Preventing CNC Machine Fires
Many manufacturing and industrial facilities depend on CNC machines for their day-to-day operations. These machines are consistent, reliable, and faster when it comes to providing first-rate quality control in the manufacturing process.
But CNC machines are known to be a leading cause of fire in many industrial and manufacturing facilities.
Luckily, there are several ways to prevent CNC machine fires. Here are four tips that can significantly minimize fire hazards in your facility.
Provide Proper Housing for Your CNC Machine
The standard procedure is to house CNC machines in controlled environments. This includes installing them in areas with adequate ventilation and where humidity and temperature can be properly monitored and controlled.
Proper housing will prevent a buildup of fumes around and in the CNC machine. The fumes are highly flammable and may cause damages or start a fire because oil-based coolants have low heat dissipative properties.
With proper housing and adequate ventilation, the safety of operators and the CNC machine is ensured.
Run CNC Machines Within Recommended Operation Speeds
Manufacturers typically recommend temperatures and specific operation speeds for running CNC machines. Having operators stick to these suggestions is a good way to prevent CNC machine fires.
In addition to manufacturer suggestions, it is a good practice to follow facility safety regulations, especially when lubricants and other oil-based fluids that are highly flammable can start a fire.
Put In Place a Supplementary Automatic Fire Detection and Suppression System
Your CNC machine requires an additional fire protection system, regardless of whether your facility already has whole-building fire detection and suppression system installed. This is because the risk of igniting a fire is considerably high with these machines – no thanks to highly flammable oil-based fluids.
Implementing a supplementary system for your CNC machine can lead to quick detection and suppression of fire, even before the fire becomes apparent to human operators.
Considering that a typical CNC machine is a rather huge investment, putting additional fire protection in place to safeguard the machine, your workers, and the entire facility is more than worth the effort.
Routine Cleaning and Servicing
It is easy to get carried away by the efficiency of heavy machinery and pay less attention to regular maintenance.
While these machines are critical to the effectiveness of your facility, do not forget that they carry potential fire hazards too.
For this reason, it is crucial to establish a regular cleaning and maintenance routine. This will prevent a buildup of lubricating fluids and significantly reduce the risk of starting a fire.
Regular inspection by a professional fire safety expert like Fire-Alert can go a long way to detect even the slightest adjustments in CNC machines that can increase the likelihood of malfunctions and fire hazards.
Fire Safety Services from Fire-Alert
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Need further information? Fire-Alert is here to help. Contact us today!
Emerging technologies in the fire protection industry allow for more innovative and efficient ways to prevent and extinguish fires. This translates to saving more lives and avoiding property damages.
While the fundamentals of fire protection have not changed, here are some of the more recent advancements and how they are transforming the fire protection industry.
Exit Marking Audible Notification
Notification appliances in fire alarm systems are not new. They come in the form of horns, strobe lights, or bells.
These audible devices do a good job of alerting people to exit a building during fire outbreaks. However, telling you to exit the building is not as efficient as telling you where to go.
The evacuation process during fire emergencies is often hampered by limited visibility caused by black smoke. This can make it difficult to locate the nearest exits. In other words, exit signs and notification appliances may not offer the best solutions in all fire emergencies.
Exit marking audible notification offers “directional sound” to help people safely exit a building during emergencies. Devices with this technology produce a special sound that is easy for the human ear to pick up. This will allow them to quickly figure out the direction where the sound is coming from, and follow it to safely evacuate the building.
Advanced Smoke Detection
Smoke detectors can easily become nuisances, with false alarms occuring for various reasons. This has made some homeowners not take them seriously or remove them to prevent too many false alarms.
Thankfully, that trend is giving way to more advanced solutions in the fire protection industry by way of advanced smoke detectors.
The standard in more recent times requires all smoke detectors and alarms to have increased sensitivity. This feature allows smoke detectors to tell the difference between smoke coming from nuisance fires (such as cooking sources) and smoke from true fires.
Contact Fire-Alert today to help you install advanced smoke detectors that will eliminate or significantly cut down incidences of false alarms in your home or commercial property.
Video Smoke Detection
Conventional smoke detectors may not be very effective in some environments such as warehouses, stadiums, paper mills, and other buildings with large areas where smoke can quickly become diluted.
