Protecting plant and equipment from fire

Fireward offer range of suppression systems to keep valuable equipment assets safe and sound

WHILST many heavy vehicles are equipped with hand-held fire extinguishers, not all large machines are routinely equipped with fully automatic fire-suppression systems.

Fireward, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of automatic fire-suppression equipment, are dedicated to designing and installing systems that can detect fires immediately and extinguish them before they cause damage, helping to keep an owner’s investment safe and sound.

Based in Chelmsford, the company operates across the UK working closely with both OEMs and dealers alike, offering a wide range of protection systems for every sector and application, from on- and off-road vehicles to workshops and buildings.

Sam Malins, chief executive officer of Fireward, explained: ‘Fire safety is extremely important. One of the key things about fire is that people don’t think it will happen to them; it’s often put at the bottom of their list of priorities. But damage caused by fire can not only affects your vehicles, but also impact on the effective operation of your business.’

Fireward design and install tailored fire-suppression systems to meet a client’s particular requirements, minimizing the risk of a devastating fire and securing valuable assets at the same time.

The company will look at an individual application in detail before advising on a particular suppression agent for the system. From water through to a variety of dry powder, gaseous, and chemical agents, the team at Fireward will incorporate the ideal suppressant into a system to kill a fire quickly and effectively, offering companies peace of mind.

Mark Scutt, Fireward’s sales director, said: ‘The beauty of our systems is that they are ‘on’ all the time and without any need for power; it’s a 24/7 safe pair of hands for anybody that has a system fixed to an asset that may be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.’

Direct-release systems work through the installation of a suppressant delivery tube throughout the engine and pump bays. Should a fire occur, the tube at the closest point to the outbreak will rupture, resulting in a pressure change in the system and releasing the suppressant to put the fire out. This release occurs in less than 10 seconds and, such is the quick response, any damage to vital components is limited.

Fireward’s In-Direct system covers a larger area but operates in a very similar way. A trace tube detects the fire, ruptures, and drops the system’s pressure. This allows suppressant to be deployed from strategically located nozzles around the machine. The indirect system requires no electrical input, making it suitable for machinery that may be parked up or fall victim to an electrical fault that causes a fire.

The In-Direct dual-agent system, as the name suggests, allows a combination of agents to be used, such as powder and foam, thereby extinguishing the fire quickly and cooling the area at the same time, to prevent potential re-ignition.

For anyone operating in dusty environments, spark-detection systems are a must, say Fireward, who also offer a comprehensive system to detect and extinguish sparks before they can potentially cause a catastrophe.

Fireward systems usually consist of a pair of bright red canisters strapped to the machine. Resembling traditional fire extinguishers, the canisters are carefully and robustly plumbed into the machine so as not to interfere with its day to day running. Moreover, the routing of the tubing allows the operator to carry out all daily checks as normal, without worrying about damaging or disturbing the system.