Optimising hazard identification, control and suppression activities

Sharé Mason-Bailly and Stefano Armani from SA Fire Protection look at the options Highly flammable liquids and gases call for dedicated fire protection. As a result, a good fire safety strategy is an essential part of any terminal operator’s plan. Effective plans will include a fire detection, alarm and suppression system. Reliable detection of flames, smoke, heat and gas leaks in its incipient stage is critical in ensuring that people, property and operations are safeguarded in a fire situation. Therefore, it would be appropriate to consider the fire and gas (F&G) system as the heart of a plant’s protection system. The system is able to detect a threat or hazard and then subsequently respond by triggering a final control element to prevent harm to personnel or damage to assets. The most common hazards include a fire or a leak of combustible/toxic gases and liquids which can pool and later be ignited. FUNCTIONS OF F&G The functions that F&G systems normally perform are monitoring, warning, tripping and actuating. Due to the fact that F&G systems maintain overall safety and operation, they are governed by several guidelines and regulations such as: ...