When it comes to protecting your people, your products and your profits, the benefits of installing state-of-the-art products from National Firesleeve are obvious. We have all the fully certified, tried and tested fire sleeves and fire sleeve tape that you need to protect operators and equipment from the kind of direct heat, electrical arcing, molten splash and hose bursts that can cause accidents and injuries in a wide range of workplaces.
As our name suggests, one of the primary goals of National Firesleeve is to prevent workplace fires. But just how common are these fires, what do they cost our industries, in both human and financial terms, and what progress is being made to reduce these risks?
The recent comprehensive and highly detailed report from the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) – ‘Fire in Industrial or Manufacturing Properties’ – contains some sobering statistics for anyone who thinks that fire protection is an expensive option.
How common are industrial and manufacturing fires?
According to the NFPA report, US fire departments responded to an average of 36,784 industrial fires each year, from 2017 to 2021. These included fires at utility and defense companies, agricultural plants and mines. Fires at manufacturing plants accounted for two-thirds of the fires, with industrial fires accounting for the remaining third.
These fires caused an average of 22 deaths per year and 211 major injuries. They also resulted in over $1.5 billion in direct property damage. Add in lost production, and that figure more than doubles.
What is the biggest cause of industrial fires?
The NFPA report shows that mechanical failure was the leading cause of fires in industrial and manufacturing plants at 17%, with electrical failure accounting for 13% of fires and 9% caused by heat sources being too close to combustibles. In all of these cases, National Firesleeve products could have helped to prevent, or at least mitigate the risks of fire.
For example, electrical arcing, which can be prevented by fire sleeves, accounted for 15% of fires, while sparks, embers and flames from operating equipment accounted for 9%. National Firesleeve products are specifically designed to protect cables, pipes and hoses from such damage, providing molten splash protection up to 1200°C.
Are things improving?
The good news from the NFPA report is that workplace safety has significantly improved in recent years. The number of fires at industrial and manufacturing plants has fallen by around two-thirds in the last 30 years, from 114,500 fires in 1980 to 38,738 in 2021. This is no doubt due to the development of fire protection products like the ones supplied by National Firesleeve.
The drop in fire numbers also brings a welcome reduction in the consequences. Civilian deaths are down from a peak of 102 in 1990 to 22 in the most recent figures, with injuries down from a peak of 1,620 in 1982 to just 211. The financial cost has also been reduced from a peak of $3.9 billion in 1989 to just $1.5 billion.
The case is clear
If you had any doubts as to the need for first-class fire protection products from National Firesleeve, this report makes the case as clear as it could be. National Firesleeve can help you save money, save your equipment, products and premises, and most importantly, help you to save lives.
Don’t let your company become part of the statistics in the next NFPA report. Get in touch with National Firesleeve today to find out more about the very latest fire prevention technology, for both new equipment installations and retrofit projects. Our expert team will work with you to deliver the very highest standards of safety, with British-made quality fire sleeves distributed nationwide from our Illinois warehouse.
