Wormald recommends fire protection be part of initial design

May 16, 2011 - PRLog -- Planning and designing a new building is a complex task and those involved are responsible for developing safe working and living environments for the future tenants of the building.

According to leading fire protection specialist Wormald, one element of the design planning stage which needs careful consideration is the building’s fire protection provisions, which must be provided for in accordance with the Building Code of Australia.

Consulting a fire engineer or fire specialist in the early stages of design planning will ensure all necessary considerations are addressed and an effective and tailored fire protection solution can be designed for a particular building.

However, according to Wormald, many don’t realise the importance of involving the fire specialist as early as possible during the design planning stage.

“Being contacted after the initial design and plans are finalised makes it difficult to achieve the optimum fire protection solution,” says Garry Kwok, National Technical Services Manager at Wormald. “Engaging with a fire specialist at an early stage can add real value to a project by identifying what is required not only to suit the needs of the client but also to meet all relevant building codes and regulations.”

In new building design, there are many fire safety considerations including how particular building materials will respond to fire, how smoke and fire will spread in the event of a fire and the number of emergency exits required. It is also important to consider the type of fire protection and detection systems most suited to protect against particular fire risks expected within a building and its application.

Investing in an appropriate fire safety solution is a wise investment to help to minimise the risk of fire and to protect life and property. Wormald’s Garry Kwok says that simply choosing the minimum in fire protection to meet regulations may not be enough.

“To be adequately prepared, you need to forward plan and consider the loss which could be caused if a fire was to occur. Consulting your fire protection specialist will help you to design the fire protection solution to suit your needs. There are also many building design advantages from specifying fire protection systems at an early stage including reduced egress requirements and increased fire compartment sizes.”

As well as regulation, when deciding on the most suitable fire protection solutions, considerations include size and type of building, materials being handled on the premises and what the building will be used for, such as offices or materials storage.

Wormald provides a range of specialist fire protection solutions including automatic sprinklers, heat/smoke/CO2 detection and emergency warning and evacuation systems. Special hazards solutions include gaseous suppression systems such as Inergen®, foam fire suppression systems, water spray and mist systems, pre action and deluge systems. Wormald can review building plans in order to help identify the most suitable fire protection solution. Some of the options include:

• For rooms which contain critical and high value equipment such as server rooms, control rooms and electrical switch rooms a solution such as Wormald’s Inergen® gaseous system would be suitable. Inergen® is an inert gas fire suppressant consisting of natural gases, designed to suppress the fire before any significant damage occurs, without causing harm to people, property or the environment.

• Special kitchen fire suppression systems such as the ANSUL® R-102 are specially designed to suppress the dangerous fires that occur in cooking appliances and ductwork in commercial kitchens.

• The vanQuish™ fire sprinkler system is suited to cold storage, outdoor and unheated warehouse facilities. The vanQuish™ fire sprinkler system uses a ‘surround and drown’ configuration designed to rapidly reduce the heat release rate and help to minimise damage to storage facilities and valuable goods.

CONTACT DETAILS
For further details or to speak to a Wormald representative call 133 166 or visit
www.wormald.com.au.

Media Enquiries:
Claire Smith, Write Away Communication + Events
Ph: +61 2 9978 1400 Email: claire@writeaway.com.au
Claire Hartley, Wormald
Ph: 02 9947 7550 Email:clhartley@tycoint.com

ABOUT WORMALD
Wormald is Australasia’s leading provider of fire protection solutions. Since 1889, it has designed, manufactured, supplied, installed and serviced fire detection and protection systems for a wide variety of industries, including building and construction, health care, military, government, leisure management, corporate, education and domestic. www.wormald.com.au

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About Tyco Fire Protection Services Asia Pacific
Tyco Fire Protection Services Asia Pacific (TFPS APAC) is a business segment of Tyco International Ltd. The company designs, manufactures, installs and services specialised fire protection products for the industrial, power, mining, quarry, forestry, marine, waste, transportation, health, commercial, government, consumer and retail industries. Its major brands include Wormald, DBE, Thorn Security, Simplex Fire Products, Simplex Time Solutions, Exelgard and Tyco Building Services. Throughout the Asia Pacific region,TFPS employs approximately 4,000 staff in 9 countries and its products are used to prevent fires, safeguard firefighters and protect people and property.