utilities should also be looking at their counterparts aboard to learn how they are implementing fire protection.
August 7, 2019
Data center fire protection has been evolving over the years to keep up to date with new technologies and fire protection regulations. While fire risks are low for the data centers, they have specific industry challenges. Protecting valuable equipment, minimizing downtime, and business continuity are top priorities for data centers. If a fire occurs, the results could be devastating. Learn several ways you can protect your data center.
