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European Progress with Sprinklers Milan, 17 November 2011 Alan Brinson European Fire Sprinkler Network • Open to all who believe that by greater use of sprinklers we can improve fire safety • Fire services, laboratories, consultants, insurers sprinkler industry... • Started 8 years ago and now has three part-time consultants and one full-time employee • Involved in many campaigns across Europe • For more information: www.eurosprinkler.org How do Sprinklers work? • Glass bulb contains a liquid with a vapour bubble • Liquid expands with temperature => vapour bubble compressed • At 68˚C (red bulb) vapour bubble has gone, the glass breaks and water begins to spray onto the fire below • Sprinklers fed by pipes and pump or mains Sprinklers do not: • React to cigarettes or burnt toast • Open all together (usually just 1 or 2 sprinklers open) • Cause large water damage (systems spray much less water than a single fire hose) • Operate without a fire (this is very rare) 1 in 1,6 million sprinklers for all reasons including damage by end user or installer (FM Global 1977) 1 in 16 million sprinklers due to manufacturing fault (FM Global 1977) Reliability of Sprinklers • Sprinklers open when they get hot and spray water onto the fire below to control or extinguish it • Statistics show 98% of fires are controlled or extinguished by a sprinkler system: Swiss Cantonal Insurance Federation 100% in 2000 LPC 99% in 2000 Danish Institute of Fire Technology 98% in 2003 German Insurers 97.9% in 1971-92 APSAD France 97% in 2000 Reliability of Sprinklers In >60% of cases just 1 or 2 sprinklers operate and spray much less water than a single fire hose Swiss Cantonal Insurance Federation: 87% of fires controlled by 1-2 sprinklers in 2000 APSAD: 61% controlled by 1-2 sprinklers in 2000 VdS: 50% controlled by 1-2 sprinklers in 2000 LPC: 44% controlled by 1-2 sprinklers in 2000 Europe has never had a multiple death fire in a fullysprinklered building How Sprinklers Save Lives Benefits of Sprinklers in room of fire origin • Sprinklers respond quickly to heat, before conditions become life-threatening • Fire is controlled, so less toxic smoke • Temperatures are held at a lower level • Fire is often extinguished Sprinklers ease Escape • Prevent fire spread so less smoke produced • People can better see the escape routes • Sprinkler system can call the fire brigade Sprinklers prevent Flashover • A stated aim of residential sprinkler systems, as in their first standards NFPA 13R and 13D • A major contribution to fire-fighter safety Sprinklers reduce Fire Damage • Operate before the fire brigade arrives • Fire is still small and does not get bigger • Less water needed to put out a small fire • Fire damage reduced on average by 85% Scottsdale (88% commercial buildings; 96% homes) Vancouver (92% homes) NFPA (42% homes; 67% industry) NIST (32% in houses) Sprinklers save Lives The Proof • Scottsdale No deaths in sprinklered buildings 1986-2006 (one death in 2007) • Vancouver No avoidable deaths in sprinklered buildings 1990- Worst fire statistics in Canada, now the best • NFPA: 86% reduction in fire deaths of which 78% in homes (1986-1998) and 100% in houses (2002-2005) • NIST: 100% reduction in fire deaths in houses Scottsdale Sprinkler Legislation 1974 All buildings higher than 3 storeys or larger than 700m2 must be sprinklered 1982 Residential sprinkler fire tests in California 1985 Ordinance that from 1986 all new buildings must be sprinklered Scottsdale Sprinkler Ordinance Design Freedoms Increased distance between hydrants Smaller bore water mains 360 turning circle waived Narrower roads Longer cul-de-sacs => Housing density increased by 4% International Residential Code United States • Adopted as State law in 46 of the 50 States • Members are officials and fire officers • For the 2009 version of the IRC they voted for sprinklers in new houses, effective 1 January 2011 • Resistance at State level orchestrated by house-builders In effect in California and partly in Pennsylvania Legislative Developments in Europe Hotels Paris Hotel Opéra – 15 April 2005 24 deaths Penhallow Hotel, Newquay UK, August 2007 3 Deaths! Quality Hotel Eskilstuna, Sweden 24 February 2009 200 rooms totally destroyed, 8 people hospitalised Utne Hotel, Norway 18 February 2008 Single sprinkler saved hotel Sprinklers in Hotels Building height, m 80 70 Sprinklers in all new hotels in Norway! 