Also, traditional smoke detectors are a poor choice for buildings with thermal barriers or very high ceilings.
With video smoke detection – the innovative method of using CCTV cameras and digital video recorders to detect smoke from a fire – it is a lot easier to address and prevent fires in open areas.
Water Mist Fire Suppression System
Sustainability issues gave birth to the innovative water mist fire suppression system, where significantly less water is used to fight fire compared to traditional sprinkler systems.
In this system, specialized sprinkler and spray heads combined with water stored under extreme pressure make it more effective to cover larger surface areas with evenly dispersed water in very small amounts.
Fire Safety Services from Fire-Alert
Fire-Alert – a leading fire safety service provider – can help you install new and innovative fire alarm devices and provide other safety services for your home and commercial property. Do not hesitate to get in touch with us today!
Installing a fire alarm system is one thing, but making sure it is in good working condition is something many homeowners tend to pay less attention to until it is too late.
Thunderstorms are a rather frequent occurrence during the summer, and the bad weather condition can negatively impact the fire alarm systems.
Power surges and power cuts caused by sudden lightning strikes can affect these systems, but fortunately, you can do something about it.
Power Surges
Your fire alarm system can act as a pathway for lightning from seasonal thunderstorms to enter your building. The effect of the high current coursing through your home can cause power surges.
A building doesn’t necessarily have to take a direct hit from lightning to get damaged. All it takes is a device around the building that conducts electricity. This is where a fire alarm system can be a likely pathway for power surges.
To avoid the damaging effects of power surges from lightning, it is best to hire an experienced fire alarm professional to install surge protectors on your alarm system.
Fire alarm professionals, like Fire-Alert, can determine the best place to install surge protectors. This could be on the panel circuits of the primary fire alarm system, strobe notification appliances, smoke detectors, pull stations, or some other fire alarm initiating devices.
False Alarm
Thunderstorms can set off fire alarms or smoke detectors. This is because lightning is a powerful current that causes a strong electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that can be picked by any conductor, including unshielded wires.
Some fire alarm systems can quickly sense the EMP from lightning bolts in nearby wires and get fooled into thinking there is a fire hazard.
But you could be dealing with defective batteries if your smoke detectors keep going off unexpectedly even in good weather.
It is common for people to change their fire alarm batteries when they move into a new house and then forget them after that. Little wonder their alarm initiating devices develop fault over time.
Power Outages
Bad weather can also cause disruptions such as power outages. Usually, this should not be a problem for your fire alarm system if the power cut is short-lived and you have a backup battery in place.
But many people do not remember to properly maintain their backup batteries until there is an emergency. Your fire alarm system cannot function if there is no secondary source of power or if the batteries are not fully charged and functional during power cuts.
Your system requires routine inspections to prevent battery fails and to ensure that your secondary power source will work when the need arises.
Fire Safety Services from Fire-Alert
With over 35 years of experience, Fire-Alert is a reliable leader in the fire industry. If you need help with fire safety services and devices, get in touch with us today!
Nursing homes require an elaborate fire safety plan. Unlike most settings whereby the evacuation plan relies on individuals getting themselves to safety, patients in nursing homes may need help from volunteers and staff. Therefore, facility owners or managers should put in place fire safety procedures to prevent fire incidences and develop an evacuation plan for the best outcome.
Below are 5 best practices for nursing homes fire safety.
1. Carry Out a Fire Risk Assessment Annually
Every nursing home needs to carry out annual fire assessments to identify risk factors and hazards and establish measures to prevent fire incidences. A fire risk assessment involves:
- Identifying people at risk and why they are at risk
- Identifying fire hazards, e.g., potential ignition sources, fuel sources, and oxygen sources
- Evaluating your fire-proofing measures and readiness for handling a fire crisis
- Reviewing and revising the fire safety risk assessment plan
2. Have a Fire Safety Plan
A fire safety plan outlines the following:
- Preventative measures to minimize the risk of fire
- Measures to control fire spread and minimize damage or fatalities
- The response protocol in case a fire breaks out
- Escape routes and evacuation plan
- Fire safety system maintenance procedures
- Frequency of conducting fire drills
- Procedures for training staff about fire safety
Having a fire safety plan is not enough. All parties should have a clear understanding and training about the plan. The staff, nursing doctors, volunteers, and kitchen staff should each know their role in the plan and what action to take in different scenarios
3. Have an Evacuation Plan
One of the most important aspects of a fire safety plan is the evacuation plan. It can mean the difference between saving and losing lives.
