Warehouse fires can be costly to the inhabiting tenant, causing major destruction to property, permanent loss of data/business records and valuable goods where the overall disruption to business can be catastrophic.
This is accompanied by significant disturbance to local residents and neighbouring businesses, who may need to evacuate or keep doors and windows closed.
Installing warehouse fire sprinklers reduces this risk immediately, with automatic, targeted protection to prevent the spread of fire and allow blazes to be extinguished without additional damage.
Base Fire Sprinklers have many years of experience in the design, installation, and maintenance of warehouse fire sprinkler systems, using cutting-edge CAD software to maximise efficiency and calculate the correct water tank size before installation work begins.
Large buildings like warehouses need expertise and understanding in order to fully protect your valuable goods and personnel. Base Fire Sprinklers' engineers have the knowledge it takes to put adequate sprinkler systems in place throughout your premises.
I would like to compliment the engineers that we have met on site who have completed the servicing and repair works on the systems....I cannot find one area where I would be unhappy with the service we have received.
Jack Newell, Weaver Vale Housing Trust
The Scale of Warehouse Fires
A warehouse fire starts every 30 hours in England. Home Office figures show that in 2020-21, there were 256 warehouse fires in England, rising to 322 in 2021-22 when businesses were less affected by COVID-19 lockdowns.
Roughly one in eight warehouse fires are started deliberately, and about one in six involve hazardous materials, oil or combustible waste.
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Financial Cost of Warehouse Fires
Losses can be huge. In 2014, the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) compiled a report for the Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA) that put the direct cost to businesses at over £230 million a year, with around 1,000 jobs lost due to warehouse fires in England and Wales.
Because fires often force affected businesses to find new premises elsewhere, the report added that "local losses can be severe and permanent if nothing takes the place of the business that was once there".
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Cost Savings of Warehouse Sprinklers
In 2013, the BSA commissioned BRE Global to look at the cost of warehouse fires, including the difference in losses between warehouse fires with and without sprinkler systems installed.
The study found that warehouse sprinklers can deliver vast cost savings for premises of all sizes in the event of a fire:
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Small warehouses (under 2,000 sq. m): £62,410 vs. £145,364
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Medium warehouses (2,000-10,000 sq. m): £61,457 vs. £1,751,983
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Large warehouses (over 10,000 sq. m): £63,612 vs. £2,097,849
It's worth noting that because sprinklers tend to contain the fire within an area of roughly the same size, the total cost is about the same, even in very large premises. In contrast, large warehouses without sprinklers in place suffer catastrophic costs in a typical fire.
How Can Fire Sprinklers Help?
Fire Protection Association guidance states that sprinkler systems are mandatory in commercial premises over 20,000 square metres in size in the UK. However, this puts the UK well behind some of its European neighbours.
The CEBR report noted that several European countries have much stricter requirements in place:
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France: 3,000 sq. m
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Spain: 2,000 sq. m
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Austria: 1,800 sq. m
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Germany: 1,200 sq. m
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Netherlands: 1,000 sq. m
CEBR added that the financial losses to businesses and the wider economy caused by warehouse fires can be thought of as being equivalent to the potential savings to be made by installing automatic fire sprinkler systems.
With such an overwhelming gap between cost and benefit, installing automatic fire sprinklers in warehouses of all sizes should be considered standard practice.
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How Do Warehouse Sprinklers Work?
Warehouse sprinklers work exactly as in any other type of building. In the event of a fire, the change in temperature triggers the sprinkler head directly over the outbreak, dispensing a water spray that helps to subdue the flames.
In some instances, this can completely extinguish the blaze. In others, it helps to contain the fire within one small area, allowing for a safe and orderly evacuation and emergency services response, without excess damage to surrounding property.
Because sprinkler heads only dispense water from in the immediate affected area, water tanks need only be sufficient to supply a specified number of sprinklers for a limited period of time, allowing for a more efficient sprinkler system and reducing water damage.
And thanks to the rapid and automatic activation of warehouse sprinklers in the event of a fire, there is no need for manual action. This means the blaze is tackled faster and allows personnel to focus on evacuating the area safely.
Find Out More
For more information about any of the issues raised on this page, or to make an enquiry about automatic fire sprinkler systems for warehouses, contact Base Fire Sprinklers today.
We welcome all enquiries, whether your warehouse is 1,000 square metres or 100,000 (or more!) and our fire safety specialists can advise on sprinkler systems for warehouses that contain hazardous materials, accelerants, or flammable waste.
To speak to one of our fire safety engineers today, call us, email info@basesprinklers.co.uk or fill in our online contact form for a reply from our team.
