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Current affairs Case study – Total Polyfilm
THREE AND a half years on from a destructive fire that engulfed a plastics manufacturer’s unsprinklered factory in Lancashire, the lasting effect is undeniable, as the £50m turnover business has gone into administration with the loss of 200 jobs. It took 60 firefighters to control the fire
at the Total Polyfilm site in Bamber Bridge on 10 May 2016, and it resulted in the total loss of the factory. Nearby residents and businesses felt the impact from the smoke and environmental pollution, while roads were closed causing disruption. Production was transferred to another site while the building was rebuilt, but this heavily affected day to day business. The factory was fully operational a year
after the fire, yet it took an additional seven months due to restoration delays for the relocation to be complete. Despite the 60 year old polythene business returning to operations, the company never properly recovered.
which Dame Judith called for in her report to make buildings safe. Sprinklers are proven time and time again
to be both effective and efficient in a wide range of fire scenarios and building types. Evidence has shown that sprinkler systems have an operational reliability of 94% and that in those cases, they extinguish or contain
This was further compounded by the
loss of key customers and reduced sales across its main markets of agriculture and industry. To prevent similar scenarios occurring, companies need to safeguard themselves from fire’s devastating effects,and there needs to be more proactivity and conscious decision making concerning business resilience. Unless trading can continue quickly, businesses feel the financial pressure of maintaining cash flow, and often flounder. Fire is indiscriminate and inexplicable, but that doesn’t mean actions can’t be taken to control fire when it occurs. Contrast the total loss of the Total
Polyfilm factory with a fire that happened in February 2016 at a similar plastics manufacturer in the west country, BPI, which returned to operations within 24 hours. What made the difference was the fact that the BPI factory had a sprinkler system which contained the fire
the fire on 99% of occasions across a wide range of building types1
. Building sophisticated fire resilient buildings
is good for everyone. It means understanding risk and the outcomes people want from their buildings in the face of fire. Whilst it could cost a little more upfront, the buildings will be safer and more sustainable.
42 DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020
www.frmjournal.com
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