An evacuation plan lays out the escape routes and fire assembly areas. It outlines the fire exit doors and ensures that they are easy to open. It evaluates and determines the optimal number of escape routes depending on the number of people in the facility. It also factors in people with mobility issues and lays out a route for the staff members to get to them and out of the building into the designated fire assembly.
4. Put in Place Fire Safety Systems
Once you have conducted a fire assessment and came up with a fire safety plan, the next step is to ensure that all the necessary fire safety systems are in place and functioning correctly. These include such systems as smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, escape routes and exit signs, fire hazard warning signs, and automatic fire sprinkler systems.
5. Conduct Fire Safety Drills Periodically
Fire drills help to test staff members to ensure they are efficient at fire response. Most health care facilities opt to conduct fire drills without involving the patients. Schedule at least one random drill every three months. Evaluate the staff member’s performance and retrain if necessary.
Conclusion
The key to fire safety is creating an elaborate fire safety plan and evacuation plan, taking the necessary measures, training the staff, and conducting drills regularly to test staff member’s preparedness.
Fire-Alert takes pride in equipping homeowners, commercial businesses, and government buildings with all necessary fire safety devices to ensure the well-being of families and employees across the nation. Reach out to us using our contact form to find out more.
Having a fire alarm system set up in your home or business is a diligent step towards ensuring fire safety. However, when it goes off unnecessarily, it takes the firefighters’ attention and time from real fires that could be happening at that particular time. It could also cost you hefty fines from the fire department. Therefore, it is important to take measures to reduce instances of false fire alarms.
Below are 5 ways you can reduce instances of false fire alarms.
1. Install a Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm
Multi-sensor fire alarms are more effective at preventing false fire alarms than single-sensor fire alarm systems. They are designed as a combination of sensors for smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide. For the alarm to go off, it has to detect more than one of these elements. Such systems are not accidentally set off by steam produced when cooking, dust, or aerosol sprays.
2. Ensure That the Sensor is Installed Properly
Fire alarms need to be installed strategically by a qualified electrician. The installation process is more complex when installing them in a big home or a commercial building, as an interconnecting alarm system is required. Failure to install the alarm system poses a risk of it not detecting fire signals at all or going off unnecessarily.
3. Maintain Your Fire Alarm System
You need to stay on top of the fire alarm system maintenance. The maintenance procedures should be done on time and as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Have a fire alarm professional or service company undertake the maintenance.
Generally, fire alarm system maintenance involves testing and calibrating the sensors, simulating inputs, testing annunciators, setting the alarm’s sensitivity, checking the alarm battery, and coordinating with the alarm monitoring company or the fire department.
4. Anticipate and Plan for Activities that May Set Off the Fire Alarm
If you are doing renovation work or construction work, the dust from sanding or smoke from welding may set off the fire alarm. Therefore, contact your fire alarm company before beginning the construction work and request them to put off your alarm system. Or, simply notify them to handle any instance of a false alarm with the fire department.
5. Stay Close When Cooking
Kitchens are the most common causes of false fire alarms, with a scenario of burnt food being the most common culprit. Therefore, stay close when cooking to ensure that the food does not get burnt.
Carefully Investigate a Previous False Fire Alarm and Resolve It
If you have an incidence of a false fire alarm, carefully work with your alarm company or a fire alarm professional to find out its cause. Then, take measures to resolve the issue so that it does not happen again. Common causes of a false fire alarm include vandalism, pest interference, pollutants, faulty system, and human error.
Conclusion
Fire alarm systems play a crucial role in catching fires early. However, they need to be well-installed and properly maintained to work effectively.
Fire-Alert takes pride in equipping homeowners, commercial businesses, and government buildings with all necessary fire safety devices to ensure the well-being of families and employees across the nation. Reach out to us using our contact form to find out more.