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Austria Czech Rep. Germany Hungary Ireland Lithuania Luxemburg Netherlands Portugal Spain UK Sprinklers in High-Rises Windsor Building 12 February 2005 32 storey building collapsed Losses €100 millions Sprinklers in High-Rises Delft University 13 May 2008 13 storey building collapsed Sprinklers in High-Rises Building height, m 90 80 Sprinklers in all new flats > 3 storeys in Norway! 70 60 With balcony Barcelona 50 40 30 20 Scotland 10 0 Austria Czech Rep. Germany Hungary Ireland Luxemburg Netherlands Half introduced in last 5 years Poland Portugal Spain UK Sprinklers in Care Homes Melle, Belgium – 5 August 2009 9 deaths from fire in home for elderly Led to forming of Belgian Fire Sprinkler Network! Sprinklers in Care Homes • • • • • • • • Finland – >30% retrofitted with sprinklers Norway – all new care homes Sweden – all new care homes Scotland – all new care homes England – frequent alternative to fire doors Netherlands – sometimes for design freedoms Belgium – working group looking at care homes Germany – NRW incentives Sprinklers in Homes • • • • • New Norwegian flats >2 storeys must be sprinklered New timber-frame flats in Finland must be sprinklered All new housing in Wales!! Working group in Belgium (+care homes, hospitals) Design freedoms in Netherlands, Sweden, UK: Longer escape routes Less compartmentation Fire brigade access not optimal Sprinklers in Homes Inverclyde, UK 14 May 2011 Bergen, Norway 17 May 2006 Gothenburg, Sweden 4 December 2009 Sprinklers in Shopping Centres • • • • • • • • • • • Belgium: >2,000m2 Denmark: >2,000m2 France: >3,000m2 Germany: >3,000m2 Netherlands: typical solution if >1,000m2 Norway: >1,800m2 Portugal: >1,600m2 Spain: >1,500m2 Sweden: typical fire engineered solution Switzerland: all shopping centres UK: Scotland all centres; England >2,000m2 Sprinklers in Warehouses Sprinklers in Warehouses Sprinklers in Warehouses • Warehouses are getting bigger • Warehouse fire can become too large for interior attack by fire-fighters = risk of collapse • But what if someone is trapped? Fire in Sofa Super Store, Charleston USA on 18 June 2007 – 9 fire-fighters killed: NIST investigation => sprinklers could have saved them! Fire in Ahterstone on Stour vegetable packing warehouse on 2 November 2007 – 4 fire-fighters killed – no sprinklers! (and still no learning) Sprinklers in Warehouses • • • • • • • • • • Austria: >1,800m2 Denmark: >5,000m2 or >2,000m2 + high fire load France: >3,000m2 Germany: >1,200m2 or >7.5m storage height Netherlands: typical solution if >1,000m2 Norway: >800m2 Portugal: >850 MJ/m2 Spain: >2,000m2 & >850 MJ/m2 Sweden: typical fire engineered solution UK: Scotland >14,000m2; England >20,000m2 Sprinklers in Tunnels • European Directive – alternatives possible • NFPA 502 Tunnel fire safety: extinguishing systems recommended in long/busy tunnels • NFPA 502 influences PIARC => Europe • E, F, I, N, NL, OS, S, SF, UK have at least one tunnel with an extinguishing system • Link to underground car parks Sprinklers in Hospitals? Fire Loss 26 May 2007 VU Medisch Centrum Amsterdam 8 operating theatres damaged – €50 million Sprinklers in Hospitals Interruption of Service 2 January 2008 Royal Marsden London 5 operating theatres closed > 6 months Downtown Chicago Sprinklers in Operating Theatre University College Hospital Central London Sprinklers in Corridors and Wards How to campaign for sprinklers • Pay someone (part-time) to promote sprinklers • Bring all parties to the table • Offer sprinkler training to fire brigades • Obtain and understand existing regulations • Run burn demonstrations and provide information • Work with allies to meet politicians and officials => Opportunities will come! 28-29 June 2012 www.eurosprinkler.org Thank you! Alan Brinson European Fire Sprinkler Network [email protected] 020 8877 2600