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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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Fire Protection Engineering Standards for Welding and Hot Work Hazards

Hot appliances and open flames are a proven source of danger for maintenance and repair crews. Between 1990 and 2010, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) identified over 60 fatalities resulting from…

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Structure Fire Hazard in the Home: Children Playing with Fire

“Little rascal” isn’t quite accurate. Most people do not realize that children can pose a significant fire hazard in the home. According to a report by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an average of 56,300 fires…

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State Fire Marshal to Investigate Pensacola Chemical Plant Explosion

No one was injured in a late night explosion and fire last month at a Pensacola chemical plant that is said to have caused $1 million in damages and is being investigated by the Florida State Fire Marshal. Crews took…

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Historic Gastonia Mill Fire Causes $4-6 Million in Damages

A massive fire at a historic Gastonia, North Carolina warehouse last month is estimated to have caused between $4 million to $6 million in damages and will likely disrupt operations for weeks. The fire took several hours to…

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Fire Hazards in Nightclubs: What Architects Can Learn from Brazil and Rhode Island

Earlier this year, a nightclub in Brazil caught fire and caused over 240 fatalities. Most of the victims were college students who had come for a Federal University of Santa Maria event. The party featured a band and…

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Combustible Dust Explosion Repeat Experience for Bartlett Grain Co.

Earlier this month, one man was injured in what is believed to be a combustible dust explosion at the Bartlett Milling Company facility located in Statesville, North Carolina. The explosion occurred on a Sunday morning at…

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Construction-Related Fire at Car Dealership Causes $1 Million in Damages

No injuries were reported in a construction-related fire at a Columbus, Ohio Ford Dealership earlier this month that took about an hour to extinguish and caused over $1 million in damages. Fire crews reported to the scene at…

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Texas Community Devastated by Fertilizer Plant Explosion

Harrington Group is sending our thoughts and prayers out to the small town of West, Texas today in the midst of a devastating tragedy. Last night, a fertilizer plant in West, Texas exploded. Initial estimates say that between…

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Gas Explosion at American Steel Products Plant Critically Injures Several

A gas explosion at an American Steel Products plant in Granite City, IL critically injured two steel workers on March 7th, and sent several more to the hospital with minor injuries. The two critically injured workers each…

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Think Personal Safety Before Firing up that Torch

Last month, a worker at a Wisconsin golf course was critically injured when a 55-gallon drum that he was working on exploded. Authorities say that a UPS driver found the 35-year old victim semi-conscious on the floor in a pool…

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