The first step to protecting a restaurant from splash fires is preventing them from happening in the first place. However, in the unfortunate situation that a fire breaks out, you should have the right systems and protocols to put it off before it causes extensive damage.
Below are 3 ways of protecting a restaurant against splash fires.
Invest in a Thermostatically-Controlled Deep Fryer and Pan Fryer
Deep fryers are among the leading causes of fires in Canada. In most cases, oil splashes out of the fryer into the open flame or burner, causing a fire to engulf.
These fires can be prevented by using a thermostatically controlled deep fryer instead of a regular pot. The same applies when pan-frying – use thermostatically-controlled electric skillets.
When deep-frying, avoid overloading the deep fryer. Most deep fryer fires happen during the Thanksgiving season. Often, people put too large of a turkey in the deep fryer. It displaces the oil causing it to overflow into the flame or burner. Also, use only the right amount of oil to prevent spillage. Ensure the food you are frying is fully thawed as water splashed into the hot oil can cause oil splashes.
Ultimately, ensure that the deep fryer or pan fryer is well positioned on the cooker to prevent it from tipping over and spilling oil on the cooker. Keep a close eye on the frying pan or deep fryer. Heat the oil slowly and avoid overheating it. If you notice smoke, the oil is overheated, so turn off the cooker for a few minutes. Gently place the food on the fryer to avoid grease splatters.
Clean Up Grease
Keep the cooker or burner top and surrounding surfaces clean at all times. If grease splashes, wipe it off immediately. Otherwise, leaving the grease residue is setting the stage for a fire
Do Not Use Water to Extinguish a Splash Fire
Throwing water into a splash fire will only aggravate it and may cause the fire to spread further. If the fire is small, turn off the cooker, wear mittens, take a lid and cover the pan or deep fryer. Doing so will cut off the oxygen supply putting out the fire.
Do not pour flour or baking powder on the fire. Neither should you fan the fire. However, you can pour baking soda or salt over the fire. Also, do not put the hot pan fryer or deep fryer on the sink to run water over it.
If the fire is large, call 911 immediately and follow the instruction provided by the operator. You can also use a Class B, C, or K fire extinguisher to smother the fire. Do not use a Class A fire extinguisher on a grease fire as it is water-based.
Conclusion
A splash fire can get out of control fast, engulf the entire kitchen, and then spread to the restaurant. Take the precautionary measures discussed above and ensure that your kitchen staff is properly trained on fire safety and measures to take in case a splash fire breaks out.
Fire-Alert takes pride in equipping homeowners, commercial businesses, and government buildings with all necessary fire safety devices to ensure the well-being of families and employees across the nation. Reach out to us using our contact form to find out more.
Like any other piece of company equipment, fire sprinklers systems have been known to malfunction from time to time. Fortunately, fire sprinkler malfunctions are rare, but they do still occur, especially if certain precautionary measures aren’t followed. While the most important step in preventing malfunctions of fire sprinkler systems is having your equipment regularly tested, you should also be performing your own maintenance checks to ensure that your fire sprinkler systems are protected in the interim. In this article, we take a look at 3 of the most common malfunctions of fire sprinkler systems, so you can know what to look for when conducting your own inspection.
Overheating & freezing
Both overheating and freezing are common reasons why your fire sprinkler system may malfunction, especially if the wrong sprinkler head has been installed. Your water sprinklers can freeze if the proper precautions aren’t taken, including insulating the pipes and adding antifreeze.
Confires Fire Protection Service tells us more on how overheating can affect your fire sprinkler system:
“Sprinkler heads are activated by heat, going off when the temperature in a specific location gets too high. When installing a fire sprinkler, make sure you take into consideration the hottest your room can get, even during the summer heat. Different sprinkler heads are designed to go off at different temperatures, so if your ceiling temperature gets to 155 F, you’ll want to install a 200 F sprinkler head, and so on.”
Corrosion
As with any water-based system, your fire sprinkler pipes are vulnerable to corrosion, which can both affect their functionality, and lead to leaks. In order to prevent corrosion, you must be hiring a professional to conduct annual fire sprinkler inspections.
