Going Green, Staying Safe: The Top Fire Protection Concerns
The move toward sustainable development seems intuitive; why shouldn’t society demand greener and more efficient sources of energy? In the last blog, we explained the need to address the consequences of green construction on…
Sustainable Safety: Green Buildings and Fire Protection Engineering
It’s undeniable; America is going green. Sustainability has become a hot topic over the last several years, with the real estate industry at the center of the discussion. The demand for environmentally friendly buildings has…
How Can Fire Protection Engineers Help Avoid Costly Mistakes?
If you have ever been involved with the design and construction of new facilities or renovating existing buildings, you are well aware that the best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray. Or, simply said, things don’t always…
Photovoltaic Panels and Fire Fighting Challenges
In September, a fire grew out of control and destroyed the Dietz & Watson 300,000 square foot refrigeration facility in Delanco, New Jersey. This 11-alarm fire was hindered by the fact that roof was equipped with 7,000…
Fire Prevention Tips for Wood Pellet Plants
My last blog discussed the dangers of wood pellet plant facilities and included an overview of several recent incidents. Today, I would like to review a few fire prevention tips for wood pellet plants. The process of…
The Dangers of Wood Pellet Plant Facilities
Photo: Frieda Squires/The Providence Journal
An explosion…
Hot Work Incident Causes $1 Million in Damages to Tampa Brewery
Recently, a fire broke out at the Yuengling brewery facility located in Tampa, Florida. No employees were injured and one firefighter suffered minor injuries from the fire, which took about an hour to get under control. Also,…
What Lesson Can We Take From Massive Brazil Sugar Fire?
In October, a massive fire ignited approximately 180,000 tons of sugar and tore through six warehouses at Copersucar, one of Brazil’s, and the world’s, largest sugar operations. The fire was said to have started in a conveyor…
NFPA Releases 2012 Large-Loss Fire Report
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently released its 2012 Large-Loss Fire Report. Every year, the NFPA provides information for the previous year’s large loss-fires, which are defined as any event that results…
What Can Plant Managers Do to Help Emergency Responders Prevent Combustible Dust Explosions?
By Dale C. Hansen, P.E. Combustible dust explosion risks are one of the current “hot issues” being addressed by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)…
Keep Fire Safety in the Forefront this Thanksgiving
On Thanksgiving Day, the threat of having a fire in the kitchen TRIPLES! If you think about it, it makes sense. Cooking-related fires have topped the causes of home fires for years and Thanksgiving is arguably the busiest day…
NFPA Recognized for Standard Development Response
Earlier this month, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) issued to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) its highest level of approval for exceeding the agency’s recommendations in the development of NFPA 56: Standard…
Last week, one of our…The Need for National Standards for Upholstered Furniture Flammability Testing
Fire Prevention Week recently came to a close a couple of weeks ago with this year’s theme “Prevent Kitchen Fires”. While kitchen fires, and more specifically cooking-related fires, continue to lead the causes of residential…
Tips for Accessing the NFPA Fire Code Online Even with an Apple Operating System (OS)
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has provided free, read-only access to their fire codes and standards to the public for the past 10 years. The codes are easy to access – and here’s how you can do it: Step 1…