Metal Dust Ignites Fire at Manufacturing Facility
Earlier this month, metal dust ignited and burned inside duct work at a RSA Engineered Products manufacturing facility. RSA designs and manufactures components and assemblies for military and commercial aircraft OE…
Gas Explosion at Medical Building in Spokane Injures One
Last week, one person suffered minor injuries after a gas explosion in the boiler room of a medical building located at QualMed Plaza in Spokane, Washington. The flash explosion blew the doors off of the entryway to the boiler…
What’s Going on at SUPDET 2013 this year?
The 17th annual Suppression, Detection, and Signaling Research and Applications (SUPDET) symposium has been happening all week in Orlando. This year’s program has been addressing the latest on topics including: Detection…
Collaborating with Fire Protection Contractors via the iPad
When we inspect a new construction site for fire alarms and sprinklers, we are a tool in the fire protection contractor’s arsenal. Our comments help insure the fire alarm and sprinkler contractors produce a fire safe, code…
Using iPad’s Bluebeam App for Fire Protection Inspections
The iPad can be an incredibly useful tool for fire inspections and fire testing, but it requires some customization first. Through experimentation, collaboration, and experience with the iPad, we have unlocked more of the…
Build-Up Suspected in Peanut Roaster Fire
In December, firefighters in Blaine, Washington responded to a fire inside a large roaster at Golden Nut Company. The facility manufactures peanut butter. The fire department, located across the street from the Golden Nut…
Touting the iPad for Fire Alarm and Fire Suppression Testing and Inspections – Part 2
We rolled out iPads to key staff-members in 2012, and Jim Tuten received one of them. Jim opted to use the mobile device for his on-premise fire alarm and fire suppression inspections. The mobile device saves time and…
Nearly a Decade Later, Fire at a Brazilian Nightclub offers Similarities to the Station Nightclub Fire
Sunday morning, 233 people died and more than 100 were injured in a nightclub fire in Brazil. The fire is being called one of the deadliest the world has seen in almost 10 years and occurred at Kiss, a nightclub located in…
Touting the iPad for Fire Alarm and Fire Suppression Testing and Inspections – Part I
About one year ago, I made a conscious decision to apply new information technology to fire protection engineering. That decision has transformed, and continues to transform, our processes in ways we weren’t even expecting.…
Why is Hot Work a Leading Cause of Industrial Fires Even Though They Are Often Preventable?
Hot work is most commonly thought of as welding or oxy-acetylene torch cutting. However, hot work is any work with the potential to produce enough heat to ignite a fire or explosion. In addition to welding and torch cutting,…
Don’t Forget Fire Safety While You Deck the Halls
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Harrington Group. We recently put up our Christmas tree and will celebrate the season at our company Christmas party this coming weekend. We are certainly filled with the holiday…
More on Dry Sprinkler System Freeze Failures
As temperatures drop, the potential for sprinkler freeze failures rises. Dry pipe sprinkler systems are one way to avoid of freeze failures, but even they are not immune. Wet Pipe Sprinklers vs. Dry Pipe Sprinklers As we…
Fire Protection Considerations With New Or Updated Buildings
When it comes to warehouse fire prevention, not just any sprinkler system will do. As I point out in my Fire Protection Engineering article, “Lessons Learned from Understanding Warehouse Fires,” a facility’s sprinkler design…
Charlotte Fire Protection Engineering Office Celebrates 5 Years & Announces New Address
Harrington Group has a lot…