AAA Fire Protection explains more about the effects of corrosion on fire sprinkler systems:
“Corrosion or damage to the pipes that send the water where it needs to go can impact the ability of the fire sprinkler system to deliver life-saving water when it is needed the most. The minerals and additives in water have a bad habit of eating away at pipes, causing leaks and a lack of pressure at a dangerous time. Regular maintenance reviews by your professional fire protection partner and rigorous testing are the best ways to ensure that your system is in full working order.”
Human error
Human error causes some of the most common fire sprinkler system issues, which can easily be avoided with a little care and common sense. Anyone who is regularly present in your building needs to be aware that they cannot touch the sprinkler heads for any reason, let alone paint over them, hang objects from them, etc.
A Total Solution, Inc. explains why human error is your fire sprinkler system’s most common downfall:
“One of the top fire sprinkler system problems is human error. Many people believe that these pipes are indestructible, and use them to hang things like ropes and chains or to even help lift heavy objects. This could detrimentally damage the pipes and compromise the fire protection system.”
Fire-Alert takes pride in equipping homeowners, commercial businesses, and government buildings with all necessary fire safety devices to ensure the well-being of families and employees across the nation. Reach out to us using our contact form to find out more.
There can be nothing more devastating to a business than the loss of information due to a fire. Not only are you risking serious injury and loss of life when your IT room goes up in flames, but you may be losing access to information on your servers that is both invaluable and irreplaceable. On top of it all, a fire in your computer room can cost you thousands of dollars as the result of both downtime and loss of productivity. So, how do you ensure that you keep your computer room safe? In this article, we take you through 3 simple solutions to keeping your computer room accident free, so you can avoid a potentially devastating accident.
Keep the room organized
Keeping your computer room organized is one of the easiest and most important ways in order to avoid a fire. Odds are, your computer room is filled with flammable materials such as ink, paper, and, of course, electronics, so it’s important to ensure that your supplies and equipment are kept as out of the way as possible.
Confires Fire Protection Service tells us more on why it’s important to keep your computer room organized in order to avoid an accident:
“Do not use your computer room to store combustible materials. In addition, make sure you keep the space uncluttered so that in the event of an emergency, the fire does not spread quickly and people in the room can escape easily.”
Cool the room according to system requirements
Did you know that the temperature of your computer room can have a big impact on the overheating of your equipment? If you’ve noticed your PC or laptop constantly overheating, then your computer room may either be too hot and/or you’re not using cooling equipment to keep it at a safe temperature.
Impact FIre explains why cooling your computer room according to system requirements can be imperative to your safety:
“Keeping the IT room cool is vital to preventing overheating of equipment, which can damage sensitive electronics and create a fire hazard. Install the proper cooling equipment, and be sure to maintain it correctly to prevent any failures. Many server room designs include monitoring and alarm systems that notify you of a problem before it becomes dangerous.”
Train employees and display fire emergency plans
Last but not least, it’s important to ensure that your employees know exactly what to do in the event of a fire. While a shocking number of employees tend to skip fire safety training (even though they are required to), taking the time to do so can save lives, not to mention thousands of dollars in damages.
State Systems Inc. tells us why you must train your employees and display fire emergency plans in the workplace:
“Ensuring your employees know how to respond to a fire (whether that means proper use of a fire extinguisher or immediately evacuating to safety) can save lives and help prevent further damage.”
Fire-Alert takes pride in equipping homeowners, commercial businesses, and government buildings with all necessary fire safety devices to ensure the well-being of families and employees across the nation. Reach out to us using our contact form to find out more.
Up until 1996, it was perfectly normal for office buildings, hotels, and schools to employ the use of standard response sprinkler heads until the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) changed its tune. Now, quick response sprinkler heads are required in these light-hazard occupancies, as opposed to the previously standard sprinkler heads. But what’s the difference between the two, and is their mission really all that different? In this article, we take a look at quick response vs. standard response sprinkler heads, so you can easily tell them apart.
What are standard response sprinkler heads?
While standard response sprinkler heads are no longer regulated for light-hazard buildings, they are still the most common type of sprinkler heads and work by wetting and cooling the areas surrounding a fire to prevent it from spreading.
