How We Prepped New Fire Protection Engineers for the 2013 NFPA Conference & Expo – Industry Conferences Are a Training Opportunity
I was a junior studying fire protection engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) when, in 1976, I was taken to my first annual National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Conference & Expo in Boston. Bob…
Massive Fire at Boston Warehouse Causes $1 Million in Damages
Earlier this month, Boston firefighters were called to a three-story warehouse fire at the U.S. Coast Guard station located on Commercial Street. The facility is used to repair boats. Thankfully, no injuries were reported…
Do Your Building Renovation Projects Require Creative Fire Code Solutions?
A recent project triggered a number of problem areas and required we employ our creativity and deep knowledge of fire protection to succeed. The client wanted to renovate an existing facility that had been built in the early…
Is Egress Analysis Impacted during Your Incremental Build Projects?
Travel distance and means of egress have become increasingly popular concerns. As owners expand buildings, they often increase the distance to the nearest exit to the point of violating code requirements. We recently consulted…
Investigators: Fire Sprinklers Failed to Operate in Industrial Fire
Last month, a large industrial fire at Nationwide OTR Recyclers in Indiana caused more than $10 million in damages. The fire began on a Saturday and raged through the weekend, fueled by more than 85,000 square-feet of tires;…
Combustible Dust Grain Silo Explosion Kills One in Indiana
Last week, an explosion inside a grain silo killed one employee, another tragic reminder of just how deadly combustible dust can be. Fire investigators believe the fatal explosion was caused when dust ignited after a mechanical…
Chemical Explosion Rocks Upper Mount Bethel in Pennsylvania
Last week, an explosion and subsequent chemical fire rocked the township of Upper Mount Bethel in Pennsylvania. The explosion occurred at Voltaix, a manufacturer of special chemicals for the semi-conductor and solar-cell…
Explosion at Iowa Plant Injures Three and Causes Millions in Damages
Last week, an early morning explosion at the Norplex Laminates manufacturing plant in Postville, Iowa injured three employees and caused an estimated $5-7 million in damages. One of the injured employees was reportedly standing…
Alabama Plant Employees Injured in Welding Accident
Last week, an explosion at UTC Aerospace Systems injured two employees in Foley, Alabama. One of the two injured was lifeflighted to USA Burn Center. According to City Administrator Mike Thompson, an employee was welding on a…
Fire Code Requirements for Rack Storage and Atriums
Did the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) over your project recently reject your design due to improper smoke control in your building? Do you need to calculate proper exhaust and convince the AHJ your structure will meet or…
Cost-Effective Fire Hazard Mitigation
Fire protection engineering is normally understood by its technical appliances like sprinklers, fire alarms, and fire hazard warning signs. Although these tools are extremely effective at reducing risk and dealing with…
How Fire Protection Engineers Advocate for You with Your Industrial/Commercial Insurance Carrier
The world of a fire protection engineer is moving more quickly than ever before. Property insurance carriers are upgrading their compliance standards constantly. This affects everyone attached to commercial and industrial…
Acetylene Explosion Injures Two
Two workers were injured last month at an Airgas facility in Putnam County, West Virginia when highly flammable gas exploded. While the cause of the explosion remains unknown, the explosion involved approximately 50 tanks of…
How to Negotiate with Insurers on Fire Hazards
An insurance company’s success is partially due to their ability to reduce its exposure to risk. Fire hazards are one of the risks that a building owner would want insured. To provide a building owner with insurance in cases of…