Fire Safety
EDSB And Siemens Protect A Major New UK Warehouse
The benefits of the partnership approach adopted by Siemens has been demonstrated in a project by EDSB to develop a fire detection and air sampling solution for a new warehouse operated by one of the UK’s most prominent retailers.
The facility in Warrington saw some 1,000 devices installed to protect the 81,570 m2
linear logistics warehouse area and its
ancillary offices. Given the scale of the warehouse, which features high ceilings extending up to 43 metres at the highest point, the detection system needed to provide comprehensive coverage across the entire space. EDSB’s solution included air sampling with low-level test points and pipe runs exceding 200 metres, ensuring the system could accurately detect fires without interference from environmental conditions.
Before stepping foot on-site, EDSB’s in-house design team was tasked with creating for the project a compliant BS:5839 Part 1 system, aligned with the Category L1/ P1 standards. Given the building’s complexity - including multiple mezzanine levels, cold storage areas, aerosol and battery storage, automated racking systems and comms rooms - the design required a range of detection technologies tailored to each area’s specific needs and environmental conditions.
Working with 20 fmuk Siemens, after reviewing the 3D BIM
models, specifications and fire strategy information, EDSB proposed a combination of air sampling systems, infrared
beams, multi-sensor detectors, triple infrared
flame detectors and gas suppression systems to ensure comprehensive coverage and compliance.
One of the main focuses of the brief was to develop a zero-false-alarm system, given the considerable costs associated with four-hour halts in production that could arise from unnecessary shutdowns. In consultation with Siemens, a solution was designed which saw a hybrid fire detection system capable of identifying environmental factors such as dust, smoke and exhaust fumes that could trigger false alarms.
Also central to the fire safety considerations was the high ceiling space which presented a particular challenge for traditional smoke detection: ‘stratification’ was identified as an issue whereby the smoke plume generated by a fire cools as it rises, often resulting in it having insufficient buoyancy to reach the roof and activate detectors. This was overcome by using Siemens ASD (Aspirating Smoke Detection), with the first stage of the installation process undertaken once the roof structure was in place. EDSB installed pipework and air sampling units in strategic positions across the warehouse to cover all areas,
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