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Preventing warehouse fires guidelines

A few examples of major warehouse fires together with supposed causes are listed:

1. A fire in a jute warehouse in Durban caused damage in excess of R2m. Contributing factors to the extent of the damage were excessively high stacking, bitumen coating on the underside of the roof and low mains pressure supplying the 9th edition sprinkler system.

2. Severe damage was caused to a Benoni Warehouse containing carbon black, when sparks from a nearby grass fire entered the building.

3. Arson was the supposed cause of a serious fire in a brewery warehouse at Isando.

4. Sparks from welding operations in a polystyrene insulated citrus cold storage depot in Olifantsfontein started a fire causing extensive damage.

5. The cause of a major fire in stocks of paper at a Springs warehouse was believed to be faulty electrical wiring.

6. A fire in a Johannesburg jute bag warehouse was believed to have been caused by friction heat when a belt drive of a machine broke and jammed against a pulley.

7. A furniture removal company's warehouse at Epping Industria was destroyed when sparks from a grass fire entered the premises.

In view of the large quantities of combustible materials present in most warehouses, fires which are not detected and dealt with within the first few minutes soon reach major proportions and there is little that even trained fire-fighters can do to contain them. Subsequent fire-fighting activities are generally confined to attempting to stop spread to adjoining or adjacent premises. Properly installed and maintained sprinkler systems are thus the obvious choice for large capacity warehouses.

Prevention however, is still the most important consideration and the following list of causes together with preventive action will serve as a useful guide to management.

Fire-fighting equipment

Hose-reels and multipurpose dry powder extinguishers are the most satisfactory fire-fighting appliances for general warehousing risks.

Mark the location of the equipment using SABS Symbolic signs. Place fire equipment near exits and escape passages. Train staff in the correct use of the equipment. Ensure regular maintenance by competent SABS 1475 listed companies.

Sprinklers

Where sprinklers are provided, stack heights should be limited as indicated by the installers. This will depend on the nature of the goods stored and type of sprinkler installation ie: ordinary hazard or extra high hazard.

Notices indicating the maximum stack height must be prominently displayed at the stack height level.

Further information regarding sprinkler installations may be obtained from the Automatic Sprinkler Inspection Bureau.

Stacking

Goods should be stacked so as to allow ample access for fire-fighting and minimise the possibility of rapid spread. Aisles should correspond with windows, doors and other entry points. Where readily combustible goods are stacked together with those less susceptible to ignition, it may be possible to create fire breaks consisting of rows of the latter goods interspersed amongst the more combustible material.

Goods susceptible to water damage should be placed on pallets or dunnage.

Means of escape

Adequate means of escape should be provided and exits and passageways should be kept clear of obstruction at all times. It is often found that sections of warehouses are partitioned off by means of wire mesh for various reasons. Such arrangements should not interfere with the means of escape nor hinder access to fire equipment.

Wooden pallets

Factory Mutual (USA) tests have shown that a fire in a 2,5 m high stack of wooden pallets is of the same severity as a fire in a 5 m² pan of kerosene.

Pallets are often stored to excessive heights in warehouses and, because of the manner in which they are constructed, may represent a greater hazard, from the aspect of fire loading, than the goods stored.

It should be remembered that, in sprinklered premises, the maximum permitted stack height for pallets could be less than that for the goods stored, depending on the nature of the goods and the class of installation.

The safety solution in storing idle pallets, according to Factory Mutual, is to locate them out of doors at a distance from buildings where they will not present a dangerous exposure.

Reference: Fire Protection Association of Southern Africa

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