As we approach the thought of a release from lockdown it’s important to consider what may have changed in the dormant buildings whilst we have been away. Whilst the Alpine Service Team have remained 100% operational across the UK some businesses may have taken the decision to pause their planned maintenance schedules whilst the facilities are empty. We have gathered the thoughts of our in house technical experts for advice on some considerations to be given where sites have not been fully maintained, tested or checked. Here are 5 issues that may arise from a pause in the regular tests and checks advised by LPS 1048 and could potentially compromise the operation of a fire sprinkler system. Seized Pressure switches – unless regularly exercised pressure switches can stick causing a number of issues with the sprinkler system.  Pressure switches installed on the pump initiation lines would not detect a drop in system pressure and would therefore not start the fire pump(s) preventing the sprinkler system from operating.  The pressure switches on the alarm line of the control valves would not send a signal to the main fire alarm, impairing the detection of any issues, either accidental damage or fire related. Water Motor Alarms could be seized – although seen by some as outdated technology the mechanical aspect of a water pressure driven alarm cannot be overlooked as this should still give an audible signal if there was ever a problem with the building fire alarm system. It also enables a hard check on the alarm valves operational effectiveness during regular checks, this would not be possible with an inoperable alarm motor and gong due to failed or seized components. System valves could be stiffer to operate or seized – water flow control valves that are seized or at least stiff would be much more difficult to close in the event of an accidental discharge, potentially leading to excessive water damage if the flow of water cannot be stopped.  Individual test valves seized will prevent the normal testing procedure being carried out.  However the worst case is that the alarm valves may not open correctly preventing water from flowing into the main sprinkler system in the event of a fire situation. Fire pumps could be seized – As above, if the fire pump is not able to deliver water to the sprinkler system then the effectiveness of that system is eliminated. The ability to provide a continuous flow of water at required pressure based on the design parameters is paramount in the operation of the overall fire suppression system. Undetected frost damage – we have endured some of the coldest days on record in the UK during lockdown. There is a risk within closed sites that there may be frost damage to parts of the system, which could lead to impaired components that could fail on returning to standard operation. These components may not operate as designed and impair their ability to control a fire or at the minimum could cause water damage within a facility in the event of failure. So, as we all look to Spring for a return to something more like the life we remember, we recommend that your fire sprinkler systems are checked for impairments and correct operation by a competent engineer before reoccupation of buildings takes place. For more information on our design, project management and aftercare solutions please contact Louise Plant on 0161 791 4500, or l.plant@alpinefire.co.uk or visit www.alpinefire.co.uk

Bury based Alpine Fire Engineers have proudly announced that they have been ranked in the Sunday Times Fast Track ‘Ones to Watch’ 2019. This achievement follows on from a year of successes for the privately owned company and is a well-deserved recognition for the Alpine team and their growth achievements to date. Earlier this year Alpine celebrated a strong year for the business, including a 30 per cent year-on-year growth with sales hitting more than £19m, as the business also relocated its office to accommodate its 60-strong and growing workforce. The Sunday Times annual Ones to Watch feature aims to identify the next stars among the UK’s fastest-growing private companies. This year Alpine was one of only three companies that were chosen that provide business services, the other seven operate in the consumer goods sector. The decision to list Alpine as ‘Ones to Watch’ was based upon a number of factors, including past sales, growth forecasts, expansion, branding and investment. Louise Plant, Service & Business Development Director, who joined the company 12 months ago, commented; “We look forward to an amazing 2020 reducing risks to people and property with our bespoke fire suppression systems.” “Our forward thinking and growing team are delighted to receive this iconic recognition”

The recent destruction of a state-of-the-art warehouse highlighted the issue of fire safety within highly automated buildings. The growth of e-commerce is impacting the global economy and will continue to do so as industry 4.0 further develops. Rapid development of delivery hubs to meet consumer needs and the resulting demand for prime space has result­ed in the need for maximised utilisation of every square foot. Even as distribution centres become regional hubs and move closer to consumers to achieve rapid delivery, they must also have systems for storing, handling and picking to get product out of the door as efficiently as possible. This requires more and more automation, the development of which, will eventually touch every aspect of our lives from autonomous vehicles to advanced storage solutions and robotics. The recent destruction of a state-of-the-art warehouse highlighted the issue of fire safety within highly automated buildings. Whilst an award-winning advanced fire sup­pression system was in place, it took 200 firefighters and several days of intense fire-fighting efforts to extinguish the blaze. This building was a prototype with over 1100 robots swarming over a 3D frame called the ‘grid’ to locate goods, from tins of baked beans to toilet rolls. Travelling at up to four metres a second, the robots would fulfil a typical consumer order in around five minutes. Whilst the cause is still usunder investigation, early reports suggest that it may have been caused by a malfunctioning robot and the configuration of the high-density rack-ing. This reportedly made accessing and fighting the fire physically challenging. The fire is a red flag indicator that critical life safety and protection systems must keep pace with the development of these highly automated spaces. Sprinkler systems are a highly effective form of fire protection that detect, act and initiate an alarm in response to a fire event. The National Fire Chiefs Council and the National Fire Sprinkler Network worked together to investigate the ‘Efficiency and Effectiveness of Sprinkler Systems’. The findings indicate, that where installed, sprinkler systems operate on 94% of occasions. Furthermore, it is evident that when they do operate, they extinguish or contain the fire on 99% of occasions. There was not a single report of a death in a non-domestic building where sprinklers were recorded as being present and sprinklers could be expected to work. Sprinkler systems have demonstrated their value in protecting life and property in industrial and commercial applications for many years. The importance of fire suppression sprinklers in the new ecommerce world has never been more relevant. Alpine Fire Engineers have been heavily involved supporting the move to these highly automated buildings which is reflected in their impressive year on year growth. Steven Nanda, Alpine’s CEO states, “Alpine continues to be at the forefront of fire suppression design within the distribution, food, manufacturing and pharmaceutical sectors. Using the very latest VR and BIM technology we are leading the way with bespoke solutions designed to deliver optimal performance in the event of an activation. Our collaboration with key designers in the automation world ensures that we are delivering cost effective and operationally efficient systems.” Alpine is an LPC level 4 accredited company which ensures that their clients receive accurate, up to date and invaluable information at whatever stage of the process. The Project Engineering team, who are fully conversant with both LPC BS EN 12845 and FM Global specifications, engage early to support their customers from the initial planning stage right through to interpreting employer’s requirements. They will also comfortably liaise directly with insurers to ensure design standards and specifications are met whilst delivering a cost effective and high-performance solution to mitigate their customers risk In the aforementioned report, ‘Efficiency and Effectiveness of Sprinkler Systems’, it was identified that in the cases where sprinklers system did not operate, there were two main reasons. Firstly, there was a fault in the system which had not been identified/rectified through planned maintenance and secondly, the system was switched off. Accordingly, and as recommended within the LPCB guidelines, it is critically important that the system undergoes a strict regime of planned and preventative maintenance on an ongoing basis by appropriately trained personnel or a certified company. This ensures that the building is adequately safeguarded in the event of a fire hazard, that assets are insured and the system is compliant. Alpine Fire Engineers directly employs a nationwide team of highly trained Service Engineers who will inspect automatic fire suppression systems as part of a planned and preventative maintenance regime, which is vital to ensure deployment and optimal performance when the system is needed Planned maintenance schedules are tailored to the needs of each site ensuring that the requirements of LPCB 1048 guidelines and those of the insurers are met. for more information on Alpine Fire, please visit www.alpinefire.co.uk