Once the fire was discovered and it was determined that the sprinklers were not operating, the valve was immediately opened. However, by this time, the fire had escalated to such a point that over 200 sprinkler heads operated on the second floor. Although the sprinklers ultimately controlled the fire and saved the building from total destruction, substantial smoke, water and fire damage resulted in a significant loss to the company. Of interest, had delays in discovering the fire and opening the fire protection valve not occurred, this fire would typically have been controlled with only four sprinkler heads operating, and the company would have averted a major loss. All temporary operations involving Hot Work introduce potential uncontrolled ignition sources that can result in a serious fire loss to your facility.
Hot work includes any temporary operation producing a spark or open flame.
Some examples include cutting, welding, brazing, torch-applied roofing, thawing pipe, grinding and soldering. Hot work should be avoided with alternate methods employed, wherever possible. If Hot Work is unavoidable, a formal written program of management controls and procedures should be adopted. This program should be used to manage all Hot Work operations whether conducted by outside contractors or your own employees. Facility management should enforce the program with periodic audits to ensure compliance with all procedures.