Fire hazards present a real risk to human lives, asset integrity and the environment. A fire would result in considerable financial loss to the asset owner as a result of downtime, cost of repairs and damage to their reputation. Asset owners of both onshore and offshore structures have a moral and legal obligation to consider the risks posed by fire, says Bruno Ravel from Safinah.
Fire Safety Strategy
A fire safety strategy comprises three main components whose purpose is to limit the spread of smoke and fire, to protect escape routes and also the integrity of the structure. The components, accompanied by examples of relevant considerations, are as follows:
- Fire Prevention: includes the elimination of ignition sources, the development of maintenance systems, emergency and evacuation procedures, and training;
- Active Fire Protection (AFP): includes fire detection and fire firefighting systems (such as water, foam, chemical powders) depending upon the system to be protected; and
- Passive Fire Protection (PFP): includes structural protection and compartmentation (e.g. fire walls, decks) used in combination with AFP.
Read the rest of this article, which focuses on the requirements for effective PFP, in the latest issue of PCE-International