| Department | Environmental, Health and Safety | Document no | EHS-060 | ||
| Title | Fire Protection Impairment Handling | ||||
| Prepared by: | Date: | Supersedes: | |||
| Checked by: | Date: | Date Issued: | |||
| Approved by: | Date: | Review Date: | |||
1. AFFECTED PARTIES
All Environment, Health and Safety personnel
2. PURPOSE
This SOP details the procedure required to notify GMP site’s insurers of any intended impairment of the installed ‘Fire Equipment’ on site.
3. SCOPE
This SOP applies to all buildings on the GMP site. The SOP lists the procedure to record the details and timeframes of the intended fire equipment impairment.
Note: This procedure is a compulsory requirement of our insurance brokers and the Site Fire Protection Guidelines.
4. RESPONSIBILITY \ BUSINESS RULES
4.1 Overall responsibility for the site and its installed fire service equipment and systems rests with the Site Facilities Manager and/or his designate.
4.2 Responsibility for the servicing and maintenance of the installed fire service equipment rests with the Building and Real Estate Manager.
4.3 Responsibility for maintaining the records of impairments to fire service equipment for audit purposes rests with the Facilities Manager.
4.4 Records of all impairments to fire service sprinkler, pump and alarm systems must be kept on record for audit purposes.
5. PROCEDURE
5.1 Possible Situations or Causes of Impairment
5.1.1 Fire fighting equipment isolation or failure.
5.1.2 Building construction and/or renovation work.
5.1.3 System isolation after an emergency (forklift damage to a sprinkler system).
5.1.4 Vandalism.
5.1.5 Loss of electricity supply to fire protection equipment.
5.1.6 Loss of diesel supply to fire pumps.
5.2 Use and Notification of Impairment Notices
5.2.1 An impairment notice should be submitted up to 48 hours in prior to
Commencement of any modifications or maintenance to the installed ‘fire protection systems’ on site that would otherwise place Site assets at risk. (Typically, the isolation of fire protection assets would be any isolation of longer than two hours duration.)
Any building or maintenance work that requires the isolation of fire protection equipment.
Isolation of electricity to the sites electric fire pumps.
Isolation of diesel fuel supply to the main diesel fire pump.
5.2.2 Notification of fire system impairment is mandatory as per conditions of acceptance for building and business fire loss insurance cover and should be sent to the current Fire Loss Insurer. The typical Fire Loss Insurer is as follows:
5.3 Causes of Impairment
5.3.1 Fire fighting equipment isolation or failure.
5.3.2 Building construction and/or renovation work.
5.3.3 System isolation after an emergency (forklift damage to a sprinkler system).
5.3.4 Vandalism.
5.3.5 Loss of electricity supply to fire protection equipment.
5.3.6 Loss of diesel supply to fire pumps.
5.4 Reduction of Impact or Risk Associated with Impairments
The following measures must be undertaken whenever and wherever possible if Fire Impairment has occurred.
5.4.1 Limiting the frequency, extent or duration of impairments.
5.4.2 Working continuously on impaired equipment until the equipment is restored to service.
5.4.3 Reducing any hazardous processes for the duration of the impairment. (To reduce the risk of fire in impaired areas until the impairment is over and the area is protected again.)
5.4.4 Reducing inventory levels for extended impairments.
5.4.5 Increased surveillance during impairments.
5.4.6 Supplying portable fire fighting equipment to impaired areas.
5.4.7 Providing notification of the impairment to local fire fighting authorities and Site EHS.
5.4.8 Restore protective systems promptly after works have been completed and if possible verify the systems function.
5.5 Building and Plant Facilities Guidelines
Building and plant installation fire protection requirements guidelines and standards are available through current Fire Loss Insurer.
6. DEFINITIONS / ACRONYMS
| Automatic Fire Protection System | A fire protection system that is automatically triggered by control devices and simultaneously sounds an alarm at a central fire control panel |
| EHS | Environment, Health and Safety |
| Fire Equipment Impairment | The isolation or crippling of installed fire protection equipment such that the equipment is unable to perform its intended function |
| Fire Impairment | The increased risk of loss of assets (buildings and contents) that occurs whenever fire protection systems are isolated and removed from service, while a building remains occupied and contains assets. |
| Wet Pipe Sprinkler System | A system of monitored pressurised water charged pipe work, located throughout a building and from which thermally triggered fire sprinkler heads are mounted. |
7. SUMMARY OF CHANGES
| Version # | Revision History |
| EHS-060 | New |