Quick Response Fire Supply tells us more about what you can expect from standard response sprinkler heads:
“Standard response fire sprinklers can be found in warehouses, factories, and other commercial or industrial buildings. A standard response sprinkler’s mission is to pre-wet materials around the fire, removing its fuel source. Drenching the surrounding area slows the fire, buying critical time for the fire department to get on scene. Containing the fire in its original location and suppressing its growth are the focus.”
What are quick response sprinkler heads?
The standard for highly populated buildings such as office buildings, schools, health care facilities, and assisted living facilities, quick response sprinkler heads have similar fire-control benefits to a standard response sprinkler but have a slightly different mission.
Confires Fire Protection Service explains how quick response sprinkler heads work:
“Quick response fire sprinkler heads are primarily used in light hazard applications and have a higher discharge pattern than standard response fire sprinkler heads. By discharging water higher up on the ceiling, QR sprinkler heads keep the ceiling at a lower temperature, preventing flash-over and increasing your chance of survival during the fire. QR fire sprinkler heads are now the standard for installation in health care facilities, assisted living facilities, and residential occupancies.”
Differences between standard and quick response sprinkler heads
The biggest difference overall between standard and quick response sprinkler heads is the fact that quick response heads activate slightly more quickly than standard heads (as the name would suggest!). However, they also look physically different due to the size of their bulbs.
Guardian Fire Protection Services tells us what the physical difference is between standard and quick response sprinkler heads:
“Physically, the only difference between a standard response fire sprinkler and a quick response fire sprinkler is the size of the bulb—standard response sprinklers have a 5-mm glass bulb, while quick response fire sprinklers have a 3-mm glass bulb. The smaller bulb increases the sprinkler’s thermal responsiveness, hence the quicker activation time.”
Fire-Alert takes pride in equipping homeowners, commercial businesses, and government buildings with all necessary fire safety devices to ensure the well-being of families and employees across the nation. Reach out to us using our contact form to find out more.
Does your building have a fire alarm system and/or a water-based fire protection system? Then you’re likely required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to implement a fire watch. While this can feel like an overwhelming task, conducting a fire watch is fairly simple and straightforward if organized properly. In this article, we take a look at what a fire watch is and how to conduct one, so you are able to put it into action should your fire system become impaired.
What is a fire watch?
So, what exactly is a fire watch? According to the NFPA, a fire watch is the “assignment of a person or persons to an area for the express purpose of notifying the fire department, the building occupants, or both of an emergency; preventing a fire from occurring; extinguishing small fires, or protecting the public from fire or life safety dangers.”
Looking for a layman’s terms definition? Associated Fire Protection breaks this down for us:
“In layman’s terms, the purpose of a fire watch is to identify and control fire hazards, detect fires, raise/activate an alarm, notify the fire department, and assist in the evacuation of occupants in the event of a fire within an unprotected building. This person could also be classified or known as a Fire Watch.”
What does a fire watch involve?
While a fire watch generally requires those who are in charge to do the work of a fire alarm system, this can vary depending on your building. Those who are conducting the fire watch must make sure that occupants are aware that they need to evacuate immediately, as well as ensuring that methods of exit from the building are easily accessible and clear.
AAA Fire Protection tells us more about what a fire watch involves:
“Precisely what is involved in a fire watch could change depending on the needs of your building, the building size, and the size of any crowds who will be present. In general, a fire watch requires a qualified individual to diligently keep a watch for fires while monitoring any hazards that are found. The person conducting the fire watch should be prepped and ready with what to do in the event of any emergency, which starts with contacting the fire department and grabbing a nearby fire extinguisher.”
When should a fire watch be terminated?
If you’re in charge of your building’s fire watch, when do you know when your job is done? This is highly dependent on the situation and is dependent on when the building’s occupants can safely return.
ORR Protection Systems explains more on how to determine when a fire watch should be terminated:
“The answer depends on the reason for the watch. For system outages, the watch can be finished after the affected system is restored to service. For hot work and construction-related watches, the rule of thumb is the watch can be finished a half-hour after the hot work is completed. For watches required during large crowd events the watch can be ceased after the event has ended and the crowd has left.”
Fire-Alert takes pride in equipping homeowners, commercial businesses, and government buildings with all necessary fire safety devices to ensure the well-being of families and employees across the nation. Reach out to us using our contact form to find out more.