What You Think You Know About Industrial
Fire Sprinkler Systems Really Can Hurt You

When properly designed, installed and maintained, fire sprinkler systems are an effective means of protecting people, equipment and property in industrial and commercial facilities. But mistaken notions about sprinklers and other fire suppression equipment keep many businesses from installing necessary equipment.  

Here are five common myths that can place your building at risk:  

Myth #1 — Keep Sprinklers Away from Electricity

• Sprinkler systems can be used to effectively control electrical fires. In fact, dense and toxic smoke from electrical fires makes the use of portable extinguishers and other manual fire fighting methods difficult. As for damage, whatever is hot enough to melt a fusible sprinkler link is already on fire.

Myth #2 — Don’t Use Water on Flammable Liquid/Oil Fires

• Water is an excellent fire suppression agent and if applied properly can control and extinguish flammable liquid fires. The method of water application is the key. Trained fire fighters use their hoses to set up a spray or fog pattern. Fire suppression systems use sprinklers and water spray systems.

Myth #3 — Sprinklers Do More Damage Than Fire

• The sight of a commercial or industrial building burned to the ground dispels this notion. On the contrary, sprinkler systems can provide early control of a fire, which helps to improve safety and limit the damage. Insurance companies have long known that the dollar cost of damage is much higher in buildings that don’t have sprinklers.

Myth #4 — Sprinklers Go Off Accidentally

• Inadvertent discharge of sprinklers is extremely rare and is usually attributed to mechanical damage or poor system design. It is so rare, in fact, that there is not enough data to be more precise. It is estimated that 1 in 2.5 million installed sprinkler systems will discharge inadvertently (probability of 4.0x10^-7).

Myth #5 — My Plant Has Sprinklers, Therefore I’m Safe

• The mere presence of a sprinkler system does not mean it can adequately deal with a fire. Sprinkler systems are matched to the occupancy of a building. A sprinkler system that was adequate 10 years ago may not necessarily offer enough protection today. Have a professional evaluate your system based on information about occupancy, sprinkler system design and water supply.

Sprinklers Can Help Protect Your Facility

Sprinklers have an excellent record of protecting people and buildings from fire. Don’t let myths and misconceptions keep you from including sprinklers as part of the fire protection system in your plant or facility. The full-text article has more detailed information about what to consider in a well-designed fire sprinkler system.

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