Tyco Fire Protection Products recently hosted an educational seminar in London focusing on the appropriate uses of Water Mist technology. The seminar discussed the route to market, fire protection standards and the applications best suited to Tyco’s own Water Mist solution, AquaMist. The event brought together Tyco and industry experts, including Zurich Insurance and RPI Frontline, as well as Tyco’s specialists in AquaMist technology.
“A range of factors are contributing to a lack of clarity in the market”, comments Dr Tim Nichols, Sales Director Water Mist EMEA. “A lack of industry-wide standards, complex procedures and demanding insurance requirements are fuelling confusion amongst businesses – and Tyco aims to provide clarity and help guide design and specification across a range of sectors. We organised the seminar to help provide an informative session on the typical applications best suited to Water Mist technology, as well as the importance of product approvals and compliance with industry standards.”
Stuart Lloyd, Principle Fire Protection Engineer at Zurich Insurance, represented the views of an insurer at the seminar and explained how fire protection engineers can benefit from developments in Water Mist technology. He examined the applications where Water Mist is most effective and outlined bespoke solutions for various environments – for example, food manufacturing plants are high risk settings and manufacturers must ensure they install the best solution to meet the critical fire hazards.
Stuart also highlighted the essential process of identifying the kinds of specifications required within a specific environment, as well as verifying the performance claims of a system by carrying out performance-based testing. When a fire takes hold, businesses can experience serious interruptions to work flow, resulting in major financial losses. It is, therefore, vital that companies not only encompass the damage a fire can have on a business, but that they also understand the kind of technology needed to best protect their property and resources.
Representing RPI Frontline, Managing Director, Chris George, demonstrated a case study on the integration of Water Mist technology in the new Bodleian Library at Oxford University. The extensive design and testing work showcased AquaMist’s effectiveness in this challenging project and presented Water Mist technology as an effective application in buildings with specialist challenges or requirements, such as libraries and archives, where the risk of deep-seated fires and challenging building layouts is greater. Engineers were also encouraged to specify approval standards to help determine which system would be best suited to the application and environment in need of protection.
Tyco FPP Water Mist Global Marketing Manager, Ariadna Casasús Bernacho, placed focus on the advantages of AquaMist systems, that with their three technologies: ULF (Low pressure); FOG (High Pressure); and SONIC (hybrid system water and nitrogen); the right solution can be provided dependent on the risk. All three solutions have relevant third party certifications, for example Factory Mutual (FM). This ensures independent performance testing and component approval to provide market compliant solutions.
Steven Burton, Tyco FPP’s Water Mist Sales Manager, said, “Here at Tyco, we offer a complete range of fire protection products, meaning we can provide impartial consultancy to those seeking protection in different applications and environments. We therefore believe we’re well positioned to host a seminar on Water Mist technology and bring together a wealth of expertise to help the market better understand the opportunities to adopt this fire protection solution, such as our own AquaMist system.”
For more information on Tyco’s Water Mist solution, AquaMist, please visit www.tyco-fire.com/aquamist
