Maintaining Fire Protection
Systems
in Power Plants
Introduction
Fires in electric power generating plants can have costly and even fatal consequences.
Yet, the owners and operators of many plants have paid little if any attention to fire
suppression systems since they were installed 10 or even 20 years ago. In about one-third
of the cases in which fire suppression systems fail to operate as expected, the cause is
inadequate inspection, testing and maintenance.
Various Fire Systems
Fire hazards such as large quantities of fuel, combustible/flammable liquids,
electrical hazards, combustible dusts and warehousing are common in electric power
generating plants. A wide range of fire protection systems is found in these facilities.
These include fire pumps, hydrants, fire extinguishers and systems using sprinkler/water
spray, dry chemical, halon, halon alternative, carbon dioxide and detection/alarm devices.
Getting Started
Fire protection systems are a combination of mechanical and electrical components and,
like power generation equipment, need regular attention. The full article that follows
examines systems, requirements and inspection and testing frequencies in detail. In brief,
to get started:
- The first step in establishing an inspection, testing and maintenance program is to
generate a list of all the fire protection systems at the plant.
- Once this list is complete, plant management needs to decide which tasks will be
completed by in-house personnel and which will be contracted out.
- The next step is to determine the frequencies of the tasks.
- Then, a documentation system needs to be implemented.
Common Problems
Fire protection-related tasks often are assigned to inadequately trained personnel, or
are not done at all. Just because a program complies with the requirements of a local
jurisdiction or fire department does not mean that the frequencies are adequate. Regular
fire department inspections are no substitute for a fire protection equipment inspection
and testing program. The existence of a maintenance contract for a particular protection
system does not mean that all necessary tasks are performed.
In Conclusion
Many fires can be prevented and damage minimized by improving the reliability of fire
suppression equipment. An effective, documented inspection, testing and maintenance
program can help make sure your system will not fail when you need it most.
