The article presents a somewhat simplistic view. It rightly addresses issues using the methodology of the Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) but does not reflect the critical importance of property protection. My experience is that sawmills, as an example, are often uninsurable in a hard insurance market and are almost invariably sprinklered to mitigate the risk and to enable them to be insurable as highly protected risks. Mills of non-combustible (typically unprotected steel) construction can be insured without sprinklers, provided housekeeping and hazard control are exemplary. Fire and explosion risks can be significant. They range from simple ignition sources arising from hot processes to severe dust explosions. The preventative measures for sawmills and pulp mills include strict permit control for hot processes, sophisticated spark suppression systems and elaborate checking and testing procedures. Even fully sprinklered facilities can experience total losses.
The reliability of fire prevention procedures, emergency programmes and protection systems is of paramount importance. The reliability of fire protection systems is assured through both multiple supplies (in terms of flow and pressure) and capacity of supplies. Log storage is often the highest risk and can burn for several days. Complex suppression and prevention strategies have been explored but the large log fire is the most feared of losses and typically is insured in a separate insurance market owing to the high costs of firefighting required to control log fires.
Failure in fire prevention, fire suppression and emergency management must be understood and the risk minimised. Analysis based on the fire triangle is a useful starting point. However, the management of risk in wood processing facilities takes years of experience. As such, the RRO mechanism is merely a starting point. It takes fire engineering experience in the industry to evaluate complex processing facilities and an holistic approach to the management and control of fire risk. This includes ongoing analysis of real fires that can inform the procedures and measures by which fire risk is managed.
John Ivison MIFireE
Associate director
International Fire Consultants